First State National Historical Park Will Host Open House for Public Comment on the Sheriff’s House in New Castle

First State National Historical Park Will Host Open House for Public Comment on the Sheriff’s House in New Castle

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
First State National Historical Park 211 Delaware Street New Castle, DE 19720

First State National Historical Park News Release
Media Contact: Lorin Felter, lorin_felter@nps.gov, 215-327-8261

First State National Historical Park Will Host Open House for Public Comment on the Sheriff’s House in New Castle
New Castle, DE – First State National Historical Park (NHP) is requesting your input in developing a rehabilitation and use plan for the Sheriff’s House in New Castle, DE at a public scoping meeting on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, from 3:30-6:30pm at the New Castle Court House and Museum. The National Park Service (NPS) invites you to participate in the project planning process to identify potential uses for the Sheriff’s House, environmental impacts, issues, concerns, and alternative concepts.

Developing a rehabilitation and use plan is our effort to review conceptual plans to see what options exist for the interior of the Sheriff’s House. We are also developing a historic structure report which will inform the design concept plan process. Keep in mind that any rehabilitation will be several years away and contingent upon funding.

The purpose of the scoping meeting is to provide an opportunity for interested individuals and organizations to learn about the planning process and provide their thoughts, ideas, and concerns for the future use and management of the Sheriff’s House. Posters and other information about the Sheriff’s House will be available for the public to review. NPS staff will be on hand to answer questions and to accept public comments. There will not be a formal presentation so interested parties may arrive at any time between 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. to share their thoughts.

Following the meeting, the NPS will accept your comments and ideas for a 30-day period and begin to develop general alternatives for the rehabilitation and use of the Sheriff’s House. By mid-March, the alternatives will be used to conduct an environmental assessment which will be distributed for public review and comment during the summer of 2016.

More information about the project can be found at the park’s planning website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/SheriffsHouse. Comments on the project may be submitted by attending the public scoping meeting or by submitting them electronically on the planning website (noted above). All information presented at the public scoping meeting will be uploaded to the website following the meeting. Thank you for your continued interest in First State NHP. Your participation will help shape the future of the Sheriff’s House.

For more information about the park, its programs, and the planning process please contact Superintendent Ethan McKinley at ethan_mckinley@nps.gov.

About First State National Historical Park: First State was designated as a national historical park in December 2014. The seven sites making up the park collectively tell the story of Delaware’s role in the founding of the United States. For more information about the park, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/frst or call 302-544-6363. You can follow First State NHP on social media and share your photos and experiences on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/firststatenhp.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 409 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, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.