Discover Delmarva: Zwaanendael Museum
LEWES-De- The Zwaanendael Colony was the first European settlement in modern-day Delaware. The settlement later became the town of Lewes which houses the Zwaanendael Museum. Devon Filicicchia the Site Supervisor dove into the history of what brought the Dutch to Delaware, during our tour.
Filicicchia tells us “The first Dutch colony that came here in 1631, was the Zwanandale colony. They were here to establish a whaling and trading fort with the Dutch West India Company and they did that successfully but for only less than 2 years.”
The building is modeled after a city hall in the Netherlands. The museum was built in 1931 to honor the anniversary of the settlement. The museum offers in all forms from shipwrecks, and lighthouses, to modern-day history made in Sussex County.
One of their more modern exhibits highlights a local to the state of Delaware “Through our shared truths exhibit we’re trying to highlight individuals who are making a difference in Delaware history, who are actively writing Delaware history.” The current display at the museum features Kathy Carpenter a local LGBTQ+ advocate, who donated a collection of items from the Miss Sussex County Amateur in 2000.
The museum holds history that dates back hundreds of years too. The HMS Debraak is their largest exhibit, as it’s the most famous shipwreck along the Delaware coast that sank over 225 years ago. This extensive collection offers a look into the life of a sailor. The finer china displayed was often for the higher-ranking members of the ships. We’re told the ship was salvaged in the 1980s but the company originally tasked with this destroyed a large portion of the artifacts and the ship. This led to legislation to protect shipwrecks and establish the laws that we have today –
protecting underwater artifacts.
Another famous shipwreck has its artifacts displayed upstairs. “So one of our exhibits features the Roosevelt Inlet shipwreck. Which was uncovered on Lewes beach by accident in 2004.” There are plenty of artifacts in the case but some you can even touch! It was believed this ship was on the way to Philadelphia before its crash in the late 1770s. Filicicchia tells us “Because it was a merchant ship- the 18th-century Amazon truck if you will. It was holding all of these goods for sale. So those items were eventually washed up on Lewes Beach.”
Behind the shipwreck, they have their Fiji Merman displayed. This comes from Japan representing a half-man half fish and comes from a local captain dating back to the 19th century. With another anchor of the museum, their canning collection offers a look at the life many lived here in the early 20th century. “So the Delaware railroad system was extensive. The trails that we bike on here in Lewes and Rehoboth and even out to Georgetown, are following the old rail lines of that train system.”
The museum is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:15 pm. Filicicchia tells us they’re planning to offer tours of the Debraak shipwreck starting this May. For more information on the museum check out their website.
