History of the Delaware Woodworkers Guild*

In about 1990 -1991 Larry Marsden, who ran the "Tool Shed" store in Possum Park Shopping Center in Newark called for a meeting of interested woodworkers to form a club. About ten to twelve showed up for that first meeting and the First State Woodworkers Guild was born. Somewhere along the way the name has morphed into the Delaware Woodworkers Guild. The guild met at The Tool Shed until 1995 when the meetings were moved to Delcastle High School. Subsequent locations where the guild met were: Hodgson Vo-Tech school, Saienni Stair Company, and the Woodcraft store on Rte 13. Currently meetings are on Zoom and/or at a member's shop.

The guild has been involved in many volunteer efforts in the community. Members made logging trucks, complete with lumber for children at local hospitals. Members have also helped with wooden decorations for trees at Longwood Gardens and the annual fundraiser for Delaware Hospice. At Chadds Ford Day members used old hand tools to build a small house, walls, shingles, and all! Members made seating with storage for the Ronald McDonald House at A. I. DuPont Children's Hospital.

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Area experts in woodworking came and regaled members with their talents in demonstrations such as Ellen and Ken Schubert making oval serving trays with precision cut veneer decoration, and Steve Latta demonstrated inlay work, dovetails, and building spice boxes.

* (Please watch this space as we add more historical information, and correct any mistaken information above.)