Museum to open new exhibit on Cape Henlopen Lighthouse May 27
A new exhibit opening Friday, May 27, at the Rehoboth Beach Museum will examine the historic, artistic and symbolic legacy of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse.
Although 96 years have passed since the tower fell to the beach, it still holds an important place in the hearts and minds of local residents and is one of the most popular symbols of Delaware’s coastal community. Drawing on official records, newspaper accounts, oral histories and a wealth of photographic materials, the exhibit will outline the history of the lighthouse from its colonial origins in 1765 to its collapse in 1926.
Other parts of the exhibit will highlight the lighthouse as an attraction for tourists and locals, its popularity as an artists’ subject, and its continuing use as an iconic symbol. The exhibit also will feature artifacts retrieved from the lighthouse ruins, a 6-foot-tall model that once belonged to noted artist Andrew Wyeth, and paintings by local artist Ethel Pennewill Brown Leach.
Cape Henlopen Lighthouse - Beacon, Attraction and Icon will be on display through Monday, Sept. 5, at the Rehoboth Beach Museum, 511 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach. Summer hours beginning Memorial Day weekend are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. The museum is handicap accessible. Go to rehobothbeachmuseum.org for details on exhibits and programs.
