Pencader Heritage Museum

Pencader Heritage Museum. . The Pencader Heritage Museum and Research Center highlights artifacts that reflect life in Pencader Hundred from the Colonial Era through the Afghanistan War. Our rotating displays reveal the rich heritage to be found in this area. We have items of interest for all ages, some can be picked up and handled. Join us in celebrating the past, in order to appreciate the present., Pencader Patriots Corner. , Here we celebrate veterans from all wars. On display are original and replicated uniforms dating from the Revolutionary War to modern times. You can handle an engine display board from an M-48 built in Newark by the Chrysler Corporation. A World War II foot locker and its "combat ready" contents revealed what was necessary for life in the trenches. Our displays feature Civil war documents, Confederate currency and revolutionary cannonballs., The Pencader Room. , -Native American Indian Exhibit , An extensive display of artifacts donated by Chief Quiet Thunder. Learn how the American Indian lived as one with the land and nature., -Wilson- Slack exhibit , Showcasing this prominent family's life in the Pencader Hundred, through paintings and recollections of community life., -Research Center , Local family files, landowner maps, census records, slave ownership and manumission records. Delaware history books by local authors, and University of Delaware yearbooks are among the many resources available to explore the past., The Cooch Room. , Pictures and documents depicting the locally renowned Cooch family.
Dayett Room. , Visitors to the Dayett Room will see both permanent and rotating exhibits. Antique hand-operated printing equipment from the early 1900s will show how labor intensive it was to produce newspapers, advertising, business stationery, etc. prior to the advent of electricity., A nod to long-time local industries, milling and papermaking, is shown in equipment and photos from Curtis Paper Company and Dayett Mill., Here are local maps from the early 20th century,; records from Delaware Archives detailing establishment of local roads; artifacts excavated before development of some local land, etc., Gift Shop. , This is not your usual "gift shop". We have books and bowls, toys and trinkets, all hand-crafted by our museum staff. Our wooden bowls and beautiful wine bottle stoppers are all carved from local trees. Children's spinning tops and puzzle games (batteries not needed) are great for grownups too. Fascinating books, signed by the author, about historic sites in Pencader Hundred are available for sale. Our gift shop is a main source of revenue for our musem and every item is "Made in America"., Roesearch Center. , Where are your family roots? They might be in Pencader Hundred and Pencader Heritage Museum is the place to look for them., Available from earliest time are census reports, maps (some showing land owners' names), Delaware wills, marriages, church histories and cemetery readings, all focused mainly on Pencader Hundred. Also in the collections are histories of local long-time families and schools., CDs and DVDs of Pencader programs speakers and events are available for viewing at the museum. See the list on our website: www.pencaderheritage.org, Have you heard of a by-gone Delaware place name? We can probably tell you where it is. Come and delve into the past!