Gov. John Carney, DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation Director Ray Bivens along with DNREC Chief Communications Officer Nikki Lavoie and her son Christopher enjoy the new Heronry Overlook at Fort Delaware State Park on Pea Patch Island.

Gov. John Carney joined Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin Friday to celebrate and tour the largest capital investments made to Fort Delaware State Park.

Visitors to Fort Delaware State Park now have a smoother ride from the Pea Patch Island pier to the fort after the tram path was reconstructed. They will also experience more durable trails and a revamped ADA-accessible heronry observation platform, known as the Heronry Overlook, in the Pea Patch Island Nature Preserve. The new screened pavilion provides an inviting space for groups to have lunch during their visits or for family reunions and other celebratory events.

“The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation has done a great job preserving this historic site and bringing it to life for the public. Today we celebrate improvements made around the fort that enhance that user experience,” said Gov. John Carney. “These improvements mean that the public can enjoy the fort for years to come. A visit to Pea Patch Island is a great experience and I encourage all Delawareans to see this unique park.”

The ride along the newly resurfaced tram path is a defining Fort Delaware experience. Once guests arrive to the island via the Delafort ferry, they are transported via covered tram along the path and enjoy scenic views of the island’s salt marsh and wildlife as they approach the historic fort.

The previous Heronry Overlook needed to be rebuilt to improve safety. The new structure is strong, safe and inviting, and includes a ramp to make it accessible for all visitors. Getting to the Heronry Overlook to see some of these incredible sights is a more pleasant experience now with trails resurfaced with stone.

The island is also home to the Pea Patch Nature Preserve and one of the most popular wading bird nesting areas on the East Coast. It supports nine species of herons, egrets and ibis, with an estimated 1,200 nesting pairs.

“The improved visitor access and amenities on this island were among our highest priorities at the state park,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Our Division of Parks and Recreation is the largest keeper of historic buildings in the state. Our work today expands on generations of preservation efforts by park stewards and ensures Fort Delaware will remain a historical destination for generations of visitors to come. These projects enhance the exclusive educational opportunities Fort Delaware gives its visitors, and I hope many Delawareans take advantage of this unique learning experience on Pea Patch Island.”

Also included in the project was a new maintenance building to keep equipment out of the weather, which can be brutal on the island. As stewards of the fort’s history, the division employees a historic mason who can remedy any damage to the fort’s brick from normal aging. The mason completed more than 2,000 hours of work at the fort over the last two years.

Design and construction for the project cost just more than $4 million and was provided by a matching grant from the U.S. National Parks Service Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Delaware Community Foundation Pea Patch Island Endowment and Parks Facility Rehabilitation Funds from the state’s capital budget.

Fort Delaware is a living history museum where visitors can experience life during the Civil War with first-person interpreters dressed in period clothing. Visitors can step back into the 1860s and experience the improved park amenities Wednesdays through Sundays from April 30 to Sept. 25.

Fort Delaware is operated in partnership with the Delaware River in Bay Authority, which operates the Delafort ferry that transports passengers between Delaware City, Fort Delaware and Fort Mott, N.J.

Fort Delaware is open on weekends only through June 11, and from Wednesday through Sunday starting June 14. Reservations are required to visit the fort. Go to destateparks.com/History/FortDelaware to reserve tickets and for information. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 877-987-2757 until 9 a.m. on the departure date.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov

###

The Delaware Public Archives is pleased to announce the digital release of “The Abram H. Draper Collection.” This unique collection consists of 34 pieces of correspondence including letters and poetry from Sergeant Abram H. Draper to his wife Anna M. Wiley Draper during the American Civil War.

The content ranges from detailed descriptions of Draper’s time while on guard and picket duty to everyday details of the life of a Union soldier in the United States Army from 1861 – 1863. The collection also includes correspondence to and from members of Draper’s extended family, as well as letters and documents to Anna notifying her of his death on January 22, 1863, from typhoid fever at Camp Gilpins, Virginia.

The Abram H. Draper Collection may be accessed virtually at www.archives.delaware.gov or by calling (302) 744-5000 to schedule a visit to review the physical document collection at the Delaware Public Archives.

