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Delaware’s 2013-2017 Historic Preservation Plan Adopted

Friday, May 10th, 2013 traviskirspel

By: Alice Guerrant

On February 21, 2013, our National Park Service reviewer approved Delaware’s draft historic preservation plan. In March, one of HCA’s talented graphic designers took that draft and turned it into a beautiful publication with an outstanding layout illustrated with photographs and charts. And on April 16, the State Review Board for Historic Preservation formally adopted the new 2013-2017 plan.

That’s just the beginning for this plan. Now it’s up to the historic preservation community to make this a working document. We all need to become very familiar with its goals and strategies. Where does your group or agency fit in to these strategies? Where can you make a contribution?

One of the strategies in the plan is to have a regular working group come together every six months to review where we are, what’s been accomplished lately, and where we need to focus next. We will be seeking members for that group very soon and setting up the first meeting.

Anyone want to join in?

 

 

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Remembering Charles Parks

Thursday, November 8th, 2012 traviskirspel

On October 25th, Delaware said goodbye to a beloved artist and friend in Charles Parks. Mr. Parks passed on at the age of 90 in Wilmington, Delaware. Just over a year ago, the State of Delaware was honored to accept the generous donation of more than 300 sculptures and personal objects from the famed sculptor’s private studio collection. We thank and celebrate Charles Parks for sharing his art with us and ensuring that Delawareans find beauty and inspiration in his work for generations to come.

Here is just a sampling of Mr. Parks’ large body of work that is now under the care of the State of Delaware:

Also be sure to watch selections from “Charles Parks: Working Artist” on Content Delaware:

 

Please share any thoughts or memories that you may have about Mr. Parks or his work, some of which can be found in public spaces in the City of Wilmington and across the state and country.


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Remembering Jack Lewis

Tuesday, August 21st, 2012 traviskirspel

We were saddened to learn this morning of the passing of beloved Delaware artist, Jack Lewis. With a career spanning the course of nearly a century, Mr. Lewis created a prolific body of work that captured and brought out the beauty in Delaware and Delawareans alike. The State of Delaware is fortunate to have more than 400 of his works in our collections, many of which are prominently displayed in our public buildings and offices across the state.

Lewis also had an undeniable and unmistakable impact on generations of regional artists through his tireless work with institutions like the Rehoboth Art League. Today, Historical & Cultural Affairs celebrates and continues to promote the life and legacy of Jack Lewis, a friend and leader from the Delaware arts community.

Articles on the passing of noted Delaware artist Jack Lewis:

Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs curates more than 400 of the artist’s works.

 

We encourage you to share your own reflections and memories about Jack Lewis as comments below.

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Delaware and the War of 1812: Part III

Monday, August 6th, 2012 traviskirspel

By Chuck Fithian, HCA Curator of Archaeology

Governor Daniel Rodney

The year 1814 saw the inauguration of a new governor— Daniel Rodney of Lewes. Like his predecessor, he continued to oversee and maintain the active defense of the state. Defensive measures continued with Delawareans manning the various fortifications and ongoing militia service. During the year, Delaware ceded Pea Patch Island to the federal government, which fortified it using Martello-type towers, a new type of fortification developed earlier by the British for the defense of southern England.

Also at this time, Delawareans would be assisted, for the first time, by the arrival of significant elements of the United States Regular Army. These regulars were stationed in Lewes and in encampments across northern Delaware. Naval operations by British vessels also continued unabated in the Delaware Bay and River. For example, small boats from the frigate Nieman destroyed a group of shallops containing a valuable cargo of shingles in Indian River. However, Delaware would face new threats, this time ones originating in events taking place in the Chesapeake Bay.

 

British military forces, now under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn, launched new and more vigorous attacks against American assets on both sides of the Chesapeake. Both of these highly experienced officers had served in naval campaigns in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and were aggressive practitioners of the concepts of total war.

Numerous raids were launched throughout the region, but the 1814 campaign also included larger engagements such as the destruction of the Chesapeake Flotilla in the Patuxent River, the battle of Bladensburg, the burning of government buildings in Washington, the battle of North Point, and the bombardment of Fort McHenry.

 

The Chesapeake Flotilla Retreats to the Patuxent River

 

The Battle of Bladensburg

 

The Burning of Washington in 1814

 

 

The Battle of North Point

 

The Bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814

It is also significant that at this time Admiral Cockburn pressed his commander to consider attacking targets in the Delaware Valley including New Castle, Wilmington, and the DuPont gunpowder works in Delaware; and Chester and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Admiral Cockburn’s interest in enlarging the scale of British operations in the Delaware Valley shows the strategic importance of the region and clearly indicates that the operations on the Delaware should not be considered a backwater of the regional naval campaign.

