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July 2009 |
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New Castle Historical Society Executive Director Michael Connolly (far right) presenting the 2009 Bamberger Historic Preservation Award to HCA representatives (from left) Brian Cannon, Cindy Snyder, and Tim Slavin.
New Castle Academy
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In a ceremony on June 11, 2009, the New Castle Historical Society presented its 2009 Bamberger Historic Preservation Award to the State of Delaware for the restoration of the New Castle Academy. Representing the state were staff members from the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA), the agency that managed the Academy's restoration and administers its on-going affairs. Representatives who were on-hand to receive the award were HCA Director Tim Slavin, New Castle Court House Museum Site Supervisor Cindy Snyder, and Historic Site Interpreter Brian Cannon. The ceremony, which was presided over by the Historical Society's Executive Director Michael Connolly, took place in the Academy's restored parlor.
Bestowed annually by the New Castle Historical Society to property owners who have made significant contributions to the historic city on the Delaware River through preservation and/or restoration of their property, the award is named for Reinhardt and Elizabeth Bamberger, historic preservationists and Society benefactors. Located at 50 Market St. in historic New Castle, Delaware, the Academy was built in 1799 to the design of Peter Crowding, a Philadelphia master builder. It served as a public school until 1930 when the New Castle High School was built. A deed of transfer by the Trustees of the Academy to the State of Delaware occurred shortly thereafter. In 1931, Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green entered into a 99-year lease with the state for use of the building. The church continues to use the Academy for many community- and church-related activities. The Academy was returned to active use on March 1, 2009 after a $600,000 restoration regimen that included both exterior and interior stabilization projects. Exterior stabilization projects included full masonry re-pointing; essential wood repair and replacement; rear porch reconstruction; restoration of the front entry door; repair and/or replacement of gutters, downspouts, and collapsed window wells; cornice restoration; partial cupola restoration; upgraded electrical service; and new exterior paint finishes. Interior stabilization projects included plaster repairs, refinishing of wood floors and stairs, woodwork restoration, a new fire alarm system, new electrical wiring, new interior paint finishes with historic colors, and installation of an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restroom on the first floor. Restoration of the New Castle Academy would not have been possible without the passion and commitment of state Sen. Dorinda A. Connor (R-12th District) who was instrumental in securing funding that was generously supported by the Joint Committee on Capital Improvement (Bond Committee) of the Delaware General Assembly. The planning, design, and construction management for the restoration of the building was led by Kevin Rychlicki, an architect with Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects in consultation with Frens and Frens Restoration Architects. The work plan was implemented by Lawrence Bathon of L. C. Bathon Builders, Inc. Contract management was administered by Larry Schrock of the Delaware Office of Management and Budget's Division of Facilities Management. In addition to Slavin, HCA personnel involved in the restoration process included Leon Messina (Curator/Project Manager); Manny Carrar (Physical Plant Maintenance Superintendent); and Lynn Riley (Senior Planner/Project Manager). Staff members of Immanuel Church, including Pastor E. Godden, Hunter Ficke, Felice Jo Lambden, and Bob Davis, were active partners in the restoration process, accommodating the building's closure and other inconveniences while making time to attend regular progress meetings, providing critical input in the planning process, and serving as dedicated stewards of this historic 18th century landmark. |
Display of Victor Talking Machines at Museum Square's Johnson Victrola Museum.
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Visitors to Delaware's capital city will have an opportunity to celebrate Independence Day with the program, "Come Scream for Your Team!," which will take place on Saturday, July 4, 2009, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Museum Square, 375 S. New St., between North St. and Bank Lane, in Dover, Delaware.
The program will feature songs by Waring's Pennsylvanians, rare collegiate songs, and more, played on vintage Victor Talking Machines. The event will also feature a craft activity in which children will make colorful musical pendants. "Come Scream for Your Team!" is presented in conjunction with "First Saturday in the First State," a monthly series of events sponsored by the First State Heritage Park. Admission for all programs is free and open to the public. For additional information, call the Delaware Visitor Center at (302) 739-4266. |
Historic interpreter reading the Declaration of Independence in front of Dover, Delaware's Old State House.
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On Saturday, July 4th, 2009, historic interpreters, dressed in Colonial-period costume, will recite the Declaration of Independence aloud from the spot where the document was first read to the citizens of Dover on July 29, 1776. The recitation is part of Delaware's celebration of "Let Freedom Ring!," a nation-wide event in which public facilities and churches ring their bells 13 times in honor of the original 13 states on the nation's birthday.
