Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs

08/31/2026

Jonathan Whitney’s latest album “Cooch’s Bridge: The African-American Presence” is the second suite of four works inspired by the historic site now operated by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.

Whitney has translated the history of the people and events at Cooch's Bridge Historic Site into exceptional and emotional musical pieces to energize the next generation of people to learn about the site.

Click the link below to learn more!

https://history.delaware.gov/2026/08/24/composer-educator-and-activist-jonathan-whitney-releases-coochs-bridge-the-african-american-presence-on-september-3-2026/

08/28/2026

The replica of the Liberty Bell which graces Legislative Mall in the state capital of Dover, is identical to the iconic original in Philadelphia. This Bell was cast in France in 1950, traveled throughout Delaware including several locations within the state capital in the 1950s, before being placed in Dover in 1976 by the Legislative Bicentennial Committee. It was originally presented to the people of Delaware as the inspirational symbol of the United States Savings Bonds Independence Drive of 1950. The Liberty Bell Reproduction Marker reads: Dedicated to you, a free citizen in a free land, this reproduction of the Liberty Bell was presented to the people of Delaware by direction of The Honorable John W. Snyder, Secretary of the Treasury.

Click the link below to read more!

The Delaware Liberty Bell undergoes maintenance and now proudly hangs high on a newly fabricated support beam.

08/27/2026

Thank you to our Amazing Sponsor DHCA!
https://preservationde.org/

08/21/2026

Sending love to those impacted by the tornado that hit Dover and surrounding areas last night.

08/17/2026

**DETAILS IN DELAWARE: Brick Corbel**

A brick corbel is a structural and decorative building technique where individual courses of bricks are specifically arranged outward from the vertical face of a wall to create a projecting shelf, ledge, or overhang. The design is achieved through stepped projection. Each individual brick course is stepped slightly outward layer by layer from the face of a wall. The weight of the outward projection is counterbalanced by the deep embedment of the brick tails anchored securely inside the main wall. There are limits to how far out the bricks may extend. Standard masonry rules generally limit corbelling to a maximum projection of one-third the brick unit's thickness per course, and a total projection of no more than half the total wall thickness, unless custom engineered supports are used.

This technique may be used as a structural element, or purely for elemental purposes. Common uses of corbeling include Cornices: Supporting decorative projecting lines near the top of historic brick facades; Eaves and Parapets: Transitioning wall surfaces to meet roof overhangs or handle water deflection away from the building; Aesthetic Detailing: Adding shadow lines, texture, and period character to traditional masonry structures.

08/13/2026

HCA mourns the loss of Alice H. Guerrant.

An expert in American history and historic archaeology, Alice H. Guerrant joined the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs in 1980. Her work included archaeological investigations, historical research, and project reviews. She oversaw the 1984 test excavations at the New Castle Court House Museum. At the John Dickinson Plantation, she led testing work that informed the Division’s reconstruction of several outbuildings, providing a more accurate setting for the house and guiding interpretation of the site.

Always an innovator, Alice authored Delaware’s first manual for conducting cultural resources surveys, wrote statewide historic preservation plans, managed the State’s historic property data and helped update the division’s online mapping system.

Click the link below if you wish to read more about Alice and her legacy. She will be greatly missed.

https://history.delaware.gov/2026/06/29/hca-mourns-the-loss-of-alice-h-guerrant/

08/12/2026

Located two miles southwest of Milford, Abbott’s Mill was added to the National Registry of Historic Places on May 18, 1979. The site was established as a sawmill in 1795 and converted to a gristmill after 1808. The site remains named after Ainsworth Abbott who purchased it in 1919.

The current two and a half story building is a later 19th century structure, built on what is thought to be the original mill building’s foundation, with extensive renovations from the late 1800’s and an addition from the early 1900’s. The machinery and chutes from the original mill that remain on the site were used to process grain, reflecting Delaware’s rich past as an agricultural center.

Constructed almost entirely of wooden frame, the building became vulnerable to several factors including age, water infiltration, insect damage and its proximity to a road. Damage to the beams and framing meant that Abbott’s Mill needed to be closed to the public for reasons of safety.

The Division for Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) will begin restoration and repair of the structural framing at this historic landmark this summer. Out of concern for public safety and to ensure that the site will reopen with no lingering effects of damage, a structural engineer was brought in to assess the site as well as an architect to plan out every step of repairing the space. A thorough engineering study and design was completed, and work is set to begin with an eye towards reopening the site for interpretive programming by the Delaware Nature Society who lease the space and who facilitate workshops, exhibits, walking trails along the property, school trips and other programs.

Click the link below to learn more!

Abbott’s Mill, a Centuries-old Historic Landmark that Proudly Harkens to Delaware’s Rich Agricultural Past, Undergoes Repair and Restoration

08/11/2026

In anticipation of the Primary Election in September, the New Castle Court House Museum reminds residents to register by August 22nd to be able to vote in the September primary. Visit the Delaware Board of Elections for more information.

Click the link below to read more!

A New Castle Court House Museum Exhibit, Your Vote, Your Voice, Chronicles the Evolution of Voting in Delaware and Drives Voter Registration.

08/07/2026

Historic Preservation Tax Credits have been highly successful in promoting the rehabilitation of historic properties throughout the state, serving to preserve the past while simultaneously creating jobs and promoting economic revitalization.

The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ State Historic Preservation Office (HCA, SHPO) manages this important program, shepherding interested parties through the application process with an eye towards facilitating state preservation efforts.

Click the link below to learn more!

An 1850s Architectural Gem in Odessa Gets a New Lease on Life with Help from the Delaware Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program.