A ship in search of friends
For more than 20 years, one of the most unusual artifacts of Delaware history has been hidden away in a warehouse at Cape Henlopen State Park.
The HMS DeBraak capsized and was lost May 25, 1798, when King George III ruled England and John Adams was president. For nearly 200 years, the ship lay buried beneath the ocean floor, until its discovery in 1984.
The company that found the ship, Sub-Sal, began salvage, but the work showed such disregard for archeological practices a legal battle ensued; since 1992, the DeBraak has been the property of Delaware. When state officials took over, the recovered hull was so fragile it was stored in a warehouse where it has been watered down nearly every day for the past 20 years.
While some worked to preserve the hull, others tagged more than 26,000 items – many in pristine condition – providing an unusually vivid view of a sailor’s life and naval technology at the end of the 1700s.
In all the time the state has owned the ship and its fascinating store of artifacts, the hull has been safeguarded at the park, where only researchers and staff from Delaware's' Historical and Cultural Affairs have had access to it.
Last month, for the first time, Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs began offering limited public lectures and tours of the hull. With room for only 10 visitors at a time, it’s unlikely more than a few hundred people will see this unusual relic during the summer tours.
In a town where the state park and Canalfront Park have friends, Fort Miles and the library have friends, and the Overfalls has a foundation, the DeBraak is in need of some good friends to launch the fundraising that will be necessary to find it a permanent home.
The tale of the DeBraak was wrought by triumph and tragedy, fortune and misfortune. When a permanent exhibit finally opens, the relics cradled within this ship could cement Lewes as a destination for historical maritime tours spanning from the nation’s earliest days to secrets of World War II and the bygone days of floating lighthouses.
These relics deserve a home, and it’s time the Cape Region starts the process of building one.
