Delaware

Delaware Historical Society: ‘America’s 250th: For all, for once’

Published

1 year ago

July 21, 2024

Press Room

Delaware Historical Society: ‘America’s 250th: For all, for once’

Ivan Henderson
| Guest columnist

Learning from our history has never been more important than it is today. The Delaware Historical Society promotes and amplifies relevant and inclusive histories that inspire deep engagement with the entirety of our past. Viewing contemporary issues through the lens of history reveals complexities, reminds us of important lessons, and helps us explore different perspectives resulting in greater capacity for compassion and understanding.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is important that we draw on new interpretations and new tools to make interconnected stories that comprise the founding of our nation more relevant and personally meaningful to a broader and more diverse audience.

The Delaware Historical Society was founded in 1864, primarily as the repository for historic materials and documents of wealthy and influential citizens of Delaware and the surrounding region. A lot has changed since then; along with the study of well-known Delaware historical figures and events, we have a heightened focus on learning and sharing the stories of those individuals and groups whose voices were (or continue to be) seldom heard or muted at different points in history.

We address Delaware’s underrepresentation and misrepresentation of marginalized communities with diligence and care, eagerly exploring the histories of everyday Delawareans and pioneering innovative ways to advance important conversations among members of our many intersecting communities.

We partner with learning communities, families, other cultural institutions, scholars and artists to coauthor meaning and deepen our collective understanding of the many circumstances, world views and events that have shaped the First State. Whether it is a new, student-led walking tour highlighting the lives and residences of Black families and neighbors from the 19th to early 20th centuries in Old New Castle; a hands-on exploration of the medicinal plants of the Lenape; a community-curated window display celebrating the Lunar New Year; an educational seminar about LGBTQ+ histories and experiences; or a book talk celebrating Delawareans’ service in the WWII era and Wilmington’s designation as a WWII Heritage City; we are working hard to respond to community interests, needs and requests with the understanding that service to all learners is our priority.

In the 160 years since our founding, DHS has acquired nine historic buildings related to Delaware’s past and an extraordinary collection of more than 3 million objects, books, documents, photographs, and maps. 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.

DHS’ Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage offers an expansive exploration of the African American experience in Delaware from 1639 to the present. Through artifacts, oral history interviews, music, and art, it sheds light on diverse perspectives related to African Americans’ struggle for freedom and dignity. The center’s permanent exhibition,” “Journey to Freedom ” delves into Delaware’s African American history, covering topics such as faith, placemaking, equality, selfhood, and resistance to slavery.

The impact and relevance of DHS reaches far beyond the walls of our historically significant museums and facilities. Teachers and educators around the state and across the country regularly access and share our free, downloadable educational resources covering various topics tying Delaware to national and international histories. Others connect with us by engaging their students as contestants or serving as judges for the National History Day contests we host each spring.

Through discovering new evidence or inviting new perspectives on the facts as we know them, we are growing into an institution whose work is a true reflection of the many ideas and ideals that comprise Delaware history.

At DHS, we tell Delaware’s unique and often surprising stories like no other organization can or does. We approach the commemoration of the Semiquincentennial with a firm commitment to examine what terms like liberty, freedom, patriotism, and loyalty mean to Delawareans, and how the definition of “we the people” has evolved.

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As we join together as a state to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary, I invite you to connect with DHS and our wide range of programming, resources and events.

Visit the Delaware History Museum, the Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, and the Read House & Gardens; visit historic Old Town Hall as you consider rental venues for a special event; or get answers to your Delaware history questions at our Research Library.

Your engagement with DHS and your unique voice and perspective are invaluable as we continue to learn from our history and offer new experiences in the spaces we steward.

Ivan Henderson is executive director of the Delaware Historical Society.

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Delaware

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Published

5 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Potentially icy road conditions have led every public school in Delaware to announce delayed openings for Dec. 15.

Every public school is operating on some sort of delay, most of which are two hours. The Delaware Department of Transportation already sent out a warning about treacherous driving conditions. Whatever has not dried from the Dec. 14 snowstorm will freeze over as temperatures plunge into the 20s and winds kick up over night.

