New Lewes Historical Society Museum & Community Center becoming a reality

After 384 years, one of the oldest and most historic cities in the country is finally getting its own museum and community center.

With the support of the City of Lewes and a lead gift of $500,000 from the Ma-Ran Foundation, the former Lewes Public Library building is being converted into a 12,500-square-foot museum and community center, to be renovated and staffed by the Lewes Historical Society.

The facility, now called The Margaret H. Rollins Community Center, will house the museum, including 10,000 historic objects, 100,000 historic photographic images, 4,000 volumes of Lewes and Delaware history, and 250,000 pages of documents, all obtained and preserved over 52 years by the society.

With 70 percent of the community center dedicated to the new Lewes History Museum, the remainder will be available for a variety of community purposes, and to showcase the achievements of local nonprofits. An entire wing and outdoor patio will be a venue for meetings, events and benefits. The first floor of the museum can also be rented for special occasions.

The Margaret H. Rollins Community Center and Lewes History Museum will be integral parts of an emerging 10-acre cultural campus at the southern entrance to Lewes, including the new Lewes Public Library, outdoor concert stage, a children's garden, Stango Park, and the hub for an 18-mile regional hiking and biking trail.

A fundraising campaign will get underway this month to generate the $1.8 million still required for building renovations and related costs. Don Matzkin, chair of the society, said this expense is about one-third the cost to otherwise obtain land and create an entirely new museum.

Society employees will staff the museum, which will be open year-round and feature a main exhibit hall, an interactive children's wing, a temporary exhibits room, and a research and reading room. External use of the Community Wing will be coordinated by the City of Lewes.

Upstairs, the society's archives collection will be organized and preserved in safe, environmentally controlled space for research and reference by current and future generations.

The museum's historic collection and exhibits will serve as source documents and artifacts for ongoing symposia, presentations, and educational workshops, which will enrich every museum visitor's experience.

Museum staff will direct visitors to the many other historic sites, a number of which are maintained by the society in Lewes, including buildings on its main campus at Shipcarpenter and Second streets, the Life Saving Station, Cannonball House, and the Ryves Holt House. According to Matzkin, preparations for the fall campaign are well underway, and opportunities for donors to support this project will be made known soon.

Elizabeth Owen, a society trustee, will chair the campaign, with Wade and Danielle Thompson as co-chairs, and Hazel Brittingham serving as honorary chair. Other campaign leaders include: Stuart Brahs, Richard Claypoole, Janet Davis, Meghan Lee, Jack Lesher, William Sharkey, Dr. William Thomas and Lucius Webb. Interested parties should call 302-644-0107 for more information about the museum campaign and related events.