Bestowed annually by the New Castle Historical Society to property owners who have made significant contributions to the historic city on the Delaware River through preservation and/or restoration of their property, the award is named for Reinhardt and Elizabeth Bamberger, historic preservationists and Society benefactors. In its award letter regarding the New Castle Court House, the Society noted, "We are impressed by your attention to detail and your determination to remain true to the original design through the use of period appropriate materials and careful workmanship."

One of the oldest and most historic courthouses in the United States, the New Castle Court House (main section built in 1732) served as Delaware's first court and state capitol. Here in 1776, New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties declared their independence from Pennsylvania and England creating the Delaware State. The site was also the location of the 1848 trial which resulted in the conviction of John Hunn and Thomas Garrett on charges of aiding and abetting escaped slaves in violation of the federal Fugitive Slave Act.

The New Castle Court House Museum re-opened to the public on September 28th, 2007 after a year-long, $2.5 million restoration project that included painting of the interior of the building based on research of historic color schemes, plaster wall repairs, floor restoration, and a number of discreet modern improvements including installation of central air conditioning, and new heating equipment and electrical service.

Prior to the commencement of restoration work, archaeological investigations were conducted in the structure's west wing which revealed previously unknown 17th, 18th, and 19th century features including a 17th century fortification wall. Artifacts from these, and previous, archaeological investigations may be seen in the exhibit, "Archaeology of the New Castle Court House," which is currently on display in the Court House along with the exhibit, "Emeline Hawkins: Her Journey from Slavery to Freedom on the Underground Railroad," which chronicles the compelling story of Emeline Hawkins and her family, and their 1845 odyssey on the Underground Railroad from slavery in Maryland, through Delaware, to freedom in Pennsylvania.

Go here for more information on the City of New Castle.

Activities with patriotic themes will take place at each of Museum Square's three facilities: Guests at the Museum of Small Town Life will have an opportunity to craft patriotic pinwheels and learn about the history of parades, bond drives, and victory gardens, while visitors to the Delaware Archaeology Museum can participate in creating colorful fireworks-art pictures. Finally, visitors to the Johnson Victrola Museum will be treated to the inspirational and patriotic sounds of John Philip Sousa and James Reese Europe as the museum strikes up the band utilizing authentic Victor sound recordings and equipment. Participating children will have an opportunity to make their own musical drums to take home.

Museum Square, located at 316 S. Governors Ave., between North St. and Bank Lane, in Dover, Delaware, is open from 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and most state holidays; and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. Donations are accepted and appreciated. For additional information, call the Delaware Visitor Center at (302) 739-4266.

The DeBraak knit cap is similar to those known as Monmouth Caps, a knitted form of hat in common usage from the late Middle Ages to the 19th century. The exact origin of the DeBraak cap remains uncertain, but it may have been produced on contract for the Royal Navy. In examining the knitting techniques used to make the cap, Buckland noted that it is very similar to other, and earlier, examples she has examined. This indicates the persistence of a traditional craft over a long period of time.

Because their materials are subject to deterioration, archaeological examples of Monmouth Caps are extremely rare. The cap recovered from the DeBraak is only the second example found in North America, the first having been recovered from the New York waterfront from what is also thought to be maritime/Royal Navy contexts. A few other examples survive in museum collections around the world, notably in the Nelson Museum and Local History Centre in Monmouthshire, Wales.

That the DeBraak knit cap survived for over 200 years is a matter of extremely fortuitous circumstances—when the ship sank, its hull and contents quickly became buried in sand and silt which preserved them from further break-down.

HCA is now working to help shed light on the historical tradition of cap-making: HCA staff members have been carefully studying the design of the DeBraak cap which may eventually lead to the creation of a modern reproduction. For more information on the HMS DeBraak, please contact Chuck Fithian, Curator of Archaeology, at (302) 739-6402, or by email at chuck.fithian@state.de.us.

For additional information on Monmouth Caps, visit the following Web sites:
A Short History of the Monmouth Cap
Knit Monmouth Cap
Isca Morrismen Tradition Monmouth Caps

Designed to record the rich tradition of quilt-making in the state of Delaware and to help preserve its legacy for future generations, the project is a collaborative effort between HCA and the University of Delaware. Gathered information will be submitted to the Quilt Index, a national data base maintained by The Alliance for American Quilts. The project is supported, in part, by grants from the Delaware Humanities Forum and the National Quilting Association; a gift from the Helping Hands Quilt Guild of Dover; and private donations.

Beloved Merman of Delaware
Zwaanendael Museum, Lewes Delaware
Lewes is a very special town. "We give people the best exhibits on the maritime history of Sussex County, but they want to see the merman. We could never take it off display." This merman is about a foot long. It was given to a prominent local family by an old sea captain. They didn't know what to do with it, so they loaned it to the museum in 1941. When the last family member died in 1985, the museum raised $250 in donations and bought the merman.

Go to the following for additional information about the Zwaanendael Merman:
About the Zwaanendael Merman

Zwaanendael's Fiji Merman
YouTube—December 30, 2007

Go face to face with Delaware's own sea monster in Lewes
The News Journal, Wilmington, DE—October 23, 2007

Best of the East Coast
Trifter—April 30, 2007