‘William Penn Day’ in New Castle on Oct. 29, 2022

(DOVER, Del. — Oct. 17, 2022) — On Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ New Castle Court House Museum, located at 211 Delaware St. in New Castle, Delaware, will present “William Penn Day,” a day-long series of activities commemorating the 340th anniversary of Penn’s Oct. 27, 1682 disembarkment at New Castle, his first landing in the New World. Admission for all programs is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-323-4453 or mailto:NCCHmuseum@delaware.gov.

William Penn Day 2022 schedule of activities

  • Tours of the New Castle Court House Museum and William Penn display. 10 and 11 a.m.
  • “The Life and Cookery of Gulielma Penn.” Presentation by historical interpreter Kim Fritch on William Penn’s first wife including recipes from her 17th-century cookbook. 1 p.m.
  • “Tea with Mrs. Hannah Penn.” Jean Norvell portrays Hannah Penn, the proprietor of Pennsylvania’s second wife, as she discusses her life with William in America. English tea provided by the Mercury Café and Tea House. 3 p.m.
  • “Music in the Time of William Penn.” Performance by a string ensemble from the Music School of Delaware. 5 p.m.

Built in 1732, the New Castle Court House is one of the oldest active courthouses in the United States and was Delaware’s first state capitol. Here in 1776, New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties declared their independence from Pennsylvania and England creating the Delaware State. During its nearly 300 years of history, this National Historic Landmark has played many pivotal roles in the political, social and commercial life of both New Castle and Delaware. The museum is a partner site in the First State National Historical Park.

Photo of the New Castle Court House Museum
New Castle Court House Museum

The New Castle Court House Museum is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-577-5170
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov


Zwaanendael Museum Offers ‘Mysteries Of History’ Tours

(DOVER, Del. — Sept. 28, 2022) — Beginning on Oct. 8 and continuing each Saturday through Oct. 29, 2022, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ Zwaanendael Museum will offer “Mysteries of History” walking tours that explore the darker and more unusual aspects of Lewes, Delaware history. Tours leave from the museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, at 2 p.m., and will visit local cemeteries. Enroute, visitors will learn about the history of the town, mysterious incidents at sea and local shipwrecks.

Admission to the tours is free but registration is required and limited to 12 participants per tour. Reservations may be made up to one day in advance of each tour by calling 302-645-1148 or mailto:zmuseum@delaware.gov.

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped façade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters. The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history.

The Zwaanendael Museum is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-577-5170
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov


Buena Vista Fall Event On Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022

-Free one-day-only affair showcases one of Delaware’s most historic estates-

(DOVER, Del. — Sept. 27, 2022) — The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ Buena Vista: A Delaware Country Estate, located at 661 S. Dupont Highway (Route 13), southwest of New Castle, Delaware, will welcome visitors for a one-day-only fall event on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Activities will include lawn games, pumpkin painting, mansion tours, and outdoor painting sessions conducted by the Sunshine Plein Air Artists. Guests should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets, and are encouraged to pack picnic lunches and cameras to capture the autumn colors at one of Delaware’s most historic estates.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-323-4430. In case of inclement weather, the event may be postponed to the following day, Sunday, Oct. 9, during the same hours.

Buena Vista fall event schedule of activities

  • Children’s games and pumpkin painting on the lawn. Guests are also invited to take photos at their leisure and to bring a picnic lunch. 10 a.m.– 3 p.m.
  • Guided tours of the Buena Vista mansion. Limited to 20 participants per tour on a first-come, first-served basis. 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
  • Two outdoor painting sessions led by the Sunshine Plein Air Artists. Limited to 20 participants per session on a first-come, first-served basis. Art supplies provided but participants must bring their own chairs. Session times to be determined

The main section of the Buena Vista mansion was built between 1845 and 1847 by John M. Clayton, United States secretary of state from 1849 to 1850 under presidents Taylor and Fillmore, and United States senator from 1829 to 1836, 1845 to 1849, and 1853 until his death in 1856. The home later became the residence of C. Douglass Buck, governor of Delaware from 1929 to 1937 and United States senator from 1942 to 1948. Buena Vista and its grounds were donated to the State by the Buck family in 1965 and now serve as a conference/event center administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.

The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the public on Delaware history. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the State’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.


John Dickinson Plantation’s 2022 ‘18th Century Trades Day’

(DOVER, Del. — Sept. 26, 2022) — On Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, visitors to the home of the “Penman of the Revolution” will explore Colonial-era job opportunities during the “18th Century Trades Day” that will take place between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ John Dickinson Plantation located at 340 Kitts Hummock Road in Dover, Delaware. All activities are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-739-3277.

“18th Century Trades Day” will provide opportunities to learn about traditional carpentry and candle dipping; preserving food in a smokehouse; dyeing fabric 1700s-style; and observing the power of a musket being fired.

The John Dickinson Plantation, Delaware’s first National Historic Landmark, was the boyhood home of John Dickinson, a founding father of the United States, a framer and signer of the U.S. Constitution and “Penman of the Revolution.” Dickinson wrote eloquently about freedom and liberty for all while continuing to hold human beings in bondage. The plantation shares the stories of the Dickinsons; the tenant farmers; the trades people; the indentured servants; and the free and enslaved people who lived, labored and died on the land. Administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the museum is a partner site in the First State National Historical Park.


The John Dickinson Plantation is administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, an agency of the State of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history. The division’s diverse array of services includes operation of five museums which are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, administration of the State Historic Preservation Office, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections, operation of a conference center and management of historic properties across the state. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-577-5170
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov


2,075 Seedlings Planted for the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Tree Planting

TOWNSEND, Del. (September 21, 2022) – On September 17, over 100 volunteers planted 2,075 trees at the Blackbird State Forest for the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Tree Planting. This initiative will provide scenic beauty, enhance wildlife habitat, fight invasive species, and improve water quality in the critical Chesapeake Bay Watershed. This tree planting was part of a broader program to commemorate the 200th birthday year of Harriet Tubman in 1822 and part of International Underground Railroad Month.Sixth District Councilman David Carter and Del State student Lauren Smith work together to plant a seedling.

“This tree planting event along with the guided hikes (held separately), generated a lot of interest and positive feedback for more programming like this from Delaware citizens. We were fortunate enough to partner in these events with a cultural interpretive guide Dionne Patterson (UGR3day Underground Railroad Experiences Inc.), DelDOT Byways Program, and the Underground Railroad Coalition of Delaware,” said Delaware Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator Kesha Braunskill. “Our forestry staff did an outstanding job in preparing the site for the planting to take place. And volunteers from all over the state did an awesome job getting all the trees planted in under three hours. These planting events are great for community involvement, and everyone gets to see the fruits of their labor for years to come as they come back to see the forest they helped create.”

The planting project allowed the Delaware Forest Service to continue its goal of increasing tree canopy, as well as increasing the community’s knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of forests and forest management. Volunteers who assisted included teachers and students from various school groups, honor society students, Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops, and volunteers from Delaware’s Air Force Crew.

Blackbird State Forest covers nearly 6,000 acres in southern New Castle County and is a stop on the historic Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The project was funded by the U.S. Forest Service and its Chesapeake Bay Program and the Delaware Forest Service and its Urban and Community Program.

To find out how to get involved in future tree plantings or other tree-inspired programs, visit https://de.gov/treeevents.

More photographs are available on Flickr, https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjA7XEp