Zwaanendael Museum

The Loyalist return this Saturday, June 6th! Visit the encampment on the lawn of the museum and learn more about Lewes's many connections to the Revolutionary War.

A special historic paint making demonstration will be on- going throughout the day. Historic Interpreter and Volunteer Coordinator Jen B., will have historic pigments and tools that were used to to make, and store paint just like they did in the 18th century.

Update- All June DeBraak tours are fully booked! Spots are still available for July, August and September!

Its June! Lots of great events are taking place at the Zwaanendael Museum this month. DeBraak tours, 250th programing, and special Pride Month social media posts are coming your way.

The Zwaanendael Museum is also open on Tuesdays! Visit the museum Tuesday- Saturday from 10a.m. to 4:15p.m. Admission is always free.

A few weeks ago we introduced the New Castle and Sussex County Militias. Over the next two weeks we will introduce you to some of the units of the Kent County Militia. Today, we will take a closer look at the Kent County Militia's Dover Light Infantry Company.

Historical records indicate that Kent County had at least two battalions of militia. The Dover Light Infantry Company, formed in the spring of 1776, was part of the 1st Battalion. Captain Thomas Rodney, the brother of Delaware's Caesar Rodney commanded the company. For most of 1776 the company was tasked with keeping Delaware's loyalists in check. By the end of 1776, the Continental Army was in a dire need for men after numerous defeats. In response General George Washington called on the militias of the new 13 United States. The Dover Light Infantry Company answered the call and marched to Washington's aid.

The company fought at Trenton in December 1776 and Princeton in January 1777. For playing a vital role in the American victories at the battles, Washington assigned the company as his personal bodyguard. Thomas Rodney's wartime diary offers an insight into the company's service with the Continental Army. After serving as Washington's guard, the company returned to Delaware later in 1777. It activities through the rest of the war are unknown.

Illustrated here is the uniform of the Dover Light Infantry Company in December 1776. The private on the left wears a short green wool coat with red facings and white turn backs. He wears brown overalls. His cap is a jockey style leather cap with green ribbon and a red feather. The officer on the right wears a grey overcoat over his uniform. Other than riding boots, uniforms were the same for officers and enlisted men. It is believed all men in the company were prescribed the grey overcoats. Both are armed with muskets and wear their cartridge boxes around their stomachs. The boxes are nickname "belly boxes."

Download the uncolored version to use as a coloring page to enjoy at home or stop by the Zwaanendael Museum and grab a copy!


ZM30

Oh sun, how we have missed you! ⁠☀️⁠
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The Zwaanendael Museum is open today from 10a.m. to 4:15p.m. Stop in your daily dose of local history while you're out. ⁠
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What can a button tell us?

Buttons are one of the most common items found in archaeological sites of the American Revolution. These tiny artifacts help archaeologists and historians to learn about the units who fought, or occupied these important locations in our nation's history. This week the illustration series takes a look at some of the buttons worn by Delawareans during the American Revolutionary War.

European military uniforms during the 18th century were mostly standardized by country. Great Britain wore red, the Spanish and French white, and the German states blue, etc., for example. To identify each unit or regiment, the uniforms were made with different colored facings and buttons. The buttons were usually cast with the number of the regiment. Officer's buttons were of a nicer quality metal like gold or silver while those of the enlisted were usually of pewter.

When the Continental Army was formed in 1775 the regiments of individual states wore uniforms with buttons cast with letters the state belonged to. The 1st Delaware Regiment's buttons were cast with the initials "DR" on them. Maryland, which had more than one regiment, had buttons with "MR" and then the number for the regiment. Many of Pennsylvania's regiments' buttons were cast with a letter "P."

As the Continental Army matured into a professional army standardized buttons were prescribed. State identities went away in favor of a national identity. These new buttons were cast with the letters "USA" for infantry. The regiments of the Continental Artillery modelled their buttons off the British Royal Artillery's, casting their buttons with images of cannons and mortars. The Continental Navy and Marine Corps modelled their buttons off those of the Royal Navy and cast theirs with images of anchors with rope.

The buttons mentioned along with some of the others worn by Delawareans are illustrated here.

Download the uncolored version to use as a coloring page to enjoy at home or stop by the Zwaanendael Museum and grab a copy!


ZM53&54

Yesterday marked the 228th anniversary of the sinking of the H.M.S. DeBraak off the Lewes coast. Tonight, join archeologist Chuck Fithian as he examines the "wooden world" of the ship, and the men who served on board.

