By Dr. Jonathan Michael Square
Keys often symbolize access, opening portals to the past, present, and future. This set of seven brass keys, representing Picture XIX in the Almost Unknown, The Afric-American Picture Gallery exhibition, dates to the late 19th century and originates from the now-closed Mount Salem United Methodist Church in New Castle, Delaware. Founded in 1854 by the local African American community, the church served as a vital spiritual and social anchor for generations. In its later years, however, the congregation declined, and the church eventually closed, due to an aging membership and the prohibitive costs of repairing the 19th-century building. The keys were donated to the Delaware Historical Society by Rev. Vernon M. Bryant, current pastor of the Hockessin United Methodist Church.
They had previously belonged to Edward View Henry. A longtime member of Mount Salem United Methodist Church, Henry played an active role in the life of the congregation. “Mr. Henry,” as he was affectionately known, was born in North Carolina in 1913. He moved to Wilmington and attended Howard High School. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later established an upholstery business. He married an artist, Pearl Day, and they had two children: Peter and Pamela. Passionate about history and craftsmanship, Mr. Henry was also an avid collector of antiques. He passed away on July 16, 2009, at the Veterans Hospital in Elsmere, Delaware.
His deep faith and generous spirit left a lasting impression on his community. Rev. Bryant, who knew him personally, described Henry as kind, mild-mannered, and resourceful. “If you met him, you would like him,” Bryant recalled. Henry was someone who never discarded items he believed still had value or meaning. When Constance J. Cooper, co-author of Forging Faith, Building Freedom: African American Faith Experiences in Delaware, 1800–1980, reached out in search of material culture related to the African American church in Delaware, Bryant offered the keys and later donated them to the Delaware Historical Society. Today, these keys are featured in a section of Almost Unknown that focuses on the Black Church. Their presence affirms how everyday Black lives, and seemingly ordinary objects can serve as powerful conduits of memory, preservation, and historical imagination.