About Us

Our Story

Since its founding in 1864, the Delaware Historical Society (DHS) has acquired an extraordinary collection of more than 3 million objects, books, documents, photographs, and maps and nine historic buildings related to Delaware’s past and its importance to the nation. We are the only private nonprofit organization with the mission to serve as the statewide organization exploring, preserving, promoting, and sharing Delaware history, heritage, and culture to educate, inspire, and empower people and communities.

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Our Mission

The Delaware Historical Society is a non-profit organization that preserves, promotes, and shares Delaware’s history in a welcoming environment to educate, inspire, and empower people and communities.

Our Vision

The Delaware Historical Society was founded in May 1864 for “the elucidation of history, particularly such portions as may refer to Delaware.” Over the next 15 decades, the organization refined its stated purpose to reflect both a changing society and the evolution of the public history profession.

Today, the Delaware Historical Society endeavors to be a national model for engaging a diverse citizenry in Delaware’s unique history through the documentation, interpretation, presentation, and preservation of our state’s artifacts, buildings, and stories.

Our Values

The Delaware Historical Society:

  • Adheres to the highest professional standards and best practices as prescribed by organizations such as the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) , the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and the Society of American Archivists (SAA);
  • Practices exemplary stewardship in managing all its resources;
  • Sponsors programs and provides services which are accurate, engaging, inclusive, entrepreneurial, and innovative;
  • Is an active and valuable participant in mission-related partnerships and collaborations;
  • Encourages broad participation and perspectives in programming; and
  • Fosters a climate of respect, collegiality, and professionalism at work and in the community.

Our Staff

Ivan Henderson, Executive Director
Bryttany Ewers, Administrative Assistant
Iyannah S. Walton-Bacon, Executive Office Manager/Staff Accountant

Kathleen Butler, Director of Institutional Advancement
Rick Stowell, Donor Relations and Grants Manager
Jonah Delasanta, Development and Communication Coordinator
Nicole Avallone, Graphic Designer

Ashley Mills, Director of Buildings and Grounds
Carlos Gaillard, Maintenance Technician

Leigh Rifenburg, Chief Curator
Jennifer Potts, Curator of Objects
Edward Richi, Curator of Printed Materials
Bill Robinson, Preservation Librarian

Kristin Geiger-Rayca, Web and Digital Projects Manager

Rebecca Fay, Director of Education and Inspiration

Brenton Grom, Director of the George Read II House & Gardens
Debbie Harper, Curator of Education
Cydele Duquette-Reich, Marketing and Events Coordinator

Our Board

Officers

Stephen Kingsberry
Board Chair

Kevin McGonegal
1st Vice Chair

Brionna L. Denby, Esq.
2nd Vice Chair

Paula D. Hearst
Secretary

Dan Scholl
Vice Secretary

Carlo A. Lombardi
Treasurer

 

Trustees

Cara Blume
Gregory T. Chambers
Kathleen Kreusch Cobb
The Hon. Nancy Cook
Richard F. Corroon
Robert R. Davis
Bruce Flournoy Dalleo

Carla Durante
Charles J. Durante
Carrie W. Gray, D.B.A.
Elizabeth Higginbotham
Karen M. Ingram
Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley
Alicia M. Laster
Mary Ann Kelly MacDonald
Mary Kate McLaughlin

Al Mills
Margaret S. Proctor
Ronald V. Samuels
Greg Sawka
James Simmons
Will Spruance
Jeffrey J. Starkey
John Sweeney
Whitney Sweeney
Kim Zarett

 

Our Partnerships

DHS partners with numerous civic and, cultural organizations, higher education institutions, government agencies, historic sites, businesses, and other nonprofit groups, including:

  • ACLU of Delaware
  • African American Genealogical Society
  • American Association of University Women
  • Black Americana Collectors’ Club
  • The Black Heritage Education Theater Group
  • Boy Scouts of America
  • Choir School of Delaware
  • Christina Cultural Arts Center
  • City of Wilmington
  • City Theater Company
  • Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School
  • Coalition of 100 Black Women
  • Colonial Dames
  • Daughters of the American Revolution Diamond State Baseball Club
  • Delaware Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
  • Delaware Art Museum
  • Delaware Center for Horticulture
  • Delaware Children’s Museum
  • Delaware College of Art & Design
  • Delaware Community Foundation
  • Delaware Department of Agriculture
  • Delaware Genealogical Society
  • Delaware Humanities
  • Delaware Juneteenth Association
  • Delaware Museum Association
  • Delaware Public Archives
  • Delaware Public Media
  • Delaware Saengerbund & Library Association
  • Delaware Shakespeare
  • Delaware Social Justice Remembrance Coalition
  • Delaware State University
  • Delaware Swedish Colonial Society
  • Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild
  • DE Div. of Historical and Cultural Affairs
  • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
  • Downtown Visions
  • Fearless Improv
  • Fiesta de Cinco de Mayo
  • Film Brothers
  • Fort Delaware State Park
  • Friends of the Furness Railroad District
  • Friends of Rockwood
  • Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
  • Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay
  • George Washington Society
  • Grand Opera House
  • Hagley Museum and Library

  • Historic Odessa Foundation
  • Imagination Players
  • INWilm
  • The Jewish Historical Society of Delaware
  • Jewish Federation of Delaware
  • Kalmar Nyckel Foundation
  • Ladybug Festival
  • Latin American Community Center
  • League of Women Voters
  • Lewes Historical Society
  • Lewes Public Library
  • Market Street Music
  • Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League
  • Mid Atlantic Association of Museums
  • Millennial Summit
  • Milton Historical Society
  • Mother African United Methodist Church
  • Museum of the American Revolution
  • New Light Theatre
  • The News Journal
  • National History Day
  • New Castle Historical Society
  • New Netherland Research Center
  • Old Swedes Church
  • One Village Alliance
  • The People’s Festival
  • The Peter Spencer Family Life Foundation
  • Quaker Hill Historic Preservation Foundation
  • Reeds’ Refuge
  • Rehoboth Beach Historical Society
  • Rodney Square Conservancy
  • Sons of the American Revolution
  • Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity
  • St. Anthony of Padua Church
  • Teach for America
  • Theater N at Nemours
  • Underground Railroad Coalition
  • University of Delaware
  • WHYY
  • Wilmington Alliance
  • Wilmington Classical Guitar Society
  • Wilmington Drama League
  • Wilmington Public Library
  • Wilmington University
  • Winterthur Museum
  • WITN22 Television
  • YMCA/YWCA
  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority
  • Zwaanendael Museum