At the Delaware Public Archives, history isn’t just found on paper—it’s cast in bronze. On May 27, 2025, the Delaware Public Archives was pleased to welcome the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) to help preserve the USS Delaware Bell, located on the south side of the Archives building.
To clean the bell, the team first needed to remove its protective wax coating. After scrubbing the bell, they re-waxed it using Microcrystalline VMP Naphtha wax, applying heat with a heat gun to achieve a smooth and uniform finish.
Archives staff member Brittany Morris participated in the hands-on maintenance process and helped apply the new wax to the bell.
It is recommended that this preservation procedure, including wax removal and cleaning, be performed every three to five years.
The USS Delaware, commissioned in 1910, was the United States’ first dreadnought battleship and a powerful symbol of American naval strength. Today, its bell connects us to that history in a very tangible way.
See the newly refurbished bell and learn more about the USS Delaware today at the Delaware Public Archives!
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