June 2015 Historic Homes E-Newsletter

June 2015 Historic Homes E-Newsletter

You might be interested in the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Conference June 5 and 6, 2015 in Cambridge MD.  Register at link above. Chesapeake College is in Cambridge MD at 524 Race St. 410-228-1064. Workshops, Speakers, and Networking follow Harriet’s Walk to Freedom. (The picture was taken recently at the Underground RR Symposium at the London Grove PA Friends Meetinghouse.)

The Hale-Byrnes House 606 Stanton-Christiana Rd., Newark, DE  is open on the first Wednesday in June, noon - 3:00 p.m. Well-behaved children always welcomed. Free but donations are encouraged. Also at Hale-Byrnes Sat. June 13, 2015 7:30PM - 9:30PM the American Revolution Round Table of Northern Delaware invites the public to attend "Give Me a Fast Ship: Early Days of the Continental Navy" presented by author Tim McGrath. $5 at the door includes coffee & dessert. Books available for signing.

You are invited to a Talk about Tall Ship L’Hermione by Miles Young, President of Friends of L’Hermione-Lafayette in America. This reproduction ship started from the mouth of the River Charente, in Port des Barques, where Lafayette boarded on March 10th, 1780. The transatlantic crossing is expected to take 27 days in total, before making landfall at Yorktown, Virginia. The talk will be Sunday Afternoon, June 7, 2015, 3:00-5:00 pm, $35 at the Copeland Maritime Center at the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard, 1124 East 7th Street, Wilmington, De 19801. RSVP Required. For More Information please e-mail: GeoWashingtonSoc@aol.com. Reservation voice mail: (302) 543-5723. (photo hermione2015.com)

Here’s a chance to see “Oakbourne,” a Queen Anne style renovation of an 1882 granite mansion by architect T. Roney Williamson outside of West Chester PA. On Thursday, June 11 at 5:30 p.m. local architectural historian Jane E. Dorchester will speak about Williamson and this building, now part of a Westtown Twp. park. It is at Oakbourne Park, 1014 S. Concord Rd., West Chester, and will offer refreshments before the talk. The fee is $15 for the general public and registration is required by June 7 at info@philachaptersah.org.(photo courtesy Westtown Twp.)

And talk about major conflicts, June 11 is also the kickoff of a favorite of mine, the Chester County PA Town Tours and Village Walks at the Chester County Historical Society, 225 N. High St. in West Chester PA. Their theme this summer for the 10 weekly Thursday night tours  is the Underground Railroad. The June 11 tour (compiled by professional historians) will include a walk by the homes of Horace Pippin and Bayard Rustin. The June 18 talk will be at 5:30 in Kennett Square (look for me at the sign-in table), followed by Kennett Township June 25. Details at the Town Tour website. (photo from past tour outside the Sunrise Cafe in Kennett Square)

A chance to visit 11 Brandywine Valley museums and gardens for one low price is available with the Brandywine Valley Passport program. Check out the savings at their website. (right, Longwood Gardens)

June 12 and 13 will bring annual Separation Day festivities in Old New Castle, DE. Yes! We celebrate leaving behind the moniker “Lower 3 Counties of Pennsylvania” and becoming the State of Delaware on June 15, 1776. This year will bring food and drink, entertainment, a 5K River Run/Walk, and fireworks. A complete schedule for Separation Day is available.

Ending things on a musical note, Wilmington's  DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival will celebrate its 27th anniversary and will take place from Friday, June 13 through Saturday, June 20, 2015 in Rodney Square, downtown Wilmington. Recognized for bringing world-class artists to perform, it has received notoriety as one of the largest free music festivals in the region. The City looks to continue this rich tradition in honor of Wilmington’s local jazz legend, Clifford Brown. The complete schedule is on the above link. (photo Benny Golson 2013 Festival)