Carpentry demonstration at Dickinson Plantation; courtesy of
America's “” is also the only state without a site. Although Delaware's and the have a loose affiliation with NPS and the , neither is on the list of NPS (NPS operates 394 sites in 49 states and Washington, D.C.).
However, according to , leaders in the First State have proposed the First State National Historical Park, which would tell the story of Delaware's role as the first state to ratify the Constitution in 1787. The proposed park would link six 17th-century Dutch and Swedish settlements, such as , , the of “Penman of the Revolution” John Dickinson, and the in Dover.
“Delaware has much to offer in terms of history and culture as most other states have in their national parks,” says Delaware. Alan Spears, legislative representative for the NPCA, agrees: “It's not just another park; it's the first park for the First State.”
–Whitney Dreier