The following school districts have announced delays.

New Castle County

Red Clay- 2 hours
Christina- 2 hours
Brandywine- 2 hours
Colonial- 2 hours
Appoquinimink- 2 hours
New Castle County Vo-Tech- 2 hours

Kent County

Smyrna- 2 hours
Capital- 1 hour
Lake Forest- 2 hours
Polytech- 2 hours

Sussex County

Milford- 2 hours
Woodbridge- 2 hours
Cape Henlopen- 2 hours
Laurel- 2 hours
Seaford- 2 hours
Delmar- 90 minutes
Indian River- 2 hours
Sussex Tech- 2 hours

(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)

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Delaware

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

Published

18 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

PHILADELPHIA – Snow stacked up quickly across the Philadelphia region Sunday, with new reports showing nearly 9 inches in some suburbs and several inches on the ground in much of the city.

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

The latest Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, issued at 10:36 a.m. Sunday, shows significantly higher snowfall totals than the early-morning reports. Many communities that were sitting at 1 to 3 inches before sunrise are now in the 5 to 8 inch range, especially north and west of Philadelphia.

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In the city, an observation from Center City lists 3.6 inches of snow, while neighborhoods in the Northeast like Fox Chase, Bustleton and Somerton are reporting between 4 and 5 inches. An official reading at Philadelphia International Airport shows 1.3 inches, underscoring the sharp gradient from the airport to the rest of the city.

The heaviest bands have focused on parts of Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties, where multiple towns are now reporting 7 to 8 inches. South Jersey and northern Delaware have also seen a solid plowable snow, with widespread 4 to 7 inch totals in some communities.

These totals are based on reports collected through about 10:30 a.m. Sunday and may continue to rise where snow is still falling.

Snow totals in the Philadelphia area

Philadelphia

Fox Chase: 5.0″
Bustleton: 4.9″
Rockledge (city border): 4.9″
Somerton (1 SW): 4.3″
Center City/Philadelphia (observer): 3.6″
Philadelphia International Airport: 1.3″

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

Southeastern Pennsylvania

Chester County

East Nantmeal Twp: 8.8″
East Nottingham Twp: 8.5″
Malvern: 8.0″
Berwyn: 8.0″
Exton area: 7.9″
Atglen / West Sadsbury Twp: 7.8″
West Caln Twp: 7.5″
West Chester (2.4 SSE): 6.5″

Montgomery County

Blue Bell (2.3 NW): 8.7″
Near Worcester Twp: 8.5″
Skippack area: 8.0″
Harleysville / Salford Twp: 7.5″
Pennsburg area: 7.0″
New Hanover Twp: 7.0″
Pottstown area (including Stowe and NE Pottstown): 6.6″–7.3″
Norristown: 7.2″
Willow Grove / Jenkintown corridor: 6.0″–6.4″

Bucks County

Doylestown (3.4 SW): 8.0″
Hilltown Twp: 7.8″
Tinicum Twp area: 7.5″
Perkasie / Souderton / Trumbauersville: around 7.0″
Fricks: 7.0″
Newtown / Langhorne area: around 6.0″
Levittown: 5.0″
Croydon: 5.2″

Delaware County

Bethel Twp: 6.5″
Springfield: 6.0″
Upper Chichester: 5.5″
Aston: 4.8″
Morton: 4.9″
Lansdowne: 4.0″

Berks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties

East Nantmeal / Alburtis / Earl Twp / Lake Harmony / Lehigh Twp (Carbon): around 7.0″–8.0″
Coopersburg (Lehigh): 8.0″
Center Valley: 7.0″
Macungie (1 NW): 6.5″
Allentown: 5.6″
Bethlehem area: around 6.0″
Pen Argyl: 7.0″

New Jersey

Burlington County

Moorestown: 7.0″
Mount Laurel / Burlington: 5.8″
Medford Lakes: 4.8″
Mount Holly (NWS office): 3.6″

