Delaware Historical Society

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Delaware Historical Society We preserve, promote, and share Delaware’s history to educate, inspire, and empower communities.
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The Delaware Historical Society owns and operates the Delaware History Museum; a nationally recognized Research Library; Old Town Hall; Willingtown Square, four 18th-century houses surrounding a picturesque urban courtyard located in Wilmington; as well as the Read House & Gardens located in historic New Castle, recognized as an “American Treasure” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service; and the Delaware History Museum and Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, which opened October 1, 2016. For more information, call (302) 655-7161 or visit www.dehistory.org.

Donors and friends of the Read House gathered on a beautiful evening last weekend to celebrate the progress we've made o...
10/16/2026

Donors and friends of the Read House gathered on a beautiful evening last weekend to celebrate the progress we've made on the revitalization of the Read House grounds and set the stage for the garden's next chapter.

The restoration has been made possible by many partners and supporters, and our History in Bloom campaign is one part of that larger effort. Through the campaign, we have raised nearly $100,000 toward our $150,000 community goal, with every dollar matched by the Longwood Foundation.

There is still time to join the History in Bloom campaign to support one of Delaware's most beloved historic landscapes. Visit dehistory.org/bloom today.

Fall is a beautiful time to visit New Castle, and if you're looking for weekend plans to take advantage of a picturesque...
10/15/2026

Fall is a beautiful time to visit New Castle, and if you're looking for weekend plans to take advantage of a picturesque season in a historic town, you'll want to grab one the remaining spots on our 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 walking tour!

The tour departs from the Read House and proceeds through Old New Castle, exploring the history and culture of the town's Black community from 1776-1876 and stopping at sites that would have been important to the families who lived and worked there.

Tickets $25. Purchase here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026

Take a walk in Wilmington this Saturday — a Historic Perspectives Photo Walk!We're partnering with 1865 studios to disco...
10/14/2026

Take a walk in Wilmington this Saturday — a Historic Perspectives Photo Walk!

We're partnering with 1865 studios to discover downtown history through a new lens, exploring the stories and architecture of Wilmington's past and using smartphones to capture new images of the city we see today. Along the way, we'll compare past and present city views, photograph historic locations, and learn techniques for composition, light, perspective, and visual storytelling.

So charge up your phone, grab your comfy walking shoes, and join us Saturday at 2 p.m. for a walk down Market Street and memory lane. We'll meet at the Delaware History Museum and cover 2nd through 6th Streets. (In November, we'll hit 7th to 10th.)

Tickets $25. Purchase here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/historic-photo-walk

10/14/2026

It’s Day! What have you always wanted to know about our archives and the work our Research Library & Archives team does?

Leave your questions in the comments!

Many things are spooky this time of year, but teaching social studies doesn't have to be! If you're looking for ready to...
10/13/2026

Many things are spooky this time of year, but teaching social studies doesn't have to be! If you're looking for ready to use resources to bring Delaware history into your classroom, check out our Educator Resources at dehistory.org/learn.

There are primary sources, Delaware history focused lesson plans, and activities on a variety of topics that you can download and use in your classroom right away. And stay tuned, because we'll be diving deeper into our different resources each month!

Next Monday, join us from the comfort of your own home for 𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢: 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 & 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘌. 𝘊𝘰𝘳...
10/12/2026

Next Monday, join us from the comfort of your own home for 𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢: 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 & 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘶𝘦𝘭 𝘌. 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩.

Oct 19 | 7 - 8 p.m. | Zoom
$5. Link provided after registration. Sign up here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/mapping-samuel-cornish

Dr. Anne Garner of the New York Historical Society will discuss the life of Samuel E. Cornish, born free in Sussex County in 1795. His legacy includes organizing the first Black Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York, and co-founding 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮’𝘴 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭, the first Black newspaper in the United States, which spurred the foundation of the Black press.

𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢 is an online series with cultural heritage professionals and researchers showcasing the Delaware stories available in museums, libraries, and archives around the nation.

Join us at the Delaware History Museum this Saturday for a free event! In honor of Family History Month, we're hosting 𝘍...
10/07/2026

Join us at the Delaware History Museum this Saturday for a free event! In honor of Family History Month, we're hosting 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴: 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 with the Delaware Public Archives. If you've ever wanted guidance on how to dig into your family's history, or you've wanted to apply for Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) or Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), this workshop is for you! Learn about the records most commonly used by genealogists as well as lesser-known resources to help trace your roots.

Free event. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/flags-of-our-forefathers

On October 1, Delaware Historical Society partnered with George Washington's Mount Vernon to bring their George Washingt...
10/06/2026

On October 1, Delaware Historical Society partnered with George Washington's Mount Vernon to bring their George Washington Teacher Institute (GWTI) to Delaware for their GWTI 250 Initiative. The professional development, held at the Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs' John Dickinson Plantation, explored the legacy of American's first president and his connections to Delaware's history and shared firsthand accounts, historical research, primary sources, and other resources for teachers to use in the classroom.

Many of our educator resources are available online! Learn more at https://dehistory.org/learn/educator-resources/

During last week's "Saving the Past, Shaping the Future" field trip in New Castle, students debated whether the national...
10/05/2026

During last week's "Saving the Past, Shaping the Future" field trip in New Castle, students debated whether the national bird should be the eagle or the turkey, and they used stuffed replicas of each as their "talking sticks" when sharing their points.

Interested in booking a field trip to the Read House? Submit a request here: https://forms.office.com/r/HkP7VPEf84

This week at Delaware Historical Society: Folk Music & Family History🎼This Thursday, October 8, we'll host folklorist De...
10/05/2026

This week at Delaware Historical Society: Folk Music & Family History

🎼This Thursday, October 8, we'll host folklorist Derek Piotr at the Read House for a talk about his Fieldwork Archive. Established in 2022, the Archive contains over 2,000 audio recordings, preserving diverse representations of folklife through ballads, hymns, tales, poems, children’s songs, and interviews.
4 p.m. | $15 | https://dhs.givecloud.co/preserving-delawares-songs

👩‍💻On Saturday, October 10, celebrate Family History Month with the Delaware Historical Society and the Delaware Public Archives with a workshop on how to use genealogical records to research your family tree and resources that are helpful for completing Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) or Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) applications.
1 p.m. | FREE | https://dhs.givecloud.co/flags-of-our-forefathers

Address

504 N Market Street
Wilmington, DE
19801

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+13026557161

Website

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