The events occurring in the Chesapeake were being watched by Delaware authorities, who had begun to prepare the state for attacks from the west. Immediately after the attack at Fort McHenry, British forces again threatened the northern Chesapeake and Delawareans would be a part of the measures to counter that move. Under the command of Thomas Stockton of New Castle, then a major in the 42nd United States Infantry, a force of Delaware militiamen, United States Army regulars, and United States Navy sailors from the Delaware Flotilla marched into northern Maryland and occupied positions in the Elkton area.

Thomas Stockton

By this time the war was clearly winding down, and British forces withdrew into the lower Chesapeake, and began to depart to other areas. However, for Delaware the war was not over. As late as November and December, garrisons, such as those at Lewes, were still being manned, Royal Navy vessels, such as HMS Majestic , a 74-gun ship-of-the-line, were sighted on station in the Delaware Capes, and fears of landings along the coast were still real.

 

 

Chuck Fithian holds a master’s degree in history from Salisbury University and has extensive expertise in military and maritime history/archaeology, in material-culture studies, and social history of Colonial- and Revolutionary War-era America. Mr. Fithian is responsible for the curation of the archaeological collections of the state of Delaware and for conducting historical/archaeological research. His current work includes directing the research and conservation of the artifact collection and hull of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak and conducting a survey of Delaware sites related to the War of 1812.

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Johnson Victrola Museum featured on America’s Lost Treasures

Friday, August 3rd, 2012 traviskirspel

Last February, we shared a “behind-the-scenes” glimpse of a film crew from the National Geographic Channel working on a segment from their new show, America’s Lost Treasures, at the Johnson Victrola Museum. For those of you who didn’t get to see the finished product’s premiere last Wednesday, here’s a taste of what you missed:

Has anyone seen any other episodes? What do you think? Any favorite episodes or “treasures?”

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Delaware and the War of 1812: Part II

Monday, July 30th, 2012 traviskirspel

By Chuck Fithian, HCA Curator of Archaeology

The initial actions and campaigns of the war took place along the Canadian border and on the high seas. However, that would change in late 1812. In December, the British government would declare the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays to be in a state of blockade, and by the following February and March, Royal Navy vessels under the command of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren arrived to impose the directives of the British government.

The overall purpose of the naval campaign was the disruption of the maritime economies of the region, and the suppression or elimination of United States Navy vessels. Writing to Admiral Warren, the First Lord of the Admiralty made it clear that “we do not intend this as a mere paper blockade.”

Watch The British Blockade on PBS. See more from The War of 1812.

 

Soon after the arrival of British forces, American shipping was captured or destroyed and maritime communities across the region were attacked. Among these was the town of Lewes just inside the Delaware Capes. Recognizing the town’s maritime importance, Commodore Sir John Poo Beresford subjected it to a twenty-two-hour bombardment and threatened a landing and attack by sailors and Royal Marines in April of 1813.The American defenders, commanded by Colonel Samuel Boyer Davis, put up a resolute defense and the landing did not take place. Afterwards Colonel Davis wrote to Governor Haslet assuring him that the “honor of the state had not been tarnished.”

Throughout the rest of the year, Delawareans were continually on the defense against water-borne raids which proved to be highly destructive to bay and river shipping and commerce. 1813 would also witness a significant naval engagement between United States Navy and Royal Navy forces.

Based at New Castle, Delaware, which had become an important base for the United States Navy during the early Federal period, the gunboats of the Delaware Flotilla attacked the sloop of war Martin which had come to ground on Crow’s Shoals near the entrance of Delaware Bay. In a two-and-one-half-hour battle American forces nearly succeeded in capturing the Martin until being driven off by the superior firepower of HMS Junon which arrived to assist the Martin.

A modern nautical map identifies "Crow Shoal," where the grounded HMS Martin was attacked by the Delaware Flotilla

The naval campaign in the Delaware is characterized by the use of aggressive small-boat tactics and raids ashore, and the use of new technologies in what could be considered the early nineteenth century’s terror weapons. Congreve rockets were used in the Lewes bombardment, which was the first time this weapon was used against the Americans during the war.

Later, the Americans would deploy Robert Fulton’s “torpedoes,” known as “infernals,” against British vessels off Lewes. Previously unknown to have been used during the 1813 campaign in the Delaware Bay and River, the deployment of these floating mines was a countermeasure used by the Americans to break the stranglehold of the British blockade of the Atlantic Coast.