Camden and Gloucester counties

Haddon Township: 5.7″
Pennsauken: 5.7″
Pitman: 5.6″
Washington Twp (Gloucester): 5.5″
Monroe Twp (Gloucester): around 4.0″
Winslow Twp: 3.1″

Atlantic, Salem and Cumberland counties

Hammonton: 4.0″
Woodstown: 4.5″
Salem: 3.8″
Pennsville: 3.5″
Ventnor City: 2.5″
Atlantic City International Airport: 0.6″

Delaware

New Castle County

Bear: 6.8″
Hockessin: 6.0″
Wilmington (north): 5.4″
Newark area: 3.9″–4.6″
Middletown area: 3.8″
New Castle County Airport: 3.3″

Kent County

Smyrna / Clayton / Cheswold area: around 2.0″
Magnolia area: 1.4″

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By the numbers:

Highest total so far: 8.8″ in East Nantmeal Township (Chester County)
Other standout totals: 8.7″ in Blue Bell (Montgomery County), 8.5″ in East Nottingham Township (Chester County), 8.0″ in Doylestown area, Coopersburg and parts of Carbon County
City of Philadelphia: generally 3″–5″ away from the airport, with around 3.6″ in Center City and up to 5.0″ in Fox Chase
Many suburbs: now in the 5″–8″ range, especially north and west of the city

What’s next:

Snow continues to impact travel across the region Sunday, with many neighborhood and secondary roads still snow-covered or slushy. Drivers should plan for reduced visibility, slick spots, and extended travel times, especially in areas that picked up more than 5 inches of snow.

The Source: This article is based on observed snowfall totals from the National Weather Service Mount Holly Public Information Statement.

WeatherPhiladelphia

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Delaware

How much snow will we get? Delaware under winter weather advisory

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

How much snow will we get? Delaware under winter weather advisory

Delaware is under a winter weather advisory for the weekend, with snow and bitterly cold conditions expected.
Snowfall of 1 to 5 inches is possible across the region, with higher amounts of up to 6 inches in New Castle County.
The snow is expected to begin Saturday night and continue through mid-morning on Sunday.
Bitterly cold temperatures and low windchills will follow the snow, lasting through early next week.

Gas the snowblowers and get those shovels out because snowfall is headed for Delaware.

Snow is forecast for this weekend with bitterly cold conditions then settling in through early next week.

On Saturday, Dec. 13, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, placed all of Delaware under a winter weather advisory and the Delaware Bay under a gale warning.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia and areas surrounding the city are under a winter storm warning.

Here’s a look at what to expect with the Delaware weather forecast for Saturday, Dec. 13, through Sunday, Dec. 14.

Delaware weather radar

When will it snow?

A period of snow is expected the night of Dec. 13 through mid-morning Dec. 14, according to the National Weather Service.

This may start as some light rain or a rain/snow mix south and east of I-95 before quickly changing to all snow. Snowfall intensity may increase for a time early in the morning on Dec. 14.

About 1 to 5 inches of snow across the region is possible. While the location of where a zone of higher amounts can occur is less certain, the greatest chances for this is mostly across the I-95 corridor, the weather service said.

The snow will begin falling around 11 p.m. in Wilmington while snowfall will begin in the central portion of New Castle County by midnight and the southern part of the county by 1 a.m., according to the NWS.

The northern part of Kent County can expect snow to start falling around 2 a.m. and areas around Dover by 3 a.m.

Snow will begin in the southern part of Kent County and northern portion of Sussex County around 4 a.m.

Most of Sussex County can expect snow at 5 a.m. while the southern part of the county will see snowfall by 6 a.m. Areas around Rehoboth Beach can expect snow by 7 a.m.

How much will it snow?

That will depend where you are in Delaware.

A total of 1 to 5 inches of snow across the whole area. There could be a zone of 5-plus inches near I-95 into southern New Jersey and northern Delmarva, where snowfall rates near 1 inch per hour are also possible, according to the NWS.

