Collins-Sharp House | Historic Odessa Foundation

The Collins-Sharp House c.1700, one of Delaware’s oldest structures, is a center for educational programming. Hearth-cooking demonstrations feature documented recipes from the late 18th- and early 19th- centuries.

Local patron H. Rodney Sharp restored this and other buildings in Odessa in the middle of the last century, helping to preserve the community's unique legacy.

Photo Gallery

The Historic Houses

From the Collection

Set of four dinner plates

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of Hugh R. Sharp and Bayard Sharp

1785-1810

Wood Pump c.1780

The wood water pump in front of the Historic Pump House c.1780 is indicative of the public nature of the center of town. The pump was a necessity for thirsty travelers who otherwise would have had to beg a drink from a resident or purchase it at a livery stable or tavern.