Chuck Fithian holds a master’s degree in history from Salisbury University and has extensive expertise in military and maritime history/archaeology, in material-culture studies, and social history of Colonial- and Revolutionary War-era America. Mr. Fithian is responsible for the curation of the archaeological collections of the state of Delaware and for conducting historical/archaeological research. His current work includes directing the research and conservation of the artifact collection and hull of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak and conducting a survey of Delaware sites related to the War of 1812.

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Delaware and the War of 1812: An Introduction

Monday, July 23rd, 2012 traviskirspel

By Chuck Fithian, HCA Curator of Archaeology

200 years have passed since the War of 1812, but few realize the dynamic role that the First State and its citizens played within the conflict. This article is the first of four excerpts to be blogged from Mr. Fithian’s essay entitled, “For the Common Defense,” “Infernals,” and a “Maraudering Species of War”: The War of 1812 in Delaware.

One of the most obscure of America’s conflicts is the War of 1812 . Wedged between our War for Independence and the Civil War, it is poorly known by many Americans. It was one of the most far flung of any of our nation’s wars. It would rage from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, from Delaware to the coast of the Pacific Northwest, to Valparaiso, Chile and Ghent, Belgium, with the final shots being fired in the Indian Ocean near the island of Java.

An enhanced map from 1811 illustrates the global reaches of the War of 1812

While the war was comparatively brief in duration, its consequences would affect the United States long into the nineteenth century. Delawareans would be participants in nearly all aspects of this conflict. They would serve in the federal government, the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps; participate in diplomatic efforts; sail on privateering cruises; and provide extensive military service as the front line in the defense of the economically vital Delaware Valley. While Delawareans served in many important capacities outside of the region, this essay is intended to provide an introduction to the history of the War of 1812 within Delaware and the lower Delaware Valley.

The economy of the Delaware Valley in the early nineteenth century was inextricably linked to regional, national, and far-reaching global networks, all of which made the region vital to the economic health of the United States. These networks meant that Delawareans were directly connected to the many events that occurred throughout the Atlantic world. As citizens of a politically Federalist state, Delawareans were mainly opposed to the moves toward war with Great Britain.

While many of the complex issues that underlay the coming conflict resonated among the state’s populace, they were keenly aware of the dangers war would bring to the state with its exposed Delaware Bay and River and Atlantic frontier. Supported by the “War Hawks” who dominated Congress, and over unanimous opposition by Delaware’s congressional delegation, the administration of President James Madison declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812.

An enhanced historical map helps to illustrate Delaware's coastal vulnerability

Governor Joseph Haslet had begun to prepare Delaware before the declaration of war through the acquisition of additional arms and equipment from the federal government. Some of the earliest efforts to protect the state were the erection and manning of fortifications at Wilmington, New Castle, and Lewes. After the declaration of war, along with the fortifications, sites such as encampments, arsenals, training areas, military administrative facilities, and observation posts, would be established across the state during the course of the war.

The governor also drew upon the state’s well established militia. In what for many would be extensive periods of time, his citizen soldiers left their farms and respective trades for military service in manning the fortifications and in the field. Throughout the war, the governor would be assisted by capable military officers such as Colonel Samuel Boyer Davis and Captain Caesar A. Rodney. Revolutionary War veterans, such as Allen McLane and Caleb P. Bennett, would help rally the support of the state’s citizens and provide valuable assistance and advice with defensive measures and other military operations.

Chuck Fithian holds a master’s degree in history from Salisbury University and has extensive expertise in military and maritime history/archaeology, in material-culture studies, and social history of Colonial- and Revolutionary War-era America. Mr. Fithian is responsible for the curation of the archaeological collections of the state of Delaware and for conducting historical/archaeological research. His current work includes directing the research and conservation of the artifact collection and hull of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak and conducting a survey of Delaware sites related to the War of 1812.

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Delaware Week of Service Kicks Off at Belmont Hall

Sunday, April 15th, 2012 traviskirspel

20120415-151237.jpg

Special thanks to all of the volunteers for joining Governor, First Lady, and Rue Markell this afternoon at historic Belmont Hall in Smyrna to kick off Delaware’s 2012 Week of Service!

More pictures to come!

20120415-151328.jpg

How are you participating in this year’s Week of Service?

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“Raising the DeBraak,” Part 1: Murky Waters

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 traviskirspel

Last November, HCA announced an initiative to begin conservation work on the hull of the HMB DeBraak. One of the conservation team’s most urgent objectives was to improve the hull’s support-system and to add a water-filtration system that cleans the water that is used to keep the hull wet.

Over the last several weeks, HCA maintenance and curatorial staff have been hard at work prepping the space for the work ahead:

A view of the hull from above. This aerial image was taken in the 1990s, before it was moved to its current home.

