The Lewes Maritime Museum at the Cannonball House at 118 Front Street
The Lewes Historical Society promotes and advocates the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Lewes region, through museum exhibits, educational programs, historical research, and publications.
About The Lewes Maritime Museum at the Cannonball House
The Cannonball House was built c. 1765 and was once the home of Gilbert McCracken and David Rowland, pilots for the Bay & River Delaware. The Cannonball House has come to symbolize not only the Society, but the town of Lewes as well; previous uses included a restaurant, a laundry store, and, for a time, the mayor’s office. Harkening back to the town’s rich nautical heritage, the Cannonball House is the home of The Lewes Historical Society’s Maritime Museum. Nationally important pieces of maritime art and memorabilia are displayed in the house, including the Fresnel Lens of Fourteen Foot Bank Light. The exhibition of Breaking Britannia’s Grasp is also housed in the museum and is included in your admission.
Featured in many works on Delaware, the Cannonball House is a rare example of a Lewes house remaining on one site its entire existence. The Cannonball House was featured on the 2003 Lewes Business Directory (Lewes Historical Society website).
The front of the museum
Historic Marker
The Cannonball at the house (recreation)
On April 5, 2003, the Cannonball House was honored by the State of Delaware for its close association with the Bombardment of Lewes by the British on April 6th and 7th, 1813 and as the home of two heroes of those fateful days, Gilbert McCraken and his son Henry, both Pilots of the Bay & River Delaware.
The Gilber and Henry McCraken burial site in downtown Lewes
The tip of the anchor that Henry McCraken was buried with in the Episcopal Church cemetery.
The War of 1812 Park, across Front Street from the house and site of one of the two forts that defended Lewes during the bombardment, was also recognized. Gilbert & Henry McCracken served in a volunteer militia composed primarily of Delaware Pilots that defended Lewes until the end of the war in 1815 (Lewes Historical Society website).
Perhaps the two most famous landmarks in Lewes are the Zwaanendael Museum and the Cannonball House. Many visitors come to town seeking the famous house with a cannonball still in its side, yet many are unaware of how close the house was to being lost. During the summer of 1961, several Lewes citizens expressed concern that the town was losing its character as its old homes were slowly being lost. They were especially concerned about the plight of what they knew as the Capt. David Rowland House – an ancient one with a distinguished history; built prior to the revolution, it had been the home of generations of river and bay pilots and had been scarred by cannon fire during the War of 1812 (Lewes Historical Society website).
The inside of the Lewes Maritime Museum at the Cannonball House has many exhibitions to view.
the Pilots display inside the Cannonball Museum
The Philadelphia exhibition
Display at the museum
The lighthouse display
The lighthouse light
The lighthouse display
The Shipping Display
Object from the Shipping Display
The museum had a display about life at sea. This included the bunking of sailors in the hull at that time. This was interesting look at life at that time.
The signs
The signs
Life on the ship
Still the most famous pieces in the museum is the cannonballs.
The Cannonball that hit the house
Cannonballs dredged from the canal.
The Grounds of the Lewes Maritime Museum at the Cannonball House have all sorts of artifacts on the outside of the property include bells, boats and buildings. Take time during the season to walk the grounds and look over all the items in the garden.
The museum courtyard
The museum courtyard
The bell
The ice house in the courtyard
The Rescue Boat
One night they met on Pilottown Road and decided something needed to be done right then and there – at that moment The Lewes Historical Society was formed. Members were sought, funds raised, and the property was acquired – the historic Burton-Ingram House on Second Street. Two years later in 1963, the young historical society had raised the money to purchase the Rowland House, also commonly called the Cannonball House in honor of its scars from the infamous Bombardment of Lewes (Lewes Historical Society website).
This beautiful church is located just off downtown Lewes, DE. The church’s cemetery is what attracted me to the site with all the historical names of founding families of Delaware and of Lewes and its ties to the Revolutionary War. It is interesting to walk around and look at the names on the tombstones and wonder what their lives must have been like back then. The church is only open on Sunday mornings so I have not had the chance to see inside. It’s stained glass windows are supposed to be amazing.
I am going to try to attend services there the next time I am in town.
