Henry Hudson’s connection to Delaware Bay is topic Sept. 9
The Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes will present Hunting for Hudson: A Quest to Understand the Explorer and his Connection to the Delaware Bay, at 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9. Historic-site interpreter Kaitlyn Dykes will give a lecture on Henry Hudson and his explorations in the Delaware Bay area.
Hudson was an English mariner who explored wide sections of what are now the eastern coastal sections of Canada and the United States. Hired by the Dutch East India Company in 1609, Hudson sailed into both the Delaware Bay and the Hudson River, staking a Dutch claim to the region that later became known as New Netherland.
The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state's first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin, 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.
The program is the first installment of Global to Local: International Events and the First State, a six-part series exploring how world events impacted Delaware's history. The lecture will be held on the museum's second floor, with entry via staircase; there is no elevator. Admission is free, but due to space restrictions, reservations are required. To reserve a space by Friday, Sept. 8, call 302-645-1148.
