FUNDING

The Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area is growing and improving thanks to the long-standing partnership between Fort Miles Historical Association and Delaware State Parks. 

Fort Miles is a unique World War II site. The mission of the Fort Miles Museum is to share personal stories of defending coastal Delaware by US military forces and civilians and how their actions shaped and influenced community life in Delaware. In support of this mission, Fort Miles Historical Association focuses on the ongoing development of the best World War II Museum located at an actual World War II fortification. Expanding programming and tour opportunities, as well as acquiring new exhibits and updating the presentation of all exhibits requires ongoing capital funding.

How is FMHA Funded?

Our long-standing partnership with Delaware State Parks provides a vehicle to satisfy a portion of the Museum’s financial requirements through State funding provided to Cape Henlopen State Park and, commencing in Fiscal Year 2018-2019, by a State budget line item that included funding specifically for Fort Miles.

Over the past five years, FMHA has been awarded generous grants by prominent institutions such as Longwood Foundation and Crystal Trust. In fact, due to our track record of successfully employing such grants to complete projects on time and in a cost efficient manner, the Longwood grant received by FMHA in 2018 is the largest single grant awarded by the Foundation.

Private businesses and individual donors have long been an important part of the funding needed to support the Museum. FMHA has developed working relationships with Fins Hospitality Group, Meineke Car Care, Bella Terra Landscapes, Coastal Towing, the Cape Gazette, Lockwood Construction and First State Crane Service, among numerous others. Individual donors, many of whom have chosen to remain anonymous, have given frequently in amounts both small and large to support our mission.

Why do these funding sources and donors support FMHA?

FMHA has successfully completed a long list of projects, which have substantially enhanced the types of exhibits and historical interpretation information available to Museum visitors, both local and worldwide. Projects and exhibit acquisitions proposed and sourced by FMHA are achieved! FMHA’s dedicated Board of Directors, hands on Bunker Buster volunteers and other supporters make our planned projects and acquisitions reality.

Just within the past three years, projects completed or in progress include:

• Constructing and opening a magnificent Events Venue overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The Events Venue, opened in April 2019, is now available for use by community groups and for private functions such as weddings and meetings.
• Developing a new entryway and parking area to service the Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area. This project will be completed in the summer of 2019.
• Acquiring additional Museum exhibits to include a 16” barrel from the USS Missouri, a 90mm anti-aircraft gun and an Aircraft Warning Shed – all of which help tell the story of Delaware men and women who served or in many other ways aided the United States war effort.
• Working in partnership with The Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation to light and commence the restoration of (Fire Control) Tower 3 in Dewey Beach DE.
• Purchasing and installing permanent restroom facilities adjacent to the Fort Miles Museum Orientation Center.
• Designing and opening two art galleries inside Battery 519, the prime Museum structure, to honor renowned Lewes DE artist Howard Schroeder and to display the paintings and sketches of other local artists such as Paul Rendel.
• Continuing to restore barracks and opening a Mess Hall in the Historical Area. These restored buildings, which were on site at Fort Miles during WWII, are used for special programming, such as “Delaware Goes To War” presented annually by Delaware State Parks and FMHA.

• Donate materials, supplies and services. Whether you own a business or are an individual, we make use of many different kinds of materials. For instance, we’ve received generous contributions from business partners Kent Construction, Lockwood Corporation, Bella Terra Landscapes, Touch of Italy and Atlantic Liquors.

Capital Campaign Contributions:

• FMHA is in the process of structuring a capital campaign to fund new exhibits, artifact acquisitions and further physical expansion of the Museum and Historical Area. This campaign will be announced later in 2019 and will be a key vehicle to further grow and expand the Museum.

Naming Rights:

• Carve your name in history with a Naming Rights Interested donors may select from a number of naming rights opportunities for artillery pieces, benches and World War II memorial plaques. To discuss a naming rights selection or how to best direct a contribution, please call or email our Executive Director, Mark Chura. You can reach him at 302-542-3305 or at mark@chura-assc.com.