Experience a ‘History Revival’ at the New Castle Court House Museum in August

A brown, ribbon-like logo represents the division's "History Revival" programming launched in summer 2023.

This summer, the New Castle Court House Museum is once again partnering with the New Castle Historical Society to bring back the “History Revival” speaker series. Every Tuesday and Thursday in August will explore the fascinating history of local food and drink. 

The museum in Historic New Castle will host all eight events at 7 p.m. Reservations are not required, but seating is limited.

  • On Tuesday, Aug. 6, Mike Dixon will host “Pass the Rum,” a program that looks at the historical attempt to regulate the consumption of alcohol over the centuries and includes colorful stories of rum runners, moonshiners, bathtub gin and more. The program has been made possible in part by Delaware Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
  • On Thursday, Aug. 8, Michael Carver with Colonial Brewing will host a discussion about brewing in the American colonies and how brewing and tavern culture played roles in the American Revolution.
  • On Tuesday, Aug. 13, New Castle’s Fort Casimir Honey Company Owner Thomas Lunt will discuss bee-keeping and honey production.
  • On Tuesday, Aug. 15, Aaron Vedeman of New Castle’s Mercury Cafe and Tea House will discuss the process of selecting and combining teas in custom blends.
  • On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Drew Shuptar Rayvis will dig into the history of corn, beans and squash (and other key plants) and their importance to Indigenous Americans and European settlers. Participants will also receive lessons on incorporating them into their own gardens and recipes. This program is sponsored by the New Castle Community Partnership.
  • On Thursday, Aug. 22, Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs Historian Carlton Hall will discuss his findings on Delaware listings including in The Green Book, a segregation-era travel guide for African Americans published annually from 1936 through 1966.
  • On Tuesday, Aug. 27, John Medkeff will present information about brewing in the Swedish, Dutch and English colonies in Delaware.
  • On Thursday, Aug. 29, Mike Conolly will host a discussion of taverns, tavern-keepers, taprooms and tippling houses of early 18th and 19th century New Castle.

History Revival, sponsored in part by the New Castle Community Partnership and Delaware Humanities, is taking the place of the annual Chautauqua program and is an effort to make historical programming more easily accessible to more people. Check back soon for the next “History Revival” series to be held at the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes!