Ryves Holt House - Lewes, Delaware

Daniel G.

This museum is on the right side and the Gallery store is to the left side for shopping when you enter the building.

A wonderful couple of gentlemen explained about the building and the owners that occupied it. The more famous one will be Jacob Jones. You may have not heard about him, but from a Naval perspective, there is a lot of historic value. Checkout how it was constructed as it is unique. They used cotton as an installation which is still there in the walls.

If you are looking for the First State Passport stamp while hitting the trail, they no longer have it. Due to them not owning the house AND the land, they took away the stamp and designation 🤬

Evan D.

Cool historic house, small, free to tour, also serves as a welcome center to Lewes. They have an info counter & shop of sorts in the entryway, then a little circular "tour route" through the ground floor of the house off to the right. They gave us a guide for this but I really would have been better off just reading the signs, there were plenty and the space was small enough (the house is from the 1600s!) that adding another person to the group felt crowded. The exhibits focus on the life of War of 1812 naval hero Jacob Jones who commanded USS Wasp - and also lived in this house as a child. The exhibits were informative. I would have liked to see more on the architecture of the house, since they did have portions of the wall partially opened so you could see the multiple layers of construction done throughout the past 300+ years. Overall this was a great quick stop on our walk from the Lewes Historical Society's Lewes Maritime Museum at Cannonball House down to the Lewes Historical Society Main Campus off Shipcarpenter Street. I recommend sticking your head in here for a few minutes if on foot or just arriving in Lewes and looking for a place to start your adventure.

Angelica K.

This historic home is very interesting! Love the gallery attached. Found a great piece of handmade jewelry to celebrate our first anniversary. We had the pleasure of meeting both the artist, Jen and her husband! Very friendly and great place to shop for a unique and one of a kind piece

yolanda A.

Well the house would be cool if there was actual an display or exhibits or anything resembling a natl historic park besides a stamp and the brochure. The oldest house on it's original foundation in Delaware deserves a little better. The very nice volunteer seemed more interested in rushing us out and getting us to the local Lewes museum.

Tom B.

I didn't realize it was the oldest house still standing in Delaware when I went on to ask for directions. The wonderful docent gave me directions and an interesting and fascinating history of the house, its construction 350 years ago, its evolution over the years, and it's many uses. Best 20 minutes I have ever spent.

Richard B.

I am surprised that this gem isn’t among the major attractions in Lewes. We stopped in when there were no other visitors, and the historian told us all about the history of the house/tavern. She then went on to share the fascinating history of Lewes. I never knew how important Lewes was during the early years of the USA. From the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to WW2 (Visit and take the tour of the Fort Miles Museum in Capr Henlopen Park.). This is a nice place to start your visit to Lewes, to be followed up with a visit to the Lewes Historical Society’s historic mini-village a block away.

John N.

My girlfriend and I love Historic Lewes and walking it's centrally located, colorful, beautiful and quaint historic areas. Shops, coffee, authentic Italian food and fine art are all stores within walking distance of the fishing wharf and dining.

Carol P.

This is the center point for information for Downtown Lewes. It is being restored to its historical inn with furnishing and displays. It is now part of First State National Historical Site. Stop in to find out about talks & tours around the town!