Home School Day

Join us for a school tour sampler designed just for homeschoolers. Take your family back in time to explore the 18th century. The Historic Odessa Foundation is an enclave of historic buildings and gardens located in the small community of Odessa, Delaware, on the banks of the Appoquinimink River. Relatively untouched by the development typical of other areas, it offers a unique and well-documented picture of 18th and early 19th century lifestyles in a rural village that played a significant role in the Mid-Atlantic’s commercial history. Visitors can experience a sampler of colonial life that is presented to students in interactive, hands-on workshops. This fall we will feature:
• Children: Chores and Leisure Life was busy for children in Odessa in the 18th century—chores filled the day. From an early age, families depended upon each member for time consuming and physically demanding labor. Many times, children turned their work into games to make the time pass more quickly or to make labor seem like fun. Students in this workshop will explore a child’s world of work and play—colonial games and the making of a simple toy will be featured.
• Indentured Servants Visit our Corbit-Sharp House and get a “back stairs” tour of the servant spaces. See and experience how the working class lived in this house. Imagine yourself in this situation. Would you be able to serve the Corbit family properly?
• The Corbits: A Genteel Quaker Family Can you imagine the life of the 18th century gentry living in a grand Georgian mansion with a view of the creek? Envision eating supper in the dining room following the proper etiquette of the day; explore the bedchambers of the Corbit children and learn what was expected of wealthy Quaker boys and girls.
• Freedom Seekers Follow in the footsteps of a fugitive slave working his way north to freedom. Explore the hiding places and routes used by local abolitionists who aided runaways in their flight. Create a story quilt based upon your underground railroad experience.
Tours will leave from the Visitor’s Center at 9am and 1pm. Cost: $7.50. Reservations are required. Please call 302-378-4119 or leave a message for the Education Office at 302-378-5562.