The historic marker
Our History
(Written by Judith Atkins Roberts, 2003-Lewes Presbyterian Church website)
Presbyterianism came early to the Eastern Shore and Sussex County as Scots and Scotch-Irishmen sought refuge from the oppression of Charles II of England. In 1683, the Presbytery of Laggan, Scotland sent Rev. Francis Makemie to America. He is considered the Father of Presbyterianism in America and through his leadership the church grew rapidly. In 1683, he organized a church in Rehobeth, Maryland.
The congregation at Lewes was established under Rev. Samuel Davis, one of Makemie’s “young men,” in 1692. In 1707, the congregation built a small wooden church on one hundred feet square of land which was part of an original land grant. This frame building is believed to have been the second Presbyterian Church in Delaware.
OLD BRICK CHURCH – 1727
In 1727 a brick church was built for the Rev. John Thomson who served the Lewes congregation from 1717-1729. A small picture of this church is displayed in the Conference Room of the present church. This second church served as a school and church until 1832 when the present church was consecrated during the ministry of the Rev. John Mitchelmore. A centograph is displayed in the vestibule in memory of Rev. Mitchelmore who drowned in the Delaware River. In 1871 the brick church was demolished.
The original brick church
COL. DAVID HALL
During the War for Independence, George III once referred to the conflict as a Presbyterian rebellion and so it was as Presbyterians were invariably staunch patriots. The first democratic governor of Delaware, Col. David Hall, who had been commander of the Delaware line during the hostilities, was a member of the Lewes congregation.
The church cemetery
REV. MATTHEW WILSON
The most colorful of Lewes’ patriots was her Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Matthew Wilson, who was a scholar, teacher, author and preacher. He held degrees in medicine and divinity and had a great knowledge of law. He was so fervent a patriot that he wore the word “Liberty” on his hat. His first son, James Patriot Wilson, was a lawyer, then a minister who served the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia for forty years. James Patriot’s son, James Patriot, was President of Delaware College and the Union Theological Seminary. Thus the Wilsons continued the high standard of education which had been initiated by Rev. Matthew Wilson. It was he who suggested that an institution of higher learning be established at Newark fifty years before Delaware College was founded (Church website).
The church cemetery
STAINED GLASS
Alterations have been made over the years to the present church which formerly had a balcony around three sides of the interior. The original windows were three sections of leaded glass panes which were replaced in 1926 by the six exquisite stained glass windows which now beautify our sanctuary. The Biblical events depicted in the windows are:
Come Unto Me
Blessing the Children
The Resurrection
The Nativity
The Good Shepherd
Walk to Emmaus
Two more windows were placed in the vestibule in 1965. The one on the left is in memory of Mrs. Lena Tammany. The circular one on the landing is in memory of our most beloved pastor, the Rev. William Leishman who served our church for 34 years (Church website).
The Church at Christmas time
RENOVATIONS
The organ and the choir were established in the balcony until 1877 when both were moved to the newly constructed choir loft. The Mustard property on the west side of the church was purchased and laid out in cemetery plots. The trustees also bought the Wesley property on the other side of the church where they built a manse. The present manse was built in 1959.
By 1886, extensive renovations were made to the interior and exterior of the church. The side galleries were removed, an open steeple was built to house a one thousand pound bell. A new organ was installed in the choir loft.
In 1900, a pipe organ was purchased and the church interior was redecorated. This organ was completely renovated in 1981 and in 2009. The Sunday School building (now the middle section of the new Activities Building constructed in 2000-01 was built in 1914. In 1950, the basement was finished and decorated as a social and recreational hall for the congregation.
Additions and changes have been made to the entrance over the years, the last one in 1931 when the original doorstep was placed on the right of the vestibule. In the late 1940’s the old steeple was replaced with a closed tower. In 2008-09, the sanctuary was reconstructed and rededicated to the glory of God on September 27, 2009.
GIFTS TO THE CHURCH
One of the most valued possessions of the Lewes Presbyterian Church is her Session Book which was begun in 1756 by Rev. Matthew Wilson. In this book are the records of baptisms, marriages and funerals, as well as comments made by various ministers on the social behavior of some members of the church who did not always exemplify the strict doctrines against liquor and gambling. It was placed at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia in 1982 for safekeeping.
