“Lightning in a Bottle,” released on streaming platforms today by coauthors John Faye and Sug Daniels, was inspired by their recent visit to Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site.

Go here to listen to the new song.

The two Philly artists, although a generation apart, share Delaware roots, and found their visit to Cooch’s Bridge brought home the fact that they owe so much of their personal identities to the state’s long-ago past.

“We realized that the space has a storied and complex history, one that at first glance doesn’t relate to either of us,” Faye said. “But it made us realize that drawing perspective and inspiration from standing on hallowed ground allows us to find our own place in that history.”

“The longer my music career spans the more I find I’m a part of a larger experience,” Daniels added.

“Writing this song with John felt like we were honoring those who came before us and communing with those to follow.”

The Friends are pleased to announce Tastes of Cooch’s Bridge, Sunday, October 23, 6-9 pm at Buena Vista in New Castle. Dinner co-chairs Ashley Cloud and David Young invite you to an extraordinary evening of dining, fun, and fellowship—all for an urgent purpose.

Experience the culinary magic of Chef Lion Gardner…

Delaware’s own Chef Lion Gardner will prepare a six-course dinner featuring his unique interpretation of the foods consumed by the generations who’ve peopled Cooch’s Bridge. You’ll experience Chef Gardner’s fresh take on the cuisine of the Lanape, the African Americans, the European Colonials, the American Revolutionaries, and the families who followed.

While you fund urgently needed research.

Your ticket to Tastes of Cooch’s Bridge in part will fund an urgently needed internship program. As site supervisor Kaitlyn Dykes explains, interns are needed now to assure that good documentary and archeological evidence is amassed before Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site is opened to the public.

“We’re in a foundational phase,” she says. “Interns are needed to help build the foundation for our interpretation of the site—the superstructure that sits on top of the evidentiary foundation. Interns are essential to the strong foundation of research on which our interpretation will rely. We can’t do without them.”

Dine well. Do good. Purchase tickets now!

Tickets to Tastes of Cooch’s Bridge are $150 each. Go here, to purchase yours now. Don’t delay because seating is strictly limited.

We look forward to seeing you at this tasty and important celebration!

In a new interview, President Vince Watchorn details the Friend’s successes to date. Go here to read it.

Watch our special celebration of Juneteenth in full.

JUNETEENTH 2022 is a free outdoor celebratory event featuring keynotes by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s Patty Wilson Aden and the United Way’s Brandon Brice, with music by the Joseph Whitney Steel Band.

Register now at https://www.tfaforms.com/4988750

To mark the second anniversary of the Friends of Cooch’s Bridge, over 150 fans, followers and founders gathered at three separate special events the first weekend of June 2022.

The events included a day of guided tours of the Cooch-Dayett Mill Historic Site, rarely open to the public.

The mill is a marvelous wayback machine that propels visitors into industrial Delaware circa 1850.

Thanks to the mill’s unspoiled internal mechanisms, visitors can readily see how, through the power of flowing water and human muscle, millers turned grain-farmers’ raw products into tasty consumer goods.

Besides representing a beehive of bygone commerce, the mill represents an important chapter in the book of American ingenuity.

The mill’s designer was Delawarean inventor Oliver Evans, who in the late 18th century pioneered the use of factory automation, beginning with flour mills. His patent for the design of an industrial flour mill, personally approved by Thomas Jefferson, was only the third US patent granted by the federal government.

University of Delaware graduate and undergraduate students spent the spring semester studying the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site to learn how an historic property is interpreted, according to Delaware HCA.

The students, led by museum studies professor Kenneth Cohen, worked with numerous stakeholders, including DCA staff, directors of area museums, Native American representatives, and members of descendent communities, to understand the site’s relevance today.

They also tapped primary sources, such as the private papers of the Cooch family, to learn more about the site’s history and develop a vision for its future.

At the end of the course, students presented their own plans for how the site could be designed to allow people to learn about its history.

HCA will incorporate some of the students’ ideas into the master plan for Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, currently underway.

Two of the students will intern at the site this summer, one through HCA and another through the Friends.

June marks the second anniversary of the Friends of Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site and you’re invited to celebrate:

Join us Saturday, June 4, for a guided tour of the Cooch-Dayett Mill Historic Site

Dating to the 1830s, the Cooch-Dayett Mill is one of the last water-powered mills still standing in Delaware. It offers a fascinating glimpse into our pre-industrial past. The mill is rarely open to visitors, so don’t miss this chance!

Registration and timed tickets are required. Go here, to register. Registration is free, but requires membership in the Founding Friends. To become a Founding Friend, go here.

Don’t delay. Spaces on the guided tour are strictly limited!

Join us Sunday, June 5, for a free musical celebration

Cap off our second anniversary weekend celebration by attending a free concert featuring singer-songwriters John Faye and Sug Daniels. Appropriate for music lovers of all ages, the concert takes place Sunday, June 5, at 3 pm at The Arsenal at 30 Market Street, New Castle.

John Faye is a fixture in Greater Philadelphia’s music community. He has built a reputation as a highly respected singer, composer, producer, mentor and coach.

Sug Daniels is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and producer who uses the tools around her to capture the emotions of our times. She blends elements of folk, R&B, and low-fi alternatives to create tender music with a powerful message.

Registration is required. Go here, to register. Don’t delay. Seating is limited!