DNREC’s First State Heritage Park First Saturday celebrates historic music in Delaware June 1

DOVER – DNREC’s First State Heritage Park will take a closer look at types of 18th-century music in Delaware from 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at the John Bell House on The Green. The public is invited to have some fun and sing along with “Music and Song in a Public House.”

Other sites within the First State Heritage Park will also delve into a variety of other aspects of music from around the world. Children will be able to create their own musical instrument by taking part in the Biggs Kids program at the Biggs Museum of American Art. The Johnson Victrola Museum will be celebrating African-American Music Appreciation Month with guided tours focusing on the impact of people of color on the music industry throughout the world. Visitors can also learn about the origins of country music at the “Play that Old Time Country Music” lecture presented at the Old State House.

First Saturday Activities: Saturday, June 1

9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Music and Song in a Public House
John Bell House, 43 The Green
Sing along while learning the importance of music and song in the 18th century.

Black Music Month Celebration
Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New Street
In celebration of African-American Music Appreciation Month, guided tours will highlight the contributions African-American artists have made to music around the world.

Biggs Kids – Kazoos
Biggs Museum of American Art, 406 Federal Street
Learn how music and art work together, by making and decorating your own musical instrument.

A Capitol Experience
Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Avenue
Experience Delaware history at Delaware’s state capital building. Photo ID is required for all adults entering the building.

10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Last tour leaves at 3 p.m.)

Stories of The Green Walking Tour
Meet at the John Bell House on The Green
For 300 years, The Green has been the center of commerce, politics and civic life in Dover. Guided walks through the historic district reveal the people and events that left their mark on Dover’s history.

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Guided Tours
At Woodburn – The Governor’s House, 151 Kings Highway
Enjoy guided tours of the official residence of Delaware’s Governor since 1965.

10:30 a.m.

An Unsurpassed Soldiery: The Delaware Regiment during the American Revolution
Delaware Public Archives, 121 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard North
This presentation by historian Charles Fithian will offer some of the preliminary findings of a new study of the Delaware Regiment, and will describe some of the distinctive features of its service.

1:30 p.m.

Play That Old Time Country Music
The Old State House, 25 The Green
This lecture discusses the early roots of country music with the Victor Talking Machine Company. Visitors can enjoy this educational presentation with original 78 rpm recordings.

1:30 – 4 p.m. (Last tour begins at 4 p.m.)

“The Once and Future Courthouse”
Historic Kent County Courthouse, Courtroom #1, 38 The Green, meet on front steps
From the 1690s to the present, learn how this site went from a courthouse to a hotel and back again.

Admission to all park sites and programs is free. Centrally-located free parking is available at the First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard North. For more information about “First Saturday” events and all First State Heritage Park programs, please call 302-739-9194 or visit destateparks.com/heritagepark.

The First State Heritage Park is Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries,” linking historic and cultural sites in the city that has been the seat of state government since 1777. The park is a partnership of state agencies under the leadership of DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, working in collaboration with city and county government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902


Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs to sponsor nine special events during June 2019

(DOVER, Del.—May 20, 2019)—During the month of June 2019, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be sponsoring nine special programs at sites across the state. A full schedule is included below. Except where noted, all programs are free and open to the public.

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special events, June 2019

Saturday, June 1, 2019
“Black Music Month Celebration.” In recognition of African-American Music Appreciation Month, guided tours will highlight the contributions African-American artists made to music around the world, accompanied by 78-rpm recordings played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. First Saturday in the First State program. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3262.

Saturday, June 1, 2019
“Play That Old-Time Country Music.” Program explores Victor Records’ early recordings of country music, accompanied by 78-rpm records played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. First Saturday in the First State program. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Program at 1 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-744-5054.

Sunday, June 9, 2019
“Separation—Freedom for Delaware.” As part of the Separation Day celebration marking the 242nd anniversary of Delaware’s split from Great Britain and Pennsylvania to form the Delaware State, the New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., will offer activities and demonstrations by the First Delaware Regiment from 1:30-4:30 p.m., and “Caesar Rodney in his Own Words,” a historical play by museum historic-site interpreter David Price at 2 p.m. Both activities will take place on the Green adjacent to the museum. Admission free for museum events. 302-323-4453.

