Milford chronicle., 1962-07-27
LEWES

|
the layman's point of view was re-
Gently related at a meeting of the
Lewes Rotary Club.
The guest speaker was Henry H..
Hutchinson of Bethel, Del, chair
man of the Sussex Society of
Archaeology and History, and for
mer president.
Hutchinson embellished his talk
with color slides he had taken of
some of the excavated sites. He
said, "The area around Lewes is
one of the richest in archaeology in
the country"
He mentioned the Townsend site,
on the outskirts of. Lewes, the first
one explored by their organization
back in 194S. Also the Russell area
along Canary Creek at Lewes
which, he said, was one of the first
contact sites" of the first white
men with the native Indians to be
explored in the Lewes vicinity"
The Society's method of digging
was revealed in typical sites. He
said, eve have found that areas
near body of water are the best
places to dig. We scrape off top
soil first in looking for the Indians
refuse pits. In such pits most of
our artifacts have been CLEANED. -
AS to the artifacts found, many
of them that have been proved
rare in the annals of archaeology.
Hutchinson stated. He showed pic
lures of many types of pottery
shards as well as one complete pot,
and several fitted together from
fragments to form complete unit.
He explained how the pieces were
fitted together with pains-taking
care.
Hutchinson deplored the fact
that the Sussex County group has
been unable to find a place for
housing its finds, although several
are now in the Zwaanendael Mu-
scum at Lewes. He showed a photo
iof .'Barbican House" in Lewes,
England, which houses rare pieces
found in Delaware's English name
sake town, and hoped such a mu-
scum could be established here in
Sussex County. So far, he said.
members of the local society NAV
keep such material until such an
official museum is established. The
speaker was presented by the Ro-
tary program chairman Arthur
Handy.
The ancient breakwater town,
Lewes, took it's initial fling m t
| Thursday in competition with
other Delaware annual observ-
ances of special days.
Two Lewes organizations pro-
vided hostesses for a seven-hour
tour to tell the world what this
331-year-old "Birtb-place of Della
ware" still has to offer.
Some 500 tourists came to Join
in the activities.
The sponsors of Historic Lewes
Day were newly formed Lewes
Historical Society and the local
Col. David Hall Chapter, Daughters
OF the American Revolution.
Architecturally, Lewes can't
compete with the famed redbrick
Georgian dwellings of old New
Castle and Dover. But evidence of
It's antiquity was provided by relics
of early settlers on display in 12
homes, historic churches. and some
Iclapboard cypress-sheathed dwell
lngs dating from the transfer of
the original Dutch settlement TO
English sovereignty in 1864.
LeWes, Day" started out at IL
am. A steady stream of cars lined
up all day in front of the Zwaanen-
dael Museum to buy tickets for the
mousse tour. Many also bought
copies of the History of Lewes.
published by the OAR in 1856.
A hlghpoint of the tour was the
old John Maull House on Pilot
Town Road. where tea was served
by the OAR with costume n
hostesses. Mrs. Erwin Seimes was
chairman for the OAR obsery-
ances. Chairmen for the Lewes
historical Society were Mr.. and
Mrs. H. Lyons Fisher.
Another feature was an exhibi-
ton of paintings of local scenes
at The Ocean House on Lewes
Beach. This was arranged by deco
rator John Greer of WASHINGTON
and Lewes, and Hubert Hogue. art
director of the Milton School
A Marine Tour" of the Delaware
Breakwater around the historic
LeWes lighthouse was provided
The tours started at noon aboard
three party fishing boat cruisers
Many stopped on Pilot Town
Road to see the location of the
Lewes Fountain of Youth, said to
be the main watering place of the
first Dutch settlers.
Since it was restored bv the
Chamber of Commerce in 1897. if
has fallen into disrepair and all
| that could be seen was the canopy
over the spring market Fountain
of Youth"
The Oldest houses on view were
the Maull House, built about 1850:
FISHERS Paradise on Pilot Town
Road, erected about 1925, once the
home of Col Samuel Boyer Davish
who fought in the War of 1872.
the home of Ryves Hol on Second
street, oldest house in Lewes, built
prior to 1885; the Rowland House
on Bank ST., which was struck bv
cannon ball in the War of 1872.
and the Burton Ingram dwelling.
more than 200 years old, which has
been removed to Ship Carpenter
St. for restoration.
The Lewes Presbyterian Church
on Kings Highway, site of the first
Presbyterian Meeting House in
l707, and st. Peters Episcopal
Church on Second ST., which had q