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April 2008 |
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Delaware's recently completed historic preservation plan for 2008-2012, entitled, "Planning for the Past: Preserving Delaware's Heritage," can now be viewed online. Click here to download a .pdf version of the plan.
The plan provides all Delawareans who are passionate about historic preservation with a framework for effective decision-making, for coordinating statewide preservation activities, and for communicating statewide preservation policy, goals, and values to the preservation constituency, decision-makers, and interested and affected parties across the state. As a requirement for receiving Delaware's annual portion of the federal Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service (NPS), HCA is responsible for coordinating the preparation and development of a comprehensive statewide historic preservation plan and to update it at regular intervals. Activities involved in developing the current plan began in the winter of 2007 when a series of statewide public meetings and stakeholder input sessions were held in venues across the state. The plan document was written by members of HCA's Historic Preservation Team with extensive review by a technical review committee comprised of preservation professionals from across the state. The NPS approved the plan on October 31, 2007, followed by its approval and adoption by the State Review Board for Historic Preservation on November 15, 2007. HCA, Preservation Delaware, Inc., and all of the state's historic preservation community will be working to put the provisions of the plan into action over the next four years. |
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Spring is a-buzz with activities at the museums of Dover's Museum Square during the "What's Bugging You?" program that will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, 2008.
More information... |
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The Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Delaware, will celebrate Dutch-American Friendship Day on Saturday, April 19, 2008, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with a series of Dutch-inspired activities that will be both educational and entertaining for every member of the family.
More information... |
| In a March 19, 2008 letter to the chairman and ranking member of the United States House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations, Delaware Congressman Michael N. Castle made a strong appeal for the highest level of funding for State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, Save America's Treasures, and the Preserve America grant program. As part of the letter, Castle noted, "Fully funding these historic preservation programs would represent a true investment in America's legacy. It would be multiplied many times over through public-private economic partnerships and ventures. Perhaps most importantly, it would insure the protection of hundreds of historic structures and sites throughout the nation that might otherwise pass from our shared heritage." |
| In accordance with Title 7, Chapter 54, Section 5406(b) of the Delaware Code, the Director of the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, Department of State, hereby gives notice of the discovery of unmarked human skeletal remains in the River Rock Run Development, tax parcel 235-22.00-834.00, near Milton, Sussex County. The preserved cemetery site (named the River Rock Run Cemetery) is located within the above development. The skeletal elements of one adult female, dating to after 1840, were recovered from one burial. Other burials are located within the site. Archival research indicates the site is the location of a family cemetery containing the remains of the White, and possibly Holland, families. The landowner proposes to rebury the recovered remains at a location within the preserved cemetery site.
Any persons who have reason to believe they may be next-of-kin to these individuals or have evidence that they have relatives buried in this location should contact the Director, Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, 21 The Green, Dover, DE 19901-3611; telephone 302-736-7400; weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; no later than May 12, 2008. |
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The Corbit-Sharp House, a National Historic Landmark owned and operated by the nonprofit Historic Odessa Foundation, has been accepted into the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom by the National Park Service, which evaluated the site as "making a significant contribution to the understanding of the Underground Railroad in American history." Built in 1772 and one of Delaware's most historic homes and important examples of Georgian architecture, the Corbit-Sharp House is one of nine sites, two programs, and two facilities in Delaware that are included in the network. |
| Former HCA director Dan Griffith was recently presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Middle Atlantic Archaeological Conference. The award honors individuals who have spent a minimum of 20 years making consistent and regular contributions to archaeology in the Middle Atlantic Region. Griffith received the award during the organization's annual conference which took place in Ocean City, Maryland. HCA archaeologist Faye Stocum wrote Griffith's nomination for the selection committee's consideration, while another HCA archaeologist, Gwen Davis, was asked to provide summary remarks during the awards ceremony. |
| On March 11, 2008, HCA archaeologists and volunteers concluded their investigations at the planned construction site of a new underground garage for the Kent County Courthouse, located in the block between the Dover Green and Water Street. Over the course of the investigation, which began on February 9, 2008, archaeologists found a small area of original top soils at the east end of the excavation site containing a few artifacts dating from approximately 1790–1830. This section of the excavation site probably represented the back yards of late-18th to mid-19th century buildings that were on The Green prior to the construction of the Sykes Building, circa 1850. Unfortunately, from the perspective of archaeological investigation, most of the site had been extensively excavated and re-filled during several periods of construction. This action left little of the original top soils that might have yielded a more interesting archaeological record. While the investigation ultimately proved to be relatively fruitless, archaeologists were happy to have had the opportunity to explore a long-settled and historically rich area of Delaware's capital city.
For further reading: Go to the February 15, 2008 News Journal article "A Search for Lost History". |