Snowfall intensity may increase for a time early Sunday morning, forecasters said.

Most parts of New Castle County can expect up to 4 to 6 inches, while Kent County could see up to 1 to 2 inches in some areas. Sussex County should expect at least an inch, the NWS said.

Delaware snow forecast

Here’s an AccuWeather town-by-town snow forecast for this weekend in Delaware:

New Castle County

Middletown: 3 to 6 inches
New Castle: 4 to 6 inches
Newark: 4 to 6 inches
Pike Creek: 4 to 6 inches
Wilmington: 3 to 6 inches

Kent County

Dover: 2 to 4 inches
Felton: 2 to 4 inches
Harrington: 2 to 4 inches
Milford (In Kent and Sussex counties): 2 to 4 inches

Sussex County

Georgetown: 1 to 3 inches
Millsboro: 1 to 3 inches
Rehoboth Beach: 1 to 3 inches
Seaford: 1 to 3 inches

Snow impacts

Here are some of the likely impacts of the weekend weather, according to the NWS:

Snow-covered roads and slippery conditions possible the night of Dec. 13 and the morning of Dec. 14.
Rain to snow could reduce the snow totals some. In addition, any pre-treating of surfaces would get initially washed away on the night of Dec. 13.
Hypothermia or frostbite could occur with prolonged exposure and lack of proper clothing. Some impacts to infrastructure are possible the night of Dec. 14 through Dec. 16.

Windchills reach single digits, gale warning

When you’re outside shoveling, make sure to bundle up because it’s going to be bitterly cold Dec. 14 into Dec. 16.

Bitterly cold conditions will arrive Dec. 14 and continuing through early next week with the coldest time frame the night of Dec. 14 through the night of Dec. 15. Air temperatures on Dec. 16 stay below freezing across the region.

By Sunday night, the windchill will make it feel like 6 degrees in Wilmington, 4 degrees in Dover, and 5 degrees in Rehoboth Beach.

Many areas will not get above freezing from Sunday through Tuesday until a warming trend begins Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Peak gusts of 25 to 40 mph will be present Sunday into Sunday night which will result in very low windchill values.

Areas of blowing snow are possible, which may result in roads becoming snow-covered again and reduced visibility at times, according to the NWS.

Wind gusts between 35 to 40 knots are probable on the Delaware Bay and the New Jersey and Delaware Atlantic coastal waters along with hazardous seas. Areas of freezing spray are possible the night of Dec. 14 and Dec. 15.

How do I stay safe in the snow?

It is strongly recommended that you stay at home when it snows.

But if you absolutely need to drive, make sure you bear in mind the following safety tips:

Drive slowly. Snow and ice can decrease traction on the road, so be sure to reduce your speed.
Avoid using cruise control.
Increase following distances from the usual two seconds to roughly five to six seconds, as it’ll take longer for you to come to a stop on snowy roadways.
Make sure you have at least a half a tank of gas in your car.
Make sure you have an emergency driving kit in your vehicle. Items should include blankets or sleeping bags, extra warm clothing, first-aid supplies, drinking water and shelf-stable food items like protein or energy bars and trail mix.

If there’s a chance you’ll have to shovel your driveway or walkway this weekend, make sure you pay attention to the latest weather forecast, wear appropriate clothing and boots, and drink lots of water.

Make sure you also pace yourself as you’re shoveling. Check if you feel any pain or soreness and have your phone close by in case of an emergency.

What should I do to keep warm?

With winter fast approaching, residents are recommended to take the necessary steps to stay safe as the weather turns cold.

This includes making sure your homes “can be safely heated” and you always have crucial items on hand in case of an emergency, including nonperishable and pet foods, water and medicine.

Delawareans are also encouraged to have a driving kit in their car this winter.

Items should include blankets or sleeping bags, extra warm clothing, first-aid supplies, drinking water and shelf-stable food items like protein or energy bars and trail mix.

Olivia Montes contributed to this story.

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