ABSTRACT
The recent history of the Port Penn Interpretive Center, Port Penn, Delaware, saw the transformation of a private, community-based museum into a public interpretive center of the state's Division of Parks and Recreation. Port Penn's tale revolves around the museum's role as a community-sanctioned cultural icon. It served many functions: landscape marker for the town, symbol of local history and culture, repository of artifacts and records, social space for visiting, touchstone of identity. In 1975, Port Penn, Delaware, was like many other small communities in the United States—excited about the Bicentennial celebration the following year. Community members supporting the transfer hoped the agency would maintain and professionalize the museum's function of educating visitors about area history, culture, natural areas, and landscapes. As the museum field matures to better represent American history and culture, museum professionals are compelled to work with local sites, their communities, and their cultural values in a manner meaningful to them.