DOVER – Archaeologists working at a property near Frankford, Sussex County, have discovered the site of a cemetery known to the local community to contain the remains of African Americans who lived in the area.

Under the observation of an archaeologist from the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office, archaeologists employed by a private landowner delineated 11 graves at the site, known as the Orr Property or Hall Plantation.

A headstone was also found at the site bearing the name C.S. Hall and the lines “Co. K, 32nd U.S.C.T.” (an abbreviation for U.S. Colored Troops, the designation for units comprised of African American soldiers during the Civil War.)

The headstone has not been correlated to a specific grave, and no further information is yet known about the identities of the burials at the site. The presence of the remains of enslaved persons has not yet been confirmed through archaeology or review of the historical record.

“This cemetery is a significant discovery for the community and for all Delawareans who value and appreciate our state’s rich history,” said Tim Slavin, director of the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, which oversees the State Historic Preservation Office. “As work continues at the site, we hope to learn more about those who are interred there, so that they may be properly memorialized and their personal stories retold.”

The State Historic Preservation Office will offer guidance, advice and supervision as the landowner continues archaeological work at the site. Though the site is located on private property, the state will take an active role in ensuring that the ongoing archaeological investigation is thorough, professional and carried out in an ethical and responsible manner.

The landowner was an active participant in the gathering of local information about the site, and has indicated that the cemetery will be preserved. The state will work closely with the landowner to determine a plan for preservation.

“I would also like to thank the neighbors nearby for their role in calling attention to the presence of a cemetery here,” Slavin said. “Their recollections and local knowledge about the site and its location were key to discovering these burials. They spoke up, and thanks to them we can add a new page to Delaware history.”

(Dover, DE) On Saturday, February 6 at 10:30 a.m., Certified Genealogist Michael Hait will present a program at the Delaware Public Archives focusing on one of the lesser known federal agencies, the Freedman’s Bureau.  The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands operated from the end of the Civil War until 1872 under the U.S. War Department.  During the less than ten years of its existence, the “Freedmen’s Bureau” existed to ease the healing of the nation torn apart by the war. Among its activities, the Bureau aided in the transition of those who had been born in slavery into their new lives as freed people. This program will focus on the types of records created by the Freedmen’s Bureau and how to use these records to identify genealogical information.

Michael Hait is a full-time professional genealogical researcher, writer, and lecturer. He has written case studies for several genealogical journals including the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. In 2012 Hait won 1st prize in the National Genealogical Society Family History Writing Competition for his article “In the Shadow of Rebellions,” exploring descendants of an enslaved woman living in 19th-century Maryland. Currently, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

The program is free to the public and will last approximately one hour.  No reservations are required.  For more information, contact Tom Summers (302) 744-5047 or e-mail thomas.summers@delaware.gov.

Delaware Public Archives is located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard North in Dover. The Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room is open to the public Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. On the second Saturday of every month the research room is open from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

DELAWARE CITY (June 26, 2013) – Fort Delaware will host a special program on Saturday, June 29 featuring the story of the H. L. Hunley, an ill-fated Confederate submarine that sank in Charleston Harbor in 1864 with its crew on board. Local historian Bill Jenkins will conduct a special presentation at 11:30 a.m., during which he will discuss the mission and the recovery of the submarine and the sailors who went down with it, as well as the artifact record of the submarine. 

Access to Pea Patch Island is by ferry from either Delaware City or Salem, New Jersey.   Ferry tickets cost $11 for adults, $6 for children 2 through 12 and $10 for seniors and Active Duty Military (with ID). Children under 2 are admitted free of charge.

There is no extra charge for the program. Those who wish to see the program will need to take the 9:30 a.m. Salem, N.J. ferry or the 10:45 a.m. Delaware City ferry to reach the fort in time.

Ferry reservations are suggested, but visitors may purchase tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made by calling 1-877- 987-2757 or visiting destateparks.com. Tickets may only be reserved 24 hours in advance.

Contact: Laura Lee, Fort Delaware State Park, 302-834-7941; or Necia Beck, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9175 or necia.beck@delaware.gov

Vol. 43, No. 258

-30-