On Saturday, August 17, the 31st annual Olde-Tyme Peach Festival was held in Middletown, Delaware. The event, organized by The Middletown Historical Society, featured a peach parade, peach car show, peach pie contest, and other festive activities that attracted nearly a thousand attendees from the surrounding area.
Phyllis Waecker, the president of The Middletown Historical Society, expressed that the event was a celebration of peaches. She mentioned that Middletown has a large peach processing factory, and the orchards continue to expand, reminiscent of Middletown in the early 20th century.
Middletown is a very old town, founded in the mid-17th century, but its history is often overlooked. The mission of The Middletown Historical Society is to collect, preserve, and educate the town’s history to foster a sense of historical awareness and pride among the community residents.
As a native of Middletown, Waecker reminisced, “When I was a little girl, our town had only 2,500 people. By the late 1980s, we had grown into a city. Now, there are approximately thirty thousand people here.”
Peaches used to be a significant economic crop in Delaware before the late 19th century, especially after the railroad was constructed, allowing farmers to sell their produce, including peaches, to markets across the United States. The history of peaches in Middletown and Delaware’s agriculture reflects a glorious past, according to Waecker and Alison Matsen, a board member of The Middletown Historical Society and museum coordinator.
Matsen explained, “In the early days, we were known as the Peach State. Although now Georgia is called the Peach State, I recently saw online that California actually produces more peaches than Georgia. However, Delaware still holds the peach blossom as the state flower, which is fantastic.”
Due to the special historical significance of peaches in Middletown, The Middletown Historical Society established a museum at The Middletown Academy, showcasing local history through regular exhibitions. Abby Harti, a volunteer with the historical society, mentioned, “We have revamped the exhibition and recently reopened. We also have exhibits on the local railroad and Middletown’s sports history.”
The museum exhibitions are open on the first Friday and third Saturday of each month from 1 pm to 4 pm, with free admission. Interested individuals are welcome to visit and explore the history of the area.
The Middletown Historical Society was founded in 1985 and has been hosting museum tours, lectures on Middletown history, and the annual Olde-Tyme Peach Festival, a tradition that began in 1993.
The Middletown Academy serves as the headquarters of the historical society. It was officially established as a private school in October 1826, with 33 students by 1840. In 1876, it became part of the public school system. Today, it is owned by the town of Middletown and used jointly by The Middletown Historical Society and Middletown Main Street, Inc.