Zwaanendael Museum to celebrate Delaware's Dutch heritage in April
During April, the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes will present three programs recognizing Delaware’s long-standing connection to the Netherlands. The state’s first European colony, Swanendael, was established by the Dutch in 1631 near present-day Lewes.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday to Saturday, April 9 to 11, the museum will feature Dutch games, crafts and a display of Delftware ceramics as part of the Lewes Tulip Celebration, a citywide series of activities celebrating Lewes’ Dutch roots.
From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 18, the museum will celebrate Dutch-American Friendship Day which commemorates April 19, 1782, the day that John Adams (later the second president of the United States) was received by the States General in The Hague and recognized as Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America. It was also the day that the house he had purchased at Fluwelen Burgwal 18 in The Hague was to become the first American embassy in the world.
The day’s festivities will include a 2 p.m. lecture by Mike Tyler, advocacy chairman for Sussex Cyclists, an all-volunteer group promoting safe cycling in coastal Sussex County. Tyler will discuss bicycling in Lewes and the Netherlands, the importance of bicycling in Dutch society, bicycle safety and bicycle history.
Saturday, April 25, the museum will present King’s Day, a celebration of the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in a program that will also explore royal titles and Delaware's Dutch connection.
The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state's first European colony, Swanendael, established in 1631 by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill, the present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. Designed by E. William Martin, the architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover, the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters.
The museum’s exhibits and presentations provide a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military and social history. Programs listed are free and open to the public. For more information, call 302-645-1148.
