Historic Lewes to launch Pilottown Press publishing imprint Aug. 1

Historic Lewes will celebrate the launch of its new publishing imprint, Pilottown Press, during its First Friday event set for 4 to 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 1, at 110 Shipcarpenter St., Lewes.

Pilottown Press has published second-edition releases of two titles: “Jacob Jones: A Boy’s Life in Lewes During the American Revolution,” by William Manthorpe, and “Where Menhaden Was King: The Lewes Fishing Industry, 1883–1966,” by Thomas Elton Brown.

Both titles will be available for purchase at the coffee house during the event. A retired U.S. Navy captain with over four decades of service, Manthorpe will be signing copies of “Jacob Jones.” 

A distinguished naval hero, Jacob Jones spent his boyhood in the Ryves Holt House in Lewes during the American Revolution. Manthorpe’s book presents a compelling portrait of Jacob’s formative years and inspires young readers to pursue their dreams. 

The book opens with a foreword by Andrew Lyter, Historic Lewes curator of maritime history and director of external affairs, and is enriched with storytelling by Pilottown Press Editor in Chief Bill Meehan.

In “Where Menhaden Was King,” Brown chronicles the rise and eventual decline of the menhaden fishing industry that once placed Lewes at the top of the national fishing rankings, landing over 200 million pounds of fish annually at its peak in the 1950s.

A historian with a 30-year career at the National Archives, and a former trustee and volunteer at Historic Lewes, Brown offers readers a meticulously documented and personal perspective on the menhaden era.

The new edition includes a foreword by marine artist Steve Rogers, whose painting “Steamin’ Into Lewes” is used as the cover illustration.

Together, these two titles reflect the Pilottown Press mission to celebrate the distinctive heritage of Lewes by sharing thoughtful and well-crafted stories.

To learn more, go to historiclewes.org.