Thursdays, June 13, 20 and 27, 2019
Lost Off Lewes: The British Warship DeBraak.” Special tour explores the history, artifacts and surviving hull section of this 18th-century shipwreck. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 9 a.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 (cash or check only). For reservations, e-mail hca_zmevents@state.de.us or call 302-645-1148.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Historic preservation symposium. Daylong series of programs exploring National Register nominations, disaster preparedness, and issues regarding the elevation of historic properties. The Delaware Room, Delaware Public Archives, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-736-7400 no later than June 19, 2019.

Saturday, June 29, 2019
Lost Off Lewes: The British Warship DeBraak.” Special tour explores the history, artifacts and surviving hull section of this 18th-century shipwreck. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 5 p.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 (cash or check only). For reservations, e-mail hca_zmevents@state.de.us or call 302-645-1148.

Saturday, June 29, 2019
Wilmington Pirate Festival. Event includes pirate-themed ship tours, demonstrations, games, crafts, live music, face painting, food and beverages. Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard and Fort Christina National Historic Landmark, 1110 E. Seventh St., Wilmington. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 302-429-7447.

Exhibits and displays, June 2019
In addition to special programming, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is sponsoring the following exhibits and displays. Admission is free and open to the public:

Ongoing
Delaware Railroads: Elegant Travel and Timely Transport.” Exhibit explores the history of rail travel and transport in the First State emphasizing the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad (1832), the Delaware Railroad (1852), the Junction and Breakwater Railroad (1857) and the Queen Anne’s Railroad (1896). Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
Drawing America to Victory: The Persuasive Power of the Arts in World War I.” Online exhibit revolves around 27 World War I posters from the collections of the State of Delaware.

Ongoing
Five Stories.” Display explores the varied lives of people who lived on the plantation including Dickinson family members, tenant farmers, tradesmen, free blacks, indentured servants and enslaved individuals. John Dickinson Plantation Welcome Center, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Oct. 1–March 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April 1–Sept. 30: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania.” Online exhibit explores the life of Founding Father John Dickinson on the 250th anniversary of the publication of his essays that described Colonial American grievances with the British government.

Ongoing
New Castle: Three Forts, One Community.” Exhibit examines the 17th-century struggle for control of New Castle by the Dutch, Swedes and English, and the strongholds that they built to maintain their power. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
The Old State House: A True Restoration 1976-2016.” Display explores preservation work that has been conducted since Delaware’s first permanent capitol building in Dover was restored to its original appearance in 1976. From the collections of the State of Delaware. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Ongoing
The Path to Freedom: A History of the Underground Railroad in Delaware.” Exhibit explores Delaware’s role in the clandestine network that transported American slaves to freedom including the true journey of the Hawkins family from bondage in Maryland, through Delaware, to freedom in Pennsylvania. Part II of the display explores some of the challenges faced by Black Delawareans after the Civil War, and showcases Delaware trailblazers who helped break racial and gender barriers. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
Sculpture by Charles Parks. Display of works by the noted Wilmington artist featuring historical and political figures including a Minute Man, and presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798, to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
Simple Machines.” Exhibit demonstrating the six “simple machines”—incline ramp, screw, wedge, pulley, lever and wheel—that constitute the elementary building blocks of which many more-complicated machines are composed. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Oct. 1–March 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April 1–Sept. 30: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
When Janie Comes Marching Home: Women’s Fight to Serve.” Display explores the participation of women in America’s armed conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the present, and their fight to be allowed to serve their country during wartime. Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Ave., Dover. Limited visitation hours; call 302-739-9194 before planning a visit.

Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the five museums of the State of Delaware—the John Dickinson Plantation, the Johnson Victrola Museum, the New Castle Court House Museum, The Old State House and the Zwaanendael Museum—tell the story of the First State’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Through tours, exhibits, school programs and hands-on activities, the museums shine a spotlight on Delaware’s unique history and the diverse people who came to live there. The museums are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The New Castle Court House Museum and the John Dickinson Plantation are partner sites of the First State National Historical Park. The Old State House is located on the Dover Green, another partner site of the park. Go to the following for a comprehensive, long-term calendar of division-sponsored events.