Many gifts have been donated to the church over the years. The finest of these is the silver communion service which is believed to have been a gift of Col. Samuel Boyer Davis who commanded the militia during the bombardment of Lewes by the British in 1813. Col. Davis was the great-grandson of Rev. Samuel Davis.
Today our church continues the traditions established over nearly three hundred years. Perhaps our most beautiful tradition is that of the annual Candlelight Service at Christmas which was first held on December 16, 1924. Each year, the Nativity window is lit from the exterior of the church. Then at the close of the service, as each worshiper holds a lit candle, the church is darkened and voices are raised in a Christmas hymn which reminds us all of God’s precious gifts to us –
The Lewes Historical Society at 110 Shipcarpenter Street (Hiram Rodney Burton House-History below)
The Mission Statement of the Lewes Historical Society
(From the Lewes Historical Society Website)
Our Mission:
The Lewes Historical Society promotes and advocates the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Lewes region, through museum exhibits, educational programs, historical research, and publications.
The Society:
(From the Lewes Historical Society Website)
The Lewes Historical Society can trace its roots to a small group of concerned citizens who joined forces to establish the organization in 1962. Troubled by the loss of significant local structures and the deterioration of historic buildings, the group invited like-minded Lewes residents to join as members, a group that continues to grow each year.
The Visitor’s Center
The Visitor’s Center sign
The Visitor’s Center-The Historical sign of the Ryves-Holt House, the oldest home on its own foundation in Delaware and one of the few left in the United States of America
The Jacob Rudd display at the Visitor’s Center
Starting with the purchase of a lot at Third and Shipcarpenter Street, the campus of the Lewes Historical Society was gradually assembled as buildings threatened with destruction or abandonment were moved to the property. Today, there are a dozen buildings that tell the history of Lewes through the display of artifacts, artwork, decorative arts, and furnishings.
The Cannonball Museum courtyard
Three buildings are located in the heart of town, the Ryves Holt House (c. 1631), the Cannonball House (c 1760) and the Museum Store (c. 1898). On the canal, you will find the Lewes Life-Saving Station (c. 1884).
I recently visited the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, DE. Part of the grounds were open that afternoon for what looked like a special event. I saw costumed actors walking around the grounds but the main building was closed so I figured it was for a private event. Still they opened all the outer buildings on the grounds so I was able to visit the School House, the Doctor’s Office, the General Store and some of the historical homes. The grounds were just coming into bloom with the first day of Spring just a couple of days earlier.
The grounds are very well signed so that you can take the tour on your own. The exhibits are very well detailed and have lots of artifacts that make them interesting to visit. You get a grasp of what life was like at the turn of the last century. The grounds were nicely landscaped so it will be something to see in the late Spring and early Summer. Most of the special events and meetings don’t start until April when it starts to get busy again. There is a lot planned so look at their website for events and when they are scheduled.
I toured most of the grounds that were open that afternoon and also toured the Lewes History Museum in another part of the downtown a few blocks away. The museum tells the history of Lewes and also has a nice collection of artifacts. The Cannonball House on Front Street is closed for now for renovations but I was able to tour it last September. It has a nice collection of shipping, fishing and Revolutionary War pictures and artifacts. The grounds of that museum are open and there is a lot to see in their courtyard. The Cannonball House will be open in May of 2023. I will be revisiting all three again closer to the summer.
Each of the open buildings were filled with artifacts that represented the building. The School House was prepared for the first day of school circa 1890-1920. It is amazing how much a school has not really changed that much in setup since that time. The board is still up front and the desks lined up perfectly.
The Doctor’s Office is nearly the same as a current one with different equipment. Still you would think that the doctor just stepped out for a moment. The room was filled with medical equipment of that time period. The Thompson Country Store was the most interesting in that the store was opened in the late 1880’s and closed in 1962. The attached house is intact with the connections to other parts of the home and the store was fully stocked with merchandise.
With the seasons just changing to Spring, the grounds were filled with daffodils, crocuses and Tulips that were all peeking out of their Winter slumber. Everything was coming back to life and it was a very nice, mild Spring afternoon of walking around the grounds and visiting the buildings that were open.
It will be fun to see the whole Society grounds when everything is open and ready to go for the season.
