Delaware is the only state without a national park, and since 2003, senator Tom Carper has been trying to change that. In 2008, the National Park Service ended a study of potential sites with the conclusion that a National Historical Park would be the most appropriate type of national park in Delaware, given our early settlements and our role in the birth of the nation. Finally, in 2011, a bill has been introduced to DE legislature with a select few recommended sites.
The good news is that this issue may finally be making progress, and Delaware could end up with our first National Park within the next few years. It's not going to be the whole-blocks-of-New-Castle or whole-blocks-of-Lewes park that I would have liked to see, but the 'park' will be a series of small, individual sites throughout the state. On first read I thought that only one of the proposed sites would be the park, but I've been informed that, if this goes through, all of the following sites will be part of a system of national historical sites in Delaware, making it similar to the "Freedom Trail" in Boston:
New Castle County-
The Old Sheriff’s House
Fort Christina National Historic Landmark
Old Swedes Church National Historic Landmark
Old New Castle Courthouse
Kent County-
John Dickinson Plantation National Historic Landmark
Dover Green
Sussex County-
Ryves Holt House (Lewes)
It probably makes the most sense for Delaware to arrange it this way, rather than picking one location and making a big production out of it. These are already established as historical sites in Delaware, so not much will need to be changed beyond some signage, and personnel. Another plus is that these sites will probably never be in danger of being shuttered due to lack of ticket sales, since they will now be covered under the broad umbrella of the National Park Service.
The bill hasn't passed yet, but kudos to Senator Carper for keeping this issue alive all these years.
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