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 general public on Delaware history and heritage. 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.

Picture of the Logo of the American Alliance of Museums logo

-End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-739-7787
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov


Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs to sponsor five special events during May 2019

(DOVER, Del.—April 26, 2019)—During the month of May 2019, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be sponsoring five special programs at sites across the state. A full schedule is included below. Except where noted, all programs are free and open to the public.

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs special events, May 2019

Saturday, May 4, 2019
Dover Days at The Old State House. Guided tours explore Delaware’s historic capitol building constructed in 1791. Part of the Dover Days Festival. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Saturday, May 4, 2019
“Sounds of War: Patriotic Music.” Guided tours examine music’s influence during America’s wars when patriotic songs were composed throughout the nation, accompanied by 78-rpm recordings played on authentic Victor Talking Machines. Part of the Dover Days Festival. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3262.

Saturday, May 11, 2019
“Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Delaware’s Forgotten Daughter.” Presentation by Lora Englehart on the life of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, a Wilmington, Del.–born abolitionist, activist, journalist and educator who was first African-American woman to run a newspaper in North America. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Program at 1 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Saturday, May 18, 2019
A Day in Old New Castle. The oldest house and garden tour in the nation includes programs at the New Castle Court House Museum and the New Castle Green. Downtown New Castle. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Admission free at the New Castle Court House Museum. Admission charge at other venues. 302-322-5774. 302-322-5774.

Saturday, May 25, 2019
“A Sailor’s Life for Me”—Zwaanendael Museum’s 8th Annual Maritime Celebration. Maritime-themed activities including displays, demonstrations, tours, lectures and more. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Monday, May 27, 2019
Memorial Day. All museums of the State of Delaware will be open: The Johnson Victrola Museum and The Old State House, open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; the John Dickinson Plantation, New Castle Court House Museum and the Zwaanendael Museum, open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Exhibits and displays, May 2019
In addition to special programming, the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is sponsoring the following exhibits and displays. Admission is free and open to the public:

Ongoing
Delaware Railroads: Elegant Travel and Timely Transport.” Exhibit explores the history of rail travel and transport in the First State emphasizing the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad (1832), the Delaware Railroad (1852), the Junction and Breakwater Railroad (1857) and the Queen Anne’s Railroad (1896). Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
Drawing America to Victory: The Persuasive Power of the Arts in World War I.” Online exhibit revolves around 27 World War I posters from the collections of the State of Delaware.

Ongoing
Five Stories.” Display explores the varied lives of people who lived on the plantation including Dickinson family members, tenant farmers, tradesmen, free blacks, indentured servants and enslaved individuals. John Dickinson Plantation Welcome Center, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Oct. 1–March 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April 1–Sept. 30: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania.” Online exhibit explores the life of Founding Father John Dickinson on the 250th anniversary of the publication of his essays that described Colonial American grievances with the British government.

Ongoing
New Castle: Three Forts, One Community.” Exhibit examines the 17th-century struggle for control of New Castle by the Dutch, Swedes and English, and the strongholds that they built to maintain their power. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
The Old State House: A True Restoration 1976-2016.” Display explores preservation work that has been conducted since Delaware’s first permanent capitol building in Dover was restored to its original appearance in 1976. From the collections of the State of Delaware. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-744-5054.

Ongoing
The Path to Freedom: A History of the Underground Railroad in Delaware.” Exhibit explores Delaware’s role in the clandestine network that transported American slaves to freedom including the true journey of the Hawkins family from bondage in Maryland, through Delaware, to freedom in Pennsylvania. Part II of the display explores some of the challenges faced by Black Delawareans after the Civil War, and showcases Delaware trailblazers who helped break racial and gender barriers. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
Sculpture by Charles Parks. Display of works by the noted Wilmington artist featuring historical and political figures including a Minute Man, and presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush. New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle. Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798, to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. April 1–Oct. 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. Nov. 1–March 31: Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 302-645-1148.