The Cannonball House grounds during Christmas time
Situated on the Campus is a range of examples of Lewes architecture: the early plank house (c. 1690), Hiram Rodney Burton House (c. 1720), the Rabbits’ Ferry House (c. 1740), the Burton-Ingram House (c. 1785), the Ellegood House and Blacksmith Shop (c. 1790), Thompson Country Store (c 1800), the Doctor’s Office (c. 1850) and the Midway School (c. 1898).
Lewes Historical Society’s grounds in the early Spring
The most recent addition is the Lewes History Museum, located in the Margaret H. Rollins Community Center on 101 Adams Avenue. Here you will find permanent and changing exhibits that offer insights into the complex and colorful history of Lewes and the surrounding area. This building is also the repository of the Archives of the Lewes Historical Society, which are available to the public, by appointment.
Lewes History Museum at 101 Adams Avenue is part of the Lewes Historical Society
As you browse the LHS website, you will discover a robust calendar of annual events, including the Mid Atlantic Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival, Craft Fairs, Maritime Festival & Antique Show, Speaker Series, Living History Tavern Talk, Artist as Historian, camps and other programs for children. Join us for one of these programs and consider becoming a member of this vibrant arts and cultural organization.
The Drying Machine at the Lewes Historical Society’s grounds
The History of the Society:
(From the Lewes Historical Society website):
Around 1960, a local newspaper columnist named Marjorie Virden wrote several articles for the local papers lamenting the fact that many of Lewes’ fine eighteenth-century buildings were rapidly disappearing. Particular attention was called to the plight of the David Rowland House on Front Street, which carries in its foundation a cannonball memento of the War of 1812 and the Bombardment of Lewes in April of 1813. Over the years, the house had been so neglected that the interior brick nogging was visible through missing shingles.
Historical Home on the grounds of the Lewes Historical Society
The inside of the historical house
One day in 1961, a group of concerned citizens including Robert Orr, Ginnie Orr, and Sarah Chambers were sailing down the canal towards Roosevelt Inlet. As they passed the Rowland House, someone remarked that no action had been taken to save Lewes’s historic architecture despite much talk. That same evening, Mrs. Orr held a meeting for dozens of concerned citizens at her house. Soon after, a general meeting was held to organize The Lewes Historical Society. Temporary officers were selected, invitations sent – with excellent results – to prospective members, and The Lewes Historical Society was officially founded on January 19, 1962.
The Doctor’s Office
19th Century Medicine
The inside of the Doctor’s office of the 19th Century
Later that year, a lot at the corner of Third and Shipcarpenter Streets was purchased and named the Lewes Historic Complex. The Burton-Ingram House, Thompson Country Store, Rabbits’ Ferry House, Creamery, Necessary, Early Plank House, Blacksmith Shop, and Ellegood House were gradually moved to the Complex and restored. Conservation efforts continue today. The neglected house of David Rowland was eventually bought by the Society and restored. Today it sits on its original site at the corner of Front and Bank Streets and serves as the popular Cannonball House Maritime Museum.
The front grounds of the Lewes Historical Society-The Hiram Rodney Burton House
In 1989, the John Farrace Bequest enabled the Society to purchase 110 Shipcarpenter Street, then known as the Watts property, and renamed as the Hiram Rodney Burton House to honor a local physician and Delaware’s Congressman from 1901-to 1904. This structure houses the Society’s administrative offices. In 1991, Freddie’s Barn, the Society’s maintenance facility, was built to honor long-time historic preservationist and restoration specialist, Fred Hudson, who has worked for the Society since the summer of 1962. The Doctor’s Office, previously located on Second Street, was moved to the Complex to consolidate Society properties and in 2000, it was joined by Midway School #178.
Freddie’s Barn on the Lewes Historical Society property
The plaque dedicated to Fredrick E. Hudson for Freddie’s Barn
With the cooperation of the City of Lewes, the Society received a lease to the waterfront property on the canal at the foot of Shipcarpenter Street, where the boathouse of the Lewes Life Saving Station sits. Since 1997, the Society has leased the Ryves Holt House at the corner of Second and Mulberry Streets from the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware. Located in the heart of Lewes’s thriving business district, the Ryves Holt House serves as the Society’s Visitors Center, gift shop, and the permanent Jacob Jones Exhibition.
