Nestled in the heart of Lewes, the Historic Lewes Town Campus offers 9 historic buildings for you to explore, many of which have been relocated here through the years for preservation and all restored to share a different facet of Lewes’ complex and fascinating past.
Begin your visit at our Campus Welcome Center, easily found at the head of the 2nd Street & Shipcarpenter Street intersection with its signature dark blue shutters, for a quick, friendly orientation or to pick up a self-guided tour brochure. From there, we recommend a visit to our community hub at the recreated Sussex Tavern in the Stockley Street House (c 1740), where you can discover the role such gathering places played in Revolutionary Lewes and even sample a colonial cocktail on Fridays and Saturdays. Next on the left, the stately Burton-Ingram House (c 1785) explores how Lewistowners navigated the transition from being subjects of the British Crown to citizens of a new United States of America in our new exhibit, Revolution to Republic: the Neill Household, 1792-1803.
Along the back of the Campus, back beyond the Sussex Tavern and our Kitchen Garden, even more awaits! The Thompson Country Store (c 1800) and Ellegood House (c 1800) are the home of the Historic Lewes Antique Shop, allowing you to take a piece of the past home with your as treasured keepsake of your visit. Next door is the recreated Lewistown Coffee-House (building c 1790), where you can learn how tea, coffee, and hot chocolate played a role in early America and even buy a cup for a taste of history on Fridays and Saturdays. The Plank House (c 1700) is a reminder of survival in an age before refrigeration and the Doctor’s Office (c 1836) houses much of Historic Lewes’ medical collection. The Midway School (c 1898) is sure to delight especially our youngest guests, where they can discover how local children learned long before the Internet.
The Historic Lewes Town Campus with its many historical features is located at 110 Shipcarpenter Street. It is open to the public free of charge, but donations are welcome and appreciated!