Public lecture on U.S. Life-Saving Service set March 24

The public is invited to join Ryan Schwartz and Dawson Gehrke of Historic Lewes from 3 to 4 p.m., Monday, March 24, at the Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave., for a discussion of the United States Life-Saving Service and its long-standing connection to Lewes. 

Members of the U.S. Life-Saving Service protected the American coast and saved lives in peril at sea from 1871 until 1915, when it became part of the U.S. Coast Guard. This 45-minute presentation with following Q&A session will explore the origins of the service following the American Civil War, how it came to Lewes, and how the local surf-men and their keeper used the latest technology of the age to save those in danger on the sea. It is a story of public service, innovation, courage and selflessness, kept alive today by the collaboration of Historic Lewes and the Overfalls Foundation.