Interpreting the past at Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site
UD students envision a new future for Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site
Students from the University of Delaware learning what it takes to develop plans for a historic site will be sharing their thoughts with the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA), its supporters, and its newsletter subscribers through a series of articles the students penned about their time spent proposing ideas for the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site near Newark.
The student authors are from a class taught in Spring 2024 by HCA’s Historic Sites Team Manager Daniel Citron and Engagement and Collections Manager Meg Hutchins.
Check out the third student article by Anabella Cerrone below.
Interpreting the past at Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site
By Anabella Cerrone
As a student who attends the University of Delaware, and one who is minoring in museum studies, I have come to greatly appreciate UD’s association with the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA). This is solely due to the knowledge I’ve learned and the experience I am gaining from a class led by HCA’s Daniel Citron and Megan Hutchins.
With information about proper and beneficial museum practices (that are, unfortunately, not always commonplace) taught in our lessons, we are now using what we’ve learned to propose ideas for interpretation, exhibits, and communications for HCA’s recently acquired properties at the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, including the historic homestead and mill. My project has focused on how interpretation might be implemented at the homestead site as a museum, once it is ready to be opened to the public.
My group members and I have decided that in regards to interpretation, the changes that have taken place at the Cooch properties over time should be highlighted. I am currently focusing my research on interpretation inside the home specifically. This includes architectural changes to the home over time, from the original structure dating to the 1760s to the subsequent additions years later, as well as the functionality of the rooms themselves. I believe the most important aspect of interpretation, however, is the stories we choose to tell about the home. Our project highlights the importance of representing people who lived and particularly those who worked in the home. As historic museums often focus their interpretation on the elegance and lifeways of those who owned the homes, putting emphasis on the history of not just the Cooch family but also those who worked for them and did business with them creates museum interpretation that most modern Delawareans today could relate to- most of us are going to work everyday!
Our project also includes what we believe would be the best practices for implementing interpretation on the Cooch properties, placing high importance on inclusivity and accessibility. Once the properties can be opened to the public as a museum, we would like for the museum to be able to include tours, as well as host craft and market fairs, while recognizing the importance of making the properties accessible and inclusive for a variety of audiences. By keeping these things in mind, interpretation of the Cooch properties can reach a variety of audiences as well as educate, involve and inspire Delawareans with an interest in Delaware’s heritage.
Anabella Cerrone (she/her) is a student at the University of Delaware majoring in history and minoring in museum studies and anthropology. She also participated in a summer internship at the site, funded by the Friends of Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site and a grant from Delaware Humanities. Check back soon to hear more!