Today, plastic sheeting forms a perimeter around the hull to keep the moisture (and mess) inside. After existing in the seabed for nearly two centuries, it needs a constant provision of moisture in order to keep the cellular structure of the water-logged timber from collapsing.


The PVC piping that you see surrounding it is the current sprinkler system that is used to provide the moisture. This will be enhanced in the unfolding conservation plan to filter the water and better conserve the hull.

For nearly 20 years, the DeBraak has been cradled over a shallow retaining pool by metal beams. Constant exposure to moisture over the years has caused these beams to deteriorate and contaminate the surrounding water.

This is what the water was beginning to look like after collecting years of residue from the hull and the system that was put in to support it:

HCA Curator, Chuck Fithian, uses a pressure washer to remove residue and murky water from a shallow pool beneath the HMB DeBraak:

Ryann Schafer, Ed Gillespi, and Mike Chillas, from our Preservation Maintenance Team, help Keith Minsinger (in blue), Curator of Collections Management, to guide the murky water towards a sump pump, which will remove it from the basin:

Fresh water is brought in to help flush out and replace the old:

Keith and Chuck check to see how much “sludge” vs. water is coming out of the building:

“Yep… Still sludge…”

“Yep.”

Now the DeBraak is happy in her freshly-cleaned home. Next step – upgrading the irrigation system. Then, the hull will actually be raised – and not by the brute strength of Keith and Chuck alone – to replace the old beams with a new support system that is better suited for the environmental conditions. Stay tuned and we’ll try to keep you in on the progress!

The State of Delaware also cares for a significant collection of artifacts from the DeBraak shipwreck. These rare examples of textiles, weapons, and technology from the late 18th-century strengthen our understanding of the Atlantic World as well as Delaware’s historical role within it.

What interests you most about the DeBraak and its collections? What would you most like to see from it?

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A Blog from the HCA Gardens: Top 5 Things We Do in the Winter

Thursday, February 9th, 2012 traviskirspel

By: Ken Darsney, Curator of Horticulture

Ken Darsney

Being someone who has decided to work outside for a living, there are two questions I get asked more than anything else.

The first, which happens in the summer, is: “Hot enough for ya?”

at which I reply, “Yes. Yes it is.”

The second, and much more legitimate, question is:

“What do you guys do in the winter if it doesn’t snow?”

Well, I figured I would spend this introductory blog listing the top five things we do in the winter.

A Sycamore Tree at Delaware's Buena Vista Conference Center

1. Tree Work

Without their leaves, trees are much easier to climb for corrective pruning, and create less mess if you are completely removing them.  We can more easily see defective branching, physical damage, and signs of inner issues, such as fungal growths and bark peeling.  Also, the (normally) frozen ground lends access to the trees with trucks and equipment that would normally cause damage to the root system.

2. Mechanic Work

Since we have a limited amount of the season to operate our equipment, it usually is run hard, for long periods of time, with as little downtime as possible.  Now is the perfect time to thoroughly go through our equipment, make any repairs that had to be postponed during the busy season, and completely prep and maintain the machinery, so when the season cranks up we can run them hard, for long periods of time, with as little downtime as possible.

3. Greenhouse Production

The greenhouse is getting busy now, with seeds being ordered, indoor plants being stored and groomed, and potting mixes being delivered and prepped.

 

American Holly at Buena Vista

4. Pruning

This is an excellent time to perform one of the most critical steps in the long-term health of an evergreen shrub, depth pruning.  This is a practice most often performed on boxwood and holly, although it can be performed on any shrub that you are trying to keep contained within certain space.  Depth pruning involves removing portions of the shrub, not too large, in a uniform way, so as to increase air circulation within the shrub, and allow light to penetrate the inner sections of the shrub to encourage new growth.

5. Regroup and Plan

This is probably the most important, and frankly, the most fun, part of we are doing this time of year.  We’ve just been through the non-stop gauntlet of mowing, weeding, watering, watering, weeding, a hurricane!!, more watering, snow on Halloween?!?, leaves, leaves, leaves, holiday decorations, etc.  The holiday season is kind of the gardeners way of busting across the finish line, and now it’s time to sit down, analyze what worked and what didn’t from the past season, make changes and adjustments for next season, and start waiting for spring.

Ken Darsney has been in horticulture since 1991, spending 16 years with a large-scale residential and commercial landscape firm before going into business with his wife, Angie, in 2005, with a company specializing in estate maintenance. He joined HCA in 2011 with an interest in sustainable landscapes, noting that “a healthy landscape ecosystem is the best defense against pest and disease,” which lends itself the Division’s mission. Ken and Angie have two boys, 7 and 3, so he doesn’t have much in the way of free time, but he does get out into the woods as much as possible.

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