Ongoing
Simple Machines.” Exhibit demonstrating the six “simple machines”—incline ramp, screw, wedge, pulley, lever and wheel—that constitute the elementary building blocks of which many more-complicated machines are composed. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Oct. 1–March 31: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. April 1–Sept. 30: Tue.–Sat., 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30–4:30 p.m. 302-739-3277.

Ongoing
When Janie Comes Marching Home: Women’s Fight to Serve.” Display explores the participation of women in America’s armed conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the present, and their fight to be allowed to serve their country during wartime. Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Ave., Dover. Limited visitation hours; call 302-739-9194 before planning a visit.

 

Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the five museums of the State of Delaware—the John Dickinson Plantation, the Johnson Victrola Museum, the New Castle Court House Museum, The Old State House and the Zwaanendael Museum—tell the story of the First State’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Through tours, exhibits, school programs and hands-on activities, the museums shine a spotlight on Delaware’s unique history and the diverse people who came to live there. The museums are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The New Castle Court House Museum and the John Dickinson Plantation are partner sites of the First State National Historical Park. The Old State House is located on the Dover Green, another partner site of the park. Go to the following for a comprehensive, long-term calendar of division-sponsored events.

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 general public on Delaware history and heritage. 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.

American Alliance of Museums logo
-End-

 

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-739-7787
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov


DNREC First State Heritage Park’s First Saturday offers a look at significant symbols representing Delaware

Explore the history and legend of Delaware’s state bird at the John Bell House and find out why

the First Delaware Regiment was proud to be called chicken.

DOVER – Ever wonder why the Blue Hen is the Delaware state bird? On Saturday, April 6, DNREC’s First State Heritage Park will answer that question and provide visitors with explanations of the other symbols that represent Delaware.

From the well-known to the obscure, you can learn more about the elements that are iconic to Delaware, and how they were chosen to represent the First State. Each site of the First State Heritage Park will present a variety of symbols, sharing the stories of how they came to be connected to Delaware. Even if you have never heard that the ladybug is our state insect, there will be something for every age and interest level.

Visit Legislative Hall between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to find out about the animals, vegetables, and minerals that have been selected over the years to represent the state. Stop by Woodburn between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to find out about the state flag, which displays a yeoman farmer, why there is a cow on the Delaware state seal, and how George Washington had some influence. You might also be surprised to learn that you have the ability to institute your own ideas.

Some symbols are known across the world. At 1:30 p.m. the Johnson Victrola Museum will feature a theatrical presentation that explores artist Francis Barraud and his painting of one of the most celebrated canines in the world: Nipper the dog, who displays the Victor trademark, “His Masters Voice.”

First Saturday activities: April 6

9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

  • From Military Man to Mascot: The Delaware Blue Hen
    John Bell House, 43 The Green
    Learn the history and the legend behind Delaware’s state bird; the blue hen.
  • Creating State Symbols
    Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Avenue
    At Delaware’s state capital building, experience Delaware history and learn more about state symbols, from the state beverage to the our wildlife animal, and how these representations came to be. Photo ID is required for all adults entering the building.
  • Songwriting: Poetry through Music
    Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New Street
    To celebrate National Poetry Month, guided tours will highlight the great songwriters of the Victor Talking Machine Company. Hear their music on authentic talking machines.
  • Biggs Kids – Peach Blossoms
    Biggs Museum of American Art, 406 Federal Street
    Did you know that the state flower of Delaware is the peach blossom? Create your own colorful tree and see how many peaches you can find in our collection.
  • A Symbol of Government
    The Old State House Museum – 25 The Green
    Guided tours will highlight the creation of The Old State House, and how it became a symbol of Delaware’s past and present.

10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Last tour leaves at 3 p.m.)

  • Dover’s Heroes of the Revolution Walking Tour
    Meet at the John Bell House on The Green
    Dover was a hotbed of activity during the struggle for American Independence. Learn about the people of Dover who made an impact and contributed to the symbolism of Delaware.

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

  • State Seal Symbolism
    At Woodburn – The Governor’s House, 151 Kings Highway
    Enjoy guided tours of the official residence of Delaware’s Governor since 1965, and learn about the significant symbols on the state seal.

10:30 a.m.

