2022 VIRTUAL MUSEUM GALLERY
COOKING AND RECIPES
​
A Colonial homemaker, serving as cook or kitchen manager, was responsible for providing the family with three or four proper and nutritious meals a day. Without canning or refrigeration, preserving the summer’s bounty through the winter was an arduous task. This display features a few of the key kitchen tools, such as, sifters; strainers; pewter liquid measures; and hoops (cake molds).
Take notice of Sarah Ann Clayton’s wallet-sized cook book with recipes for baking cupcakes, doughnuts, plum puddings, as well as, fried bologna sausages, calves’ feet, and stewed pigeons.
PHARMACY
​
Displayed is a range of typical items found in Delaware County pharmacies over the past century. Ranging from real prescriptions, to medicinal remedies promising to cure everything from a “Simple Headache” to “Asthmatic Paroxysm”, to pharmaceutical measurement tools, including a wooden bath thermometer, vials, bottles and containers, and a black metal cabinet with six drawers used to organize and store patient prescriptions.
Many of these relics were used in local Chester pharmacies, including Burman's Pharmacy which served the community for over 50 years. We thank the Burman Family for their service, generous support, and loan of artifacts.
CIVIL WAR
​
DCHS recently reached our fundraising goal to restore and preserve an 1860 Abraham Lincoln presidential banner, thus a Civil War display is a natural compliment. Get a “close-up” look at artifacts from a hugely significant period of time in local and national history.
The display features two “Union Blues” badges, given to the first volunteers from Delaware County to answer Lincoln’s call for troops at the outbreak of the Civil War. In addition, see the sword carried by C.W. Buckley, Civil War rifle, small cannon ball, Confederate money, canteen, combination knife, fork, & spoon, bullet mold, Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) badges, and the GAR belt buckle belonging to Charles Hunt.
SUN SHIPBUILDLING & DRYDOCK COMPANY
​
When William Penn landed in Chester in 1682, he brought with him an emphasis on shipbuilding from his homeland of England. Its been over 100 years since the 1st ship, ‘Chester Sun’ a 10,000 ton bulk oil steamer rolled out of Sun Shipbuilding Company, which was then the largest privately owned shipyard in the world.
Featured in the display are different artifacts including a plague commemorating the launch of the ‘Chester Sun’ in 1917. During WWII, Sun Ship participated in the US Government’s Emergency Shipbuilding program. In addition, there was a US Bond drive, offering a chance to christen a new ship at Sun Shipbuilding Co. The property is now home to Harrah’s Casino and the Kimberly-Clark Company. The background of our website is a wooden replica hull used as a measurement guide for ship builders.
​