Breakwater Quarantine Station archaeological site is topic March 19
John P. McCarthy, RPA, will present a program on 7S-D-48: The Delaware Breakwater Quarantine Station Site. The Archaeological Society of Delaware Sussex Chapter invites the public to attend this meeting of its speaker series at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 19, at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control field office in Lewes.
Today, the archaeological site is mostly a stretch of sand and scrub overlooking the part of Delaware Bay that is the National Harbor of Refuge. One hundred years and more ago, the back or bay side of Cape Henlopen was the site of a sprawling complex called the Delaware Breakwater Quarantine Station. It was established to protect Americans from infectious disease carried by immigrants, and an estimated 200,000 people were examined before being allowed to proceed to their port of official entry.
Physicians visited arriving ships and identified the sick, who were then transferred to the station where they were housed and cured if possible. Those who did not improve were denied entry into the country. The station was expanded in the early 1900s, but by the time of World War I, it was inactive. Demolition of the station started in 1926 and was completed by 1931.
The station was located on approximately 40 acres near the fishing pier, and limited archaeological investigations were conducted at the site in the mid-1990s as part of expansion of facilities and parking for the pier. Remains associated with the Quarantine Station were identified, and the project was redesigned. This presentation will discuss that work and the history of the Delaware Breakwater Quarantine Station to focus on the archaeological research potential of Site 7S-D-48.
McCarthy is a registered professional archaeologist and architectural historian whose research focuses primarily on issues of identity and values as expressed in the material world. Following undergraduate and graduate study at Temple University, over the course of his nearly 40-year career, he has worked in museum, not-for-profit, government, university, and consulting settings. He recently joined the staff of Delaware State Parks as cultural preservation specialist, where he assists with heritage preservation matters including compliance with federal historic preservation and environmental protection laws, preservation planning, and public interpretation and outreach activities.
He is active in many professional organizations and has presented dozens of conference papers and public lectures. The DNREC field office is at 901 Pilottown Road, Lewes. The meeting place is wheelchair accessible, spacious and comfortable. For directions, go to www.dnrec.delaware.gov/swc/Shoreline/Pages/Shoreline-and-Waterway-Services-Facility.aspx.
The Archaeological Society of Delaware, Sussex Chapter hosts the speaker series and welcomes the public to attend. New membership is encouraged. Members receive The Bulletin, a yearly publication, along with information about upcoming regional archaeology events and learning opportunities. For more information, visit www.delawarearchaeology.org and look on Facebook.
