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Our Mission

The mission of the Historic Odessa Foundation is to preserve and promote the houses, grounds, collections and historic legacy of Odessa, Del. Our Foundation is charged with raising money, maintaining Odessa’s historic assets, supporting scholarly and archeological work and educating the public in the history of the town and the state of Delaware in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Strategic Plan

The Historic Odessa Foundation has undertaken a comprehensive strategic plan in order to guarantee financial health now and in perpetuity. Our strategy for maintaining and growing Historic Odessa’s conservation and education mission relies on both individual and corporate gifts.

From the Collection

"The Prodigal Son Returned to His Father" (last in a series of four)

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
1830-1842
Colonial Revival style garden pineapple gate ornament at the entry of the Corbit-Sharp House. The pineapple is historically the symbol of hospitality. It became a highly popular finial design in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.