New exhibit details conception, transformation of oldest Black congregation in Delaware

Interactive exhibits and some artifacts dating back more than 100 years help detail the conception and transformation of the oldest Black congregation in Delaware.

"It is the story of our founder Peter Spencer, the Mother African Union Church, and also the August Quarterly," the Rev. Ron Whitaker said.

The temporary exhibition titled "Ancestral Dream, Living Blueprint" is now open inside the Delaware Historical Society in downtown Wilmington.

Organizers originally planned for it to be on display at the historic Mother African Union Church, but they had to pivot after a massive fire gutted the sanctuary on May 17.

"It took a lot of coordinating between us here at the Delaware Historical Society with our partners at Mother African Union Church to make sure we're best honoring the story they wanted and intended for their space," Hannah Grantham, director of the Mitchell Center for African American Heritage at the Delaware Historical Society, said.

The exhibition details how the church was founded in 1813 and the history of the August Quarterly, which is the country's oldest African American festival celebrating freedom.

"This is a celebration that's been going on for over 200 years on the streets of downtown Wilmington," Grantham said.

For the first time, visitors can view color photographs from the museum's collection of the August Quarterly, see the church's original blueprints and read minutes from Sunday school programs.

The church building is still being demolished following the fire. As the congregation starts to rebuild, the exhibition also highlights their resilience and the living blueprint of what comes next.

"This fire is devastating, but it's not the end," Grantham said. "It's another page in their story."

The exhibition is on display through Oct. 17.