An interpretive center for the colonial history of the Delaware Valley, featuring "Hands-On-History" displays of artifacts from the Prehistoric era to the American War for Independence, with a special focus on native Americans and the New Sweden Colony. To read an announcement by our President click here. To view the Photo's from the 20th Anniversary at New Sweden Centre, click here.

NEW SWEDEN CENTRE

AT THE KALMAR NYCKEL SHIPYARD

1124 E. 7 th Street Wilmington, Delaware USA

Herbert R. Rambo
President

Dear Friends,

I'm writing for two reasons, first to invite you to “New Sweden Days,” Delaware's colonial festival with the Scandinavian accent, noon to 4 p.m., on June 7 and 8, 2008, at the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard, Wilmington, Delaware.

We'll have a large compliment of living history interpreters portraying all walks of life, including Royal Governor Johan Printz escorted by the Governor's Guards, the Båtsmanskompani of 17 th century Swedish sailors, who crew the Little Key and many more. We'll have displays, crafts, colonial games, vendors and much more. There will be lectures, including presentations on Black Anthony, the Lenape and others. A special highlight will be a presentation on Fort Christina by historian, Larry Stallcup, the leading expert on the Swedish military in colonial America. We will also debut the original water color of Fort Christina by Larry's wife, the talented artist Ros Stallcup! There is a flier included with this letter.

“New Sweden Days” is a family oriented event and admission is $3.00 for adults, $1.00 for those under 18, with a maximum family cost of $10.00. We want this to be affordable for everyone. Our purpose is to educate folks about New Sweden and the colonists. Remove not to make money. Add something like -there is plenty of free parking nearby.

The second reason for writing is to report to you as a member or friend of the New Sweden Centre.

Our move to the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard was completed and we opened the new display Experience New Sweden last June. The new location enables us to reach many more people with the story of the Colony. Delaware requires students to study the state's history in the 4 th grade and many take class tours of the shipyard. When they do, Experience New Sweden is a wonderful learning tool because it deals with all aspects of colonial life, including the Lenape and the state's first African, Anthony, the Angolan.

Recently NSC endorsed the proposal by board member, Abdullah Muhammad, to research Anthony for the purpose of publishing a scholarly examination of “the black Swede” and his life and times as Delaware's first African, a freeman of New Sweden. We can be justly proud that New Sweden Colony was the only place in Colonial America where there was neither slavery nor Indian wars.

Our living history programs are going strong and we always have openings for anyone interested. We dress historically accurate and while we have many who take on speaking roles, there are even more folks like to stay in the background as a civilian, soldier, sailor or whomever.

The New Sweden Centre has signed on as a sponsor of the Wilmington appearance of New Sweden in the 2lst Century at the Delaware History Museum. The exhibit, which is being created for the 2009 Centennial of the Swedish Colonial Society, will also appear in Philadelphia at the American Swedish Historical Museum and in Trenton at the New Jersey State Museum.

The New Sweden Centre has also agreed to co-sponsor to undertake a complete translation of the Delaware Swedish Church colonial records, including the recently discovered missing years from Holy Trinity Church..

The heritage of the Colonial Swedes is better known today than it was twenty years ago, but it is still often overlooked or glossed over. The New Sweden Centre has a distinguished record of accomplishment and NSC is in the front ranks of the groups working to tell our story.

One of the reasons the New Sweden Centre is able to accomplish so much is we work with all the other organizations, and many of them are represented on the New Sweden Centre's distinguished and hard working Board of Directors, including former Delaware Swedish Colonial Society President Milton Draper, and Swedish Colonial Society Governor Dr. Kim-Eric Williams. The Kalmar Nyckel Foundation is represented by NSC Vice President and New Sweden Days Chair Janet Anderson, William Hutchison and KNF Secretary Earl Seppala. The board includes several retired and active educators, George Ambrose, MaryEllen Flynn, Sylvia Seppala, Abdullah Mohammed, and Ruth Runkle, joined by President Emeritus Marianne Mackenzie, Audrey Watt, Donna Draper, Joyce Johnson and special projects director James Seagers. Aleasa Hogate is education director and curator of Experience New Sweden .

The volunteers of the New Sweden Centre work tirelessly throughout the year to educate and inform the public about the historic New Sweden Colony and colonists. Everyone at the New Sweden Centre is a volunteer. Every penny we raise goes into our educational programs.

In this report I've shared with you the work that is made possible by your continued membership and support of the New Sweden Centre. Enclosed please notice I've included a return card and envelope.

I'm personally asking you to send $20.00 for a one-year membership in the New Sweden Centre. A family membership is $25.00. A booster membership is only $50.00 and is fully federal tax deductible to the extent permitted by law because you receive no financial benefit of any sort. But you do get the satisfaction of knowing that your donation is carefully used to obtain the maximum benefit in NSC educational initiatives.

Sincerely yours,
Herbert R. Rambo

Write to us at Post Office Box 163, Yorklyn DE 19736-0163, or visit www.ColonialNewSweden.org