Oral History of Henrietta Pierson

The Rehoboth Beach Museum will screen a 25-minute video oral history of Henrietta Pierson on Thursday, June 27 at 11:30 a.m. Museum director, Nancy Alexander will host the program and fill in some details from Ms. Pierson’s full oral history. Pierson was born in Rehoboth Beach in 1925. After leaving the area to attend school in Wilmington and then to work as an adult, she returned to the area, living out the remainder of her life in Milton until she passed away at the age of 91 in 2017.

In the oral history, Ms. Pierson remembers the Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, the Blue Hen Theater, the Rehoboth Elementary School for African-Americans, and other pre-desegregation elements of living in Southern Delaware in the 1930s and 1940s. Her piano playing skills are also a part of this important look back at Rehoboth Beach history.

One wonderful quote from the video is: “When I die the world doesn’t owe me anything. I had a good time. I enjoyed it.”

The Rehoboth Beach Museum is located at 511 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Reservations are required. The program is free for members and there is a $5 suggested donation for non-members. Please call (302) 227-7310 to save a spot. The museum is handicap accessible and there is free parking.