Port Penn Area Historical Society

07/29/2026

Fort DuPont has played an important role in the history of the Delaware River and our community.

Fort DuPont was built to protect the Delaware River.

On Saturday, Aug. 1, at 6 p.m., you can learn how that mission shaped the Fort and the surrounding region.

Join Delaware State Parks for a guided Battery Hike exploring the history of coastal defense and the role Fort DuPont played for generations.

Wear waterproof shoes and be prepared for uneven terrain.

The program is free! To register, please call 302-601-6382, or email Jake at [email protected].

07/29/2026

Looking for an interesting local history program?

Join the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware for a screening of First People. First State: Cheswold's American Indian Community, a new documentary exploring the history and heritage of Delaware's Native community.

The event includes a welcome from Chief Dennis Coker, a brief discussion of the film's creation, a screening of the 48-minute documentary, and a Q&A session.

We're happy to share this opportunity with those interested in Delaware history.

Join us for a film screening of a new documentary: First People. First State: Cheswold's American Indian Community, a new documentary developed by the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware!

Register here: https://delawarelibraries.libcal.com/event/17131306

The event will include a welcome from Chief Dennis Coker and a brief overview of the film's creation, a screening of the 48-minute-long film, and a Q&A.

07/25/2026

Augustine Beach was once one of the great tourist sites of Delaware! Listen to the words of Ray Armstrong, who grew up in Port Penn in the 40s and 50s:

"At that time Tommy Texas had what they call the Augustinian Hoetown which was an amusement park....There's always something to do; if it wasn't on the amusement park side it was on the river side. Swimming and playing all day. For a small park they had just about everything. I know they had the train ride, to circle the whole park, the merry-go-round, chair-planes, and all the arcades, ball pitching and all that. It was pretty complete for a small park."

From an interview between Ray Armstrong and Mike Miller, February 27, 1997. Excerpt edited for clarity.

07/21/2026

The Port Penn Interpretive Center is open today!

The Interpretive Center is open every Tuesday until September 1, from 10 am to 4 pm. Stop by and check out our first phase of the exhibit refresh at the site!

And don't forget about our Kids Craft Club tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm!

07/17/2026

Looking for something fun to do with the kids this week? Stop by the Port Penn Interpretive Center on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. for the Kids Craft Club: Water Filtration Challenge!

Young explorers will have the opportunity to learn about clean water through a hands-on engineering challenge. Best of all, the program is free.

We love seeing great educational programs happening at the Interpretive Center. We hope you'll check it out!

Don't forget to check out our upcoming Kids Craft Club program! This coming Tuesday we have the Water Filtration Challenge at 2 pm. The program is completely free!

07/03/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘄𝗮𝘆!

Today, Augustine Beach is known for its peaceful marshes, fishing, birding, and views of the Delaware River. But in the summer of 𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟭, it echoed with the roar of stock cars racing around a 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹 known as the 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘄𝗮𝘆.

Drivers from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland competed every Sunday before enthusiastic crowds. The speedway even featured a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲, won by Wilmington's 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀, while fellow racer Louise Brett famously returned to the track after crashing into the guardrail and receiving hospital treatment!

The speedway operated for only a brief time before disappearing into history, making it one of the more fascinating, and often forgotten, chapters in Augustine Beach's colorful past.

This story, researched by 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗲, originally appeared in a past Port Pennings newsletter. If you'd like to read the full article, visit:https://www.portpenn.org/newsletter/ppahs%202022%2001%20spring.pdf

Do you, or someone in your family, remember the races at Augustine Beach? We'd love to hear your stories or see your photographs!

06/28/2026

Kids! Come by the Interpretive Center this Tuesday (6/30) for a "Kids Craft Club" activity! We are going to be making flower pot crabs. All materials provided, and the program is free! Begins at 2:00 pm.

06/10/2026

The Port Penn Interpretive Center will be open this summer! Our hours will be 10 am to 4 pm, every Tuesday from June 16 to September 1. Stop by and visit!