The program will take place, beginning at 2 p.m., at The Old State House, located at 25 The Green in Dover, Delaware. The event commences with the ringing of The Old State House bell, followed by the recitation of the declaration adopted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. The program is free and open to the public. Additional information is available by calling 302-739-4266. |
| The American Institute of Physics has recently published a paper by members of the United States Naval Academy's Physics Department and Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) archaeologist Chuck Fithian regarding research on the physical composition of bolts used to hold together the hull of HMB DeBraak, a British naval vessel that sank off the coast of Lewes, Delaware in 1798.
The paper, entitled "PIXE Analysis of Metal Hull Bolts from HMB DeBraak," was originally presented at the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry: Twentieth International Conference which was held in August 2008 in Fort Worth, Texas. Click here to view the abstract from the paper. The complete text of the paper is also available for purchase at the same Web address. HMB DeBraak was raised, and badly damaged, during a commercial salvage operation in 1986. HCA has curated the remains of the ship's hull and its contents since they were acquired by the State of Delaware in 1992. |
Fenwick Island Lighthouse |
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The New Friends of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse, in coordination with the Town of Fenwick Island, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the official lighting of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse with a party and special events that will take place on Saturday, August 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on and near the grounds of the lighthouse located at the intersection of 146th St. and Lighthouse Lane in Fenwick Island, Delaware. The program is part of a week-long series of events entitled "Old Fenwick Island Days."
Completed in 1858 and first lit on August 1, 1859, Fenwick Island Lighthouse helped to protect shipping from the treacherous Fenwick sand shoals that extend several miles into the Atlantic Ocean off the Delaware coast. The lighthouse is unusual in that the outer brick tower is conical, while a second inner brick tower is an 8-foot diameter cylinder. The lighthouse sits exactly on the eastern origin of the Mason-Dixon Line. Fenwick Island Lighthouse is a property of the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, administered by the New Friends of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse. For additional information, call 302-436-8100. |
| The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) has recently created a four-color brochure that will be used to promote Delaware's Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program which offers state tax credits to property owners for expenses incurred during the rehabilitation of historic buildings. The program has awarded more than $27 million in tax credits since 2001. These tax credits have, in turn, spurred more than $79 million in private investment, resulting in the rehabilitation of buildings for use as private residences, residential rental properties, and businesses. Click here for a low resolution PDF version of the brochure.
HCA is planning to distribute copies of the brochure to Delaware towns with historic districts, Main Street programs, historical societies, contractors specializing in historic preservation, real estate professionals, and others interested in historic preservation. To receive copies of the brochure, contact Joan Larrivee, Delaware Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program Manager at 302-736-7400 or joan.larrivee@state.de.us. |
 Brian Cannon |
 Ann Baker Horsey |
 Claudia Leister |
On June 5, 2009, Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) Director Tim Slavin received a hand-written letter from a Mr. J. P. Smith who had recently visited HCA's New Castle Court House Museum. Commenting on a tour of the courthouse provided by Historic Site Interpreter Brian Cannon, Smith noted, "Not only does Brian have knowledge of the subject matter, his passion for the subject flows across. ...This man is a gem! Consider your department lucky to have him." On June 3, 2009, HCA's Curator of Collections Ann Baker Horsey served on a panel of judges for an art contest for Delaware's young people sponsored by Lt. Gov. Matt Denn. Entitled "Delaware: Our Home," the contest provided young people with an opportunity to share their vision of the state. Winning works of art will be displayed in Denn's Dover and Wilmington offices. Claudia Leister, HCA's Curator of Collections Management, recently gave her annual presentation entitled "Salvage of the DeBraak" to approximately 350 students and teachers from Great Valley Middle School (Malvern, PA). The school group attended the program as part of a week-long visit to Lewes' Cape Henlopen State Park in May. Leister also presented the program to a group from the Delmarva Bottlers Club at the Lewes Middle School. 2009 marked the 22nd year that Leister has conducted these programs on the DeBraak, a British naval vessel that sank off the coast of Lewes, Delaware in 1798. |
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| An exhibit on two Delaware shipwrecks is now on display at Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware. The closing date has not been determined.
Featured in the exhibit are two examples of mercantile shipwrecks located off the coast of Delaware: The 'China Wreck' and the 'Roosevelt Inlet Shipwreck.' Artifacts on display are examples of cargo items lost in transit across the Atlantic in the later 1700s and early 1800s. Tragedy struck and these items never made it to market. Legislative Hall is located on Legislative Avenue in Dover, Delaware. Admission is free, for additional information on tours and visiting hours, call 302-739-9194 or visit the Legislative Hall website. |