  • Celebrating the History of the Delaware Department of Transportation
    Delaware Public Archives, 121 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard North
    The Secretary of DelDOT, Jennifer Cohan, will present the history of the department, and how our transportation system has evolved over the last century.

1:30 p.m.

  • Francis Barraud: His Master’s Voice
    Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 South New Street
    This theatrical presentation examines painter Francis Barraud’s creation of the world famous “His Master’s Voice” trademark, one of the most famous symbols in the 20th century.

1:30 – 4 p.m. (Last tour leaves at 4 p.m.)

  • “The Once and Future Courthouse”
    Historic Kent County Courthouse, Courtroom #1, 38 The Green, meet on front steps
    From the 1690s to the present, find out how this site went from a courthouse to a hotel and back again.

Admission to all park sites and programs is free. Centrally-located free parking is available at the First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard North. For more information about First Saturday events and all First State Heritage Park programs, call 302-739-9194 or visit www.destateparks.com/heritagepark.

The First State Heritage Park is Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries,” linking historic and cultural sites in the city that has been the seat of state government since 1777. The park is a partnership of state agencies under the leadership of DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, working in collaboration with city and county government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector.

Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 67


DNREC’s First State Heritage Park’s lantern tours to light up Fridays this spring

DOVER – DNREC’s First State Heritage Park will offer lantern tours of The Green and three historic Dover cemeteries at 8 p.m. Fridays from April 5 – June 7. Take a walk through Dover’s history by the light of a lantern on one of four different evening tours offered by the park.

  • Lantern Tour of The Green
    8 p.m. Fridays, April 5, May 3, and 17
    Join historical interpreters from the First State Heritage Park dressed in colonial attire as they tell the stories of historic Dover. Dover’s public square was the site of markets and fairs, suffragists and abolitionists, soldiers and slaves, lawmakers and law breakers. Hear tales of devastating fires that threatened the town, of poisonings, and of tragic love.
  • Christ Episcopal Church cemetery
    8 p.m. Friday, May 10
    Encounter characters from the past to hear tales of the tombstones, along with stories of joy and sorrow about those who were laid to rest within the walls of the churchyard. From Caesar Rodney’s unrequited love, to Civil War opponents buried within yards of one another, be prepared for a surprise or two on this unique tour.
  • Old Wesley United Methodist Church cemetery
    8:00 Friday, May 24; 8:30 June 7
    In a new lantern tour, the stories of those buried in Wesley United Methodist Church’s cemetery help reveal the meanings behind the elaborate rituals associated with death and mourning in the 19th century. Uncover the meanings of the carefully-crafted funeral art that decorates the tombstones of the high and low classes alike, and what those symbols might reveal about the people buried beneath them. Varied and often unusual funerary customs of the Victorian era, including mourning clothes, will be revealed by an undertaker and a grieving widow.
  • Presbyterian Church of Dover cemetery
    8 p.m. Friday, May 31
    Visit by lantern light the Presbyterian Church of Dover’s historic cemetery, where many prominent Delawareans and their families are buried. Among them is Delaware’s great statesman John M. Clayton and Revolutionary War martyr Colonel John Haslet, who died a hero’s death at the Battle of Princeton in 1777. Meet these figures from Dover history, along with Revolutionary War hero Major John Patton, 19th-century Dover’s James Fulton, who was the first resident of Rose Cottage, and several 18th-century Dover widows with decided opinions about their husbands.

Admission to all lantern tours is $10. All April and May Friday tours begin at 8 p.m. The June 7 tour begins at 8:30 p.m. Space is limited; call 302-739-9194 to reserve your lantern. Lantern tours cancelled due to inclement weather will not be rescheduled. The churchyard tours are made possible with the cooperation of the Presbyterian Church of Dover, Christ Episcopal Church, and Wesley United Methodist Church.

First State Heritage Park is Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries” linking historic and cultural sites in the city that has been the seat of state government since 1777. The park is a partnership of state agencies under the leadership of DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, working in collaboration with city and county government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector. For more information, visit www.destateparks.com/heritagepark.

Contact: Beth Shockley, Public Affairs, 302-793-9902

Vol. 49, No. 68