Karen Wood was born in Virginia, where she later returned to attend the University Of Virginia School Of Nursing after her graduation from John Dickinson High School in Delaware. Karen’s professional career included working as an OR nurse, Public Health Nurse, and finally as a School Nurse for the Appoquinimink School District. She is married to Ron Wood.
The Historic Odessa Foundation has hosted numerous events over the years; including fundraisers, brewfests, holiday tours, family events, weddings, corporate events, and much more!
The Stone Stable c. 1812. Stables constructed of stone are unusual in lower New Castle County, where brick or wooden buildings are the rule.
The grounds of the Historic Odessa Foundation encompass approximately 30 acres of property in the historic center of town. The Corbit-Sharp House Colonial Revival garden was designed by H. Rodney Sharp with the assistance of well-known landscape architect, Marian Cruger Coffin.
The Collins-Sharp House garden is planted with heirloom plants typically used in the 18th century for culinary, medicinal and decorative use.
The Wilson-Warner House c. 1769 was constructed in the Delaware-Georgian style to affirm David Wilson's status as the town's most prosperous merchant. Today the house is furnished according to the "List of Sale" recorded in the family bankruptcy in 1829.
Other properties managed by the organization include the 1700 Collins-Sharp House, 1822 Cantwell's Tavern, and 1853 Odessa Bank.
Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan designed the First National Bank of Odessa, c. 1855. The Old Bank building in Odessa, DE now acts as the Visitor's Center, hosting events and fundraisers for the Historic Odessa Foundation.
201 Main Street
Odessa, DE 19730
The Corbit-Sharp House c. 1774, a National Historic Landmark, is a handsome example of the Philadelphia-Georgian style. Builder William Corbit, the town's leading citizen, operated a tannery on the Appoquinimink Creek. Today the Corbit-Sharp House is furnished according to an 1818 inventory of household furnishings and reflects the region’s lifestyle in the late 18th century.
Other properties managed by the organization include the 1769 Wilson-Warner House, 1700 Collins-Sharp House, 1822 Cantwell's Tavern, and 1853 Odessa Bank.
The Collins-Sharp House c.1700, one of Delaware’s oldest structures, is a center for educational programming. Hearth-cooking demonstrations feature documented recipes from the late 18th- and early 19th- centuries.
The literature themed Christmas exhibits continued at the Historic Odessa Foundation in December 2014 with The Classic Fairytale: Little Snow White. During the Christmas season guests visited the National Historic Landmark Corbit-Sharp House where period rooms were transformed into vignettes that created the step-mother’s castle where she vainly looked into her magic mirror, the forest where the huntsman encountered Little Snow White, and the seven dwarfs’ cottage where Little Snow White took refuge.