NPS - National Park Service
05/06/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/06/2024 14:38
First State National Historical Park opens its first welcome center
News Release Date:
May 6, 2024
May 6, 2024
Contact:Samantha Baranski, 302-358-4785
New Castle, De. - First State National Historical Park open's the park's first welcome center at the Sheriff's House, located in New Castle. The center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Exhibits in the center share nationally significant stories that shaped the nation's first state through photos and audio-visual displays. Staff are also available to provide details about visiting partner sites throughout the state. In addition, the rehabilitation provides office space for National Park Service (NPS) staff on the second floor.
To celebrate National Park Week, on Saturday, April 27 Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joined federal, state and community leaders for a ribbon cutting ceremony to highlight the opening of the new welcome center. The Sheriff's House Welcome Center has been years in the making, supported by the park's staff, volunteers and local partners.
"The opening of the park's first Welcome Center begins a new chapter for First State National Historical Park, giving park visitors a place to orientate themselves to the various sections of the park and creating a better understanding of how they are connected through history," said Superintendent Joshua Boles. "The building also provides visitor amenities in Historic New Castle by adding additional public restrooms and a water bottle refilling station."
The Sheriff's House is a contributing feature to the New Castle National Historic Landmark Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service (NPS) recently completed a $5.4 million rehabilitation of the structure that included exterior accessibility improvements, utility upgrades, exterior stone repair and repointing, interior restoration and replacement work, and exhibit fabrication and installation. On April 27, NPS hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark completion of the project.
About the Sheriff's House:
The Sheriff's House was constructed in 1857 on the site of the circa 1793 jail, which is all that remains of Delaware's first prison system. The Sheriff's House is the only NPS-owned facility in New Castle, donated by the State of Delaware in 2013 as part of First State National Monument.
About First State National Historical Park:
First State National Historical Park explores the people, places and stories that played a role in the settlement of the Delaware Valley, the founding of the nation, the testing of the U.S. Constitution and the conservation of natural resources. First State consists of six individual sites connected by the stories of the people who lived in and used these places. The state of Delaware, the first state to ratify the Constitution, was born from the conflict for dominance of the Delaware Valley among three world powers. From this beginning, the region has developed its own distinct character which values independence and celebrates diversity in both national origin and religion. First State National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation on March 25, 2013, and was redesignated a National Historical Park on December 19, 2014.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 429 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.