The program takes place at the Lewes History Museum at 5p.m. Admission is free.

Ahoy! Join the Zwaanendael Museum and The Lewes Historical Society on May 26th for this special presentation by archeologist Chuck Fithian!
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Using information derived from the study of the DeBraak and its associated artifacts, this presentation will provide an archaeological perspective on the world of the naval sailor. It will show the complexities of their “wooden world,” and place it into the wider context of maritime culture, naval warfare, and the historical events shaping the late eighteenth century Atlantic world.⁠

Chuck Fithian is a Historical Archaeologist, with over forty years of experience working in the Mid-Atlantic region. He is the retired Curator of Archaeology for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, where he oversaw the State’s extensive archaeological collection and managed several archaeological and historical research projects. This included the conservation, research and curation of the hull and associated collection of the DeBraak.

The program begins at 5p.m. at the Lewes History Museum.
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Need some inside weekend plans?! Check out what the Zwaanendael Museum is offering!

🇬🇧Saturday, May 23, 10:30a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Due to the weather, our Loyalist officer has decided to occupy the second floor of the Zwaanendael Museum. Learn about what Lewes was like for the supporters of the crown during the American Revolution, and see what a British officer would have carried.

⚓️Tuesday, May 26 at 5p.m.: Join the Zwaanendael Museum and The Lewes Historical Society for a special program by archeologist Chuck Fithian. Honoring the 228th anniversary of the DeBraak shipwreck, this presentation will provide an archaeological perspective on the world of the naval sailor. It will show the complexities of their “wooden world,” and place it into the wider context of maritime culture, naval warfare, and the historical events shaping the late eighteenth century Atlantic world.

Unfurl the sails!

In honor of America's 250th and Maritime Month, meet the Delawareans of the Continental Navy!

In October 1775, the Continental Navy was formed by the Continental Congress of the 13 colonies. It was the predecessor to the United States Navy we know today. 6 Delawareans have been identified as serving in the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. 3 served as officers, 1 served as the first surgeon in U.S. naval history, 1 served as a sailor and 1 served as the naval commissioner to the Continental Navy. The two most well known of the Delawareans in Thomas and James Read, the brothers of Delaware and U.S. Founding Father, George Read. Thomas Read became the first to obtain the rank of Commodore in the Continental Navy, commanding a fleet of American warships in 1776. James Read, served as commissioner of the Continental Navy, making him one of the founding fathers of the U.S. Navy.

The Continental Navy never achieved status equal to that of the British Royal Navy. Instead it protected American maritime trade and wreaked havoc on British merchant shipping during the war. Captain John Paul Jones brought the war to Great Britain when he led an attack on the English port of Whitehaven in 1778. The greatest achievement of the Continental Navy was it created an experienced cadre of naval officers that would later lay the foundation for the U.S. Navy.

Most information regarding the uniforms of the Continental Navy regards uniforms of officers. Illustrated here is a captain wearing the regulation uniform worn throughout the majority of the war. The uniform was that of a blue coat lined and faced with red. The waistcoat is red with gold braiding. The blue breeches braided with gold were worn over white stockings. Buttons on the coat and waistcoat were of gold or yellow colored metal with and anchor design on them. He wears a black cocked hat. As a captain he carries a naval sword on his left hip. He is illustrated holding a captured flag or ensign of the British Merchant Navy, taken down when a British merchant ship was captured.

Download the uncolored version to use as a coloring page to enjoy at home or stop by the Zwaanendael Museum and grab a copy!


ZM27

Ahoy! Join the Zwaanendael Museum and The Lewes Historical Society on May 26th for this special presentation by archeologist Chuck Fithian!
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Using information derived from the study of the DeBraak and its associated artifacts, this presentation will provide an archaeological perspective on the world of the naval sailor. It will show the complexities of their “wooden world,” and place it into the wider context of maritime culture, naval warfare, and the historical events shaping the late eighteenth century Atlantic world.⁠

Chuck Fithian is a Historical Archaeologist, with over forty years of experience working in the Mid-Atlantic region. He is the retired Curator of Archaeology for the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, where he oversaw the State’s extensive archaeological collection and managed several archaeological and historical research projects. This included the conservation, research and curation of the hull and associated collection of the DeBraak.

The program begins at 5p.m. at the Lewes History Museum.
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