As we approach the end of our 89^th year, we look back at the many accomplishments of 2023 with a great deal of pride. We started the year by launching our completely redesigned website featuring more historical information about our Amstel and Dutch Houses, images from our collections, and free access to several of our history publications. We continued our history education programs with the Saturdays at Sea lectures that focused on New Castle’s maritime history, monthly hearth cooking demonstrations in the Amstel House, and the return of our Amstel Live evening programs. Our specialty tours continued with our Wednesday Walkabouts, Hauntings in History, and Taverns, Taprooms & Tippling Houses tours. The New Castle Arts Council came under the umbrella of the Historical Society, and brought OperaDelaware’s Pop-Up Opera to New Castle, hosted two Movies in the Park nights, and partnered with a local business, Cabernet Candles, to host two Art in the Garden events.

The end of the year is not only for looking back. It’s also time to look forward. Next year, we’ll be bringing back favorite programs like our winter lecture series, Amstel Live and Fezziwig’s Ball. We’ll help commemorate the 100^th anniversary of A Day in Old New Castle, and celebrate our own 90^th anniversary at our Annual Garden Party. We’ll host a new exhibit in the Old Library Museum about Fort Casimir. We’re also planning more arts and cultural programs in New Castle including a program on the art of historic fashions.

To accomplish all of these projects and more that we have planned for next year, we need your help. Your tax-deductible gift helps the New Castle Historical Society provide these valuable educational experiences for New Castle residents and thousands of visitors to our museums and participants in our programs each year.

Thank you very much for your continuing support of the New Castle Historical Society!