“George Washington Birthday Celebration” at Dover, Del.’s Old State House on Feb. 22, 2016 Updated

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News Release from the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs

For Immediate Release

“George Washington Birthday Celebration” at Dover, Del.’s Old State House on Feb. 22, 2016

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Portrait of George Washington by Denis A. Volozan which is on display in the Senate chambers of The Old State House.

(DOVER, Del.—Feb. 10, 2016)—On Monday, Feb. 22, 2016 at 1p.m., The Old State House, located at 25 The Green in Dover, Del., will present a “George Washington Birthday Celebration” featuring writings by, and about, the first president, read by historical interpreters and distinguished guests, plus a display of Washington books and memorabilia. Admission is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-744-5054.

Selections that will be read during the program are drawn from a wide array of letters and scholarly writings about Washington covering the entirety of his life from his youth when he was raised by a single mother to his final days at Mount Vernon. Participating readers will include Kim Burdick, president of the George Washington Society; Dr. Samuel Hoff, George Washington Distinguished Professor of History and Political Science at Delaware State University; Dr. Stephanie Holyfield, assistant professor of History at Wesley College; Beth Klemstine Jelich, current teacher of "Washington's Crossing" at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware, Dover; Thomas Summers, outreach coordinator for the Delaware Public Archives; Deborah Wool, professor of Curatorial studies at Wesley College; and historical interpreters from The Old State House.

In addition to the readings, the museum will feature a display of memorabilia about Washington from the personal collection of Dr. Hoff and books from the Wesley College Washington Collection. The display will be presented in the Senate chambers of The Old State House which features an imposing portrait of George Washington by Denis A. Volozan.

Update

As an added bonus, at 3 p.m., The Old State House will project live, streaming video of U.S. Sen. Chris Coons reading Washington’s Farewell Address from the floor of the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. Every year since 1896, the Senate has observed Washington's birthday by selecting one of its members, alternating parties, to read the 7,641-word statement in legislative session. Coons will be the first Delaware senator to conduct the reading.

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Sen. Chris Coons

 

Completed in 1791, The Old State House is one of the earliest state-house buildings in the United States, serving as the home of Delaware’s legislature until 1933 when the General Assembly moved to larger quarters in Legislative Hall. The venerable structure now appears as it would have in the late 1700s during the United States’ critical early years as a nation. It features a courtroom, governor’s and county offices and chambers for the state’s Senate and House of Representatives. The building is situated on Dover’s historic Green, a public area designated by William Penn in 1683.

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The Old State House

The Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is an agency of the state of Delaware. The division enhances Delaware’s quality of life by preserving the state’s unique historical heritage, fostering community stability and economic vitality and providing educational programs and assistance to the general public on Delaware history and heritage. The division’s diverse array of services includes administration of the state historic preservation office, operation of museums and a conference center, conservation of the state’s archaeological and historic-objects collections and management of historic properties across Delaware. Primary funding for division programs and services is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, a federal agency. However, the contents and opinions expressed in the division’s programs and services do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of the Interior.

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