Category: Art Conservation
Student Blog: The Summer I Turned Colonial
September 10, 2026 Written by Aurora Fennemore, Ph.D. student in the Preservation Studies Program | Sarah Mullen, Aurora Fennemore, Hannah Rosenman and CeeCee Varble
Aurora Fennemore, a member of UD’s Class of 2029 who is double majoring in history and art conservation, spent the summer immersed in 18th-century trades during an internship at Delaware’s First State Heritage Park.
This summer I had the pleasure of working at First State Heritage Park (FSHP), located in Dover, Delaware. The smallest state park in Delaware, FSHP consists of Legislative Hall and the John Bell House as well as several partner sites. The park explores Delaware history and the lives of everyday people from the past, focusing primarily on the revolutionary war period. Legislative Hall and the John Bell House are both located on the historic Green in downtown Dover. The John Bell House is one of the oldest wooden structures in Delaware and, contrary to the name, was not built to be a house, but rather storage for a tavern. Soon after, it became a haberdashery and has had many varying roles since–a printing office, law office, and a post office. Evidence suggests it was once even a candy shop during the Victorian era.
I have been working at the John Bell House as an interpreter. Interpreters at the John Bell House dress in 18th-century clothing and learn a variety of 18th-century trades and tasks, serving as an immersive and engaging place for educating the public. Additionally, interpreters offer walking tours around the historic Green, stopping at notable buildings such as Caesar Rodney’s residence, the home of the famous “Chocolate Candy Murders,” and the Golden Fleece Tavern where Delaware ratified the Constitution becoming the first state. Many of the trades that the John Bell House interns learn are fiber arts. From a tape loom to embroidery to 18th-century garment construction to lace making, the John Bell House offers it all. As a sophomore art conservation major interested specifically in textile conservation, this internship has been amazing.
One of the main projects I worked on this summer was an 18th-century petticoat. While the project seemed rather intimidating, as I had limited experience hand sewing, my supervisor told me “an 18th-century petticoat is the most forgiving thing you’ll ever sew.” While this project was not the most difficult of the projects I completed, it was one of the most foundational.
The petticoat was constructed out of linen fabric, a natural breathable fiber that was frequently used during the Revolutionary period. The stitches used to complete the project are ones still commonly used today–straight stitch, back stitch and hemming stitch. As I worked on this project, my wobbly and unevenly placed stitches became straight and uniform. I became familiar with the materials involved, getting used to the way the linen moved and how to pin it when creating knife pleats for the gathers. I learned how to work with thicker linen thread, being sure to run the thread through beeswax before using it–beeswax was commonly used in the 18th-century to strengthen thread and prevent tangling. After the completion of the petticoat, the skirt was added to First State Heritage Park’s historical reproduction clothing collection. Interestingly, most of the 18th-century clothing worn at FSHP and in their collection have been sewn by the staff at the John Bell House. This petticoat project laid the groundwork, giving me the tools I needed to create more complex textile projects in the future.
Throughout my internship I got to learn the fundamentals of lace making, try my hand at tin punching and even work with State Park’s Cultural Resources Unit rehousing several World War II uniforms. Working at FSHP has been a fantastic experience. I have loved immersing myself in the 18th-century trades, and it has been wonderful interacting with school groups, Easterseals, and walk-in visitors. It has been incredible working at the John Bell House. I have deepened my knowledge of textile work, made connections with people in my field of interest, and gotten a closer look at the Delaware State Park system and Delaware's efforts to preserve the past.