The Ryves Holt House is the Lewes Information office
The Lewes Information office gardens in the early Spring
The Zwaanendael Park in the Spring. This is just behind the Information building
Zwaanendael Park in the Spring
The entrance of the Lewes Historical Society
The Society continues to offer a rich and exciting array of activities that engage our visitors and promote Lewes’ unique heritage to an ever-increasing number of seasonal guests and year-round residents of the area. From our interpretive programs such as Tavern Talks to the Mid-Atlantic Sea Glass Festivals, Antique Shows, and Craft Fairs the Society offers annual programs that have become signature events.
The Thompson Country Store
The Thompson Country Store
The inside of the Thompson Country Store
The Society has sponsored several conferences on Lewes and Delaware History, has invited numerous local, national, and international scholars and dignitaries to speak at its events, and promotes the arts and cultural exploration and appreciation in Southern Delaware. As Lewes continues to grow, the Society will strive to maintain a record of the past of this special and ancient town by the sea.
The Society Home-The Burton-Ingram House
The sign of the Burton-Ingram House
The Sussex Tavern is a recreation of a tavern in the 1700’s complete with a bar area, dining tables with food and menus of the items that could be ordered. The tavern was the focal point for travelers and locals alike to share a meal, ideas and politics. It was the center point for most communities.
The Sussex Tavern is open once a month for special events
The Sussex Tavern on the Lewes Historical Society grounds
The inside of the Sussex Tavern
The Tavern Menu
A meal inside of the Sussex Tavern
The inside of the Sussex Tavern
The School House on the grounds of the Lewes Historical Society
The inside of the School House
The Outhouse
The gardens and grounds in the Spring 2023
The grounds in 2023
The Outhouse in the Spring 2023
Don’t miss this wonderful self-guided tour of the Lewes Historical Society.
The Zwaanendael Museum was inspired by the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands and commemorates the founding of Delaware’s first European settlement by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. It’s programs showcase how the Lewes area’s Dutch and maritime histories unite.
The museum has limited hours but is free to the public.
Information signs
The inside of the museum explains the history of Lewes starting with the Dutch Colony. The growth of the Colony, the shipping industry and the shipwrecks off the coast line. There are many artifacts that the museum has either found or been donated to over the years. There is another display of the railroad industry and its growth in Lewes which lead to it becoming a seaside resort in the later half of the 19th century. The museum was created to honor the 300th Anniversary of the Dutch settlement of Zwaanendael. The museum represents the history of Sussex County in Delaware (Wiki).
The first floor gallery is filled with the history of the Railroads and the Shipping industry
The first floor galleries contain many artifacts that were recovered from the sea or donations that were made to the museum. This tells the story of early Lewes, DE. This gives a visitor a grasp of the importance of Lewes as a shipping port in the early days of the colonies. As the railroads replaced the shipping industry, you begin to see the growth and importance of Lewes as a trading port.
On the second floor there is a display on the Royal family of the Netherlands, a large display of ceramic Delftware and there is even the body of a mermaid. There were also displays of the local farming industry and the commercialization of the produce of the area.
The history of the Railroad industry in Lewes brought this sleepy farming community residents from far away that turned it into a resort town and a destination for summer tourism
The Railroad industry continued to grow and become more prosperous in Lewes
The railroads also help moved farming products out of the area and into urban markets
Lewes was also a big area for shipping with a busy port especially during the Revolutionary War.
The tale of the DeBraak, one of the shipping vessels of the war years
Life on the shipping vessels
Some of the recovered artifacts from shipwrecks off the coast of Lewes
The tales of the ship “DeBraak” and its story
The ship the “DeBraak”
The second floor of the museum has interesting displays on the aspects of life in Lewes and the influence of the Dutch on the community. It also offers many novelties such as a mermaid.
Display of the packing crates on the second floor
How items were shipped in the early days of the shipping industry
The Zwaanendael Mermaid is the most unique item in the collection. It makes you think it is real.
The Zwaanendael Mermaid
The Delftware collection
The history of Delftware
The lighthouses of Delaware
Display of the items that were canned in Lewes that were part of the growth of the farming industry in Lewes
The entrance of the Zwaanendael Museum in the winter months
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 