FREE PRESENTATION: AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN DELAWARE
The Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation , in conjunction with the Delaware Humanities Forum, is presenting a free showing of two talks about Delaware Quakers from the era of the American Revolution at the Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 401 North West Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 on Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The first talk, by Kim Burdick, is Seized in September: Revolutionary War Comes to Delaware. Have you ever wondered what happened in Delaware during the Revolutionary War? How did the British get from the Head of the Elk River to Chadds Ford for the Battle of the Brandywine? Our speaker is a specialist in Delaware history and folk culture, and audiences of all ages will be amazed to hear letters and writings by colonial Delawareans describing the arrival of the British army and the social upheaval it brought to our colony.
The second talk, by Evelyn Swensson, is a first-person interpretation of the life of Mary Norris Dickinson. Wife of John Dickinson, signer of the U.S. Constitution and governor of Delaware and Pennsylvania, Mary Norris Dickinson was the mother of 5 who escaped capture by the British. This presentation is a monologue describing the times in which this famous woman lived and includes singing and playing of music she loved. The talk is thoroughly researched to capture the personality of this historic woman. The portrayal is presented in authentic period costume.
This event, sponsored by the Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation, is free and open to the public. For more information, call Mary Starkweather-White at 302-299-5600.
FREE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN
The Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation is pleased to announce three Underground Railroad workshops for children ages 6-14 at the Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 401 North West Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 on Saturday mornings (1/28/12, 2/4/12 and 2/11/12), from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Please Note: some dates were previously listed incorrectly, but are now correct. 12/7/11)
The first workshop features a film about a real-life family that escaped on the Underground Railroad, arts and crafts, music and a brief talk about local heroes, culminating in a visit to the grave of Underground Railroad Hero Thomas Garrett. The second workshop will feature the making of Underground Railroad food and clothing, arts and crafts, a talk about Underground Railroad heroes, culminating in a tour of Thomas Garrett’s grave. The third workshop will feature a story about one of Harriet Tubman’s real-life escapes, culminating in the children acting out an escape.
Light refreshments will be served following each program. Each program is free and open to the public. For more information, call Mary Starkweather-White at 302-299-5600.
PAST EVENTS
TALK ON SALESIANUM HISTORY
The Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation is presenting a free talk on the history of Salesianum School on Quaker Hill at the Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 401 North West Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Salesianum School was founded on Quaker Hill in 1903 by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. While there, it was the first school in Delaware to voluntarily racially integrate its student body, 4 years before the landmark case in the U.S. Supreme Court brought about mandatory integration.
Salesianum School President Brendan Kennealey will show a video about this special achievement as well as speak about other aspects of Salesianum’s illustrious history.
This event, sponsored by the Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation, is free and open to the public. For more information, call Mary Starkweather-White at 302-299-5600.
FREE TALK ON FOUNDING FATHER JOHN DICKINSON
The Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation is presenting a free talk on Founding Father John Dickinson at the Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 401 North West Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 on Sunday, October 30, at 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Jane Calvert, Associate Professor of History at the University of Kentucky and Director of the John Dickinson Writings Project (www.uky.edu/DickinsonWritingsProject) , will speak on the Quaker influence on John Dickinson’s political thought and action. Dickinson was America’s first political hero and was among the most active of the Founding Fathers, writing more for the cause than any other. He was also the only major Founder whose thinking was informed by Quaker political theory. He advanced Quaker priorities, such as domestic and international peace, rights for religious and political dissenters, strict limits on the death penalty, prison reform, and abolitionism, as well as unique understandings of constitutional arrangements and the role of the people in American life. Although he was not a Quaker, Friends embraced him as one of their own. He attended Wilmington Friends Meeting and is buried there. Dr. Calvert will give an overview of how Dickinson worked to bring these Quaker ideas to bear on the creation of the American Republic.
Dr. Calvert is the leading Dickinson scholar in the country. Her book, Quaker Constitutionalism and the Political Thought of John Dickinson, is the first comprehensive analysis of the topic. She speaks around the country on Dickinson and is the historical consultant to the board of the Friends of John Dickinson Mansion. She is currently working on the first edition of The Complete Political Writings of John Dickinson, a project sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
For more information, call Mary Starkweather-White at 302-299-5600.
Thomas Garrett Awards To Be Presented June 15, 2011
The Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation is presenting its humanitarian Thomas Garrett Awards to Tim Dewson of Dewson Construction Company and Arthur Bernardon of Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects at the Wilmington Friends Meeting House, 401 North West Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 during the Annual Picnic of the Quaker Hill Neighborhood Association and the Quaker Hill Historic Preservation, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The award is being given for the excellent work of the two men and their firms on rehabilitating a property at 7th & Washington Streets in the historic Quaker Hill area of Wilmington.
Dewson Construction Company is a general contractor/ construction management firm based in Wilmington which has also done work in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. The company has won Construction Excellence Awards from the State of Delaware Administrative Services and the Delaware Contractors Association in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.Tim Dewson has over 30 years’ experience in the field.
Arthur Bernardon is a principal of Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects and started his own firm in 1973. His firm has an emphasis on land planning and design of corporate, single-family, multi-family, residential, senior care, educational, governmental/ municipal and recreational facilities. This event, sponsored by the Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation, is free and open to the public. For more information, call Mary Starkweather-White at 302-299-5600.
Quaker Hill Three –Church Tour
On 5/7/11 the Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation hosted a very successful tour of Chestnut Hill College students and professors visiting St. Peter’s Cathedral (site tour led by George Callahan), Wilmington Friends Meeting (site tour led by Bayard Marin and Mary Starkweather-White) and Tabernacle Full Gospel Baptist Church (site tour led by Minister Chris Dolley).
Quaker Hill Recycling Outreach
On 5/14/11 the Quaker Hill Neighborhood Association and Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation took part in a city-wide community service project by leafleting Quaker Hill with flyers giving information about recycling and trash collection. The flyer was designed by Cassandra Marshall and Jim Bierbaum and QHHPF Members Cassandra Marshall, Earl White and Mary Starkweather-White were among those who distributed them.