Historic Delaware Period Homes | Historic Odessa Foundation

Explore Historic Odessa

Explore our Property | Grounds & Gardens | Museum Collection

Upcoming Events

Spring Homeschool Day 2026 - SOLD OUT!

April 8, 2026 | 9:00am to 1:00pm

Homeschool families are invited to take a step back in time to explore the 18th century in historic Odessa. Our site offers a unique and well-documented picture of early American life in our interactive, hands-on educational workshops.

Saturdays at the Hearth: Spring Treats

Saturdays at the Hearth

April 11, 2026 | 10:00am to 3:00pm

“Asparagus, Strawberries and other Spring Treats” Explore the Collins-Sharp House with your guide as our costumed interpreters capture the sights and flavors of authentic 18th century cooking. Savor the aromas of dishes cooked over an open fire using the tools, recipes and techniques commonly found...

2026 Spring Mahjong Mania

April 20, 2026 | 10:00am to 4:00pm

Mahjong Mania comes to Historic Odessa!

View More Upcoming Events

News Spotlight

New Historic Odessa Acquisition: Philadelphia Federal Sofa

About a year ago, the Historic Odessa Foundation was able to acquire a fine federal sofa made in Philadelphia between about 1790 and 1805

From the Museum Collection

Coin scale

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp

1780-1830

Welcome to our Colonial Village

This tranquil hamlet of tree-lined streets and National Register historic homes was once a thriving grain shipping port and vital Mid-Atlantic transportation and trade hub of the 18th and 19th centuries.

At its economic height, Odessa, or Cantwell’s Bridge as it was originally named, shipped out hundreds of thousands of bushels of wheat and other goods annually from the banks of the Appoquinimink River. Locally grown and made products found their way to Philadelphia, down to the southern colonies, and across the Atlantic to Europe. The town’s slow decline came with the advent of the railroad in 1855, and America’s expansion westward.

By the early 20th century, Odessa was a mere shadow of its former prosperity. That is until 1938, when prominent Delaware preservationist H. Rodney Sharp (1880-1968) purchased Odessa’s Corbit mansion — today’s Corbit-Sharp House (c. 1774), a National Historic Landmark and National Park Service Network to Freedom site — beginning a three-decade-long, full-scale colonial revival of old Odessa and its architectural gems.

Mr. Sharp gave his beloved Corbit house to Winterthur Museum In 1958 and they operated the Odessa properties until 2003 when they were permanently closed.

In 2005, The Historic Odessa Foundation was incorporated continuing Sharp’s ground-breaking work, preserving and interpreting the past through tours, exhibitions and living history programs for children and adults.

I encourage you to use our website to plan your visit. Stroll our tree-lined streets. Tour our beautifully restored 18th and 19 century houses. Wander through picturesque gardens. Dine at the historic Cantwell’s Tavern.

And I invite you to consider becoming a Member of the Historic Odessa Foundation. Your Membership will entitle you to a full year of free & discounted opportunities including a 10% discount on food & beverages every time you dine.

Help us ensure that our educational programming and preservation initiatives continue to thrive & endure.

We look forward to seeing you on Main Street!

Debbie Buckson
Executive Director