NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
July 9, 2010
Vol. 40, No. 236
Media Information: Contact Elaine Brenchley, The First State Heritage Park at Dover, 302-739-9194 (elaine.brenchley@state.de.us), or Necia Beck, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9175, Necia.Beck@state.de.us
First State Heritage Park’s Lantern Tour of Dover’s Presbyterian Cemetery returns July 23 with some new twists
DOVER – On Friday, July 23 at 8:30 p.m., the First State Heritage Park’s popular lantern tour of Dover’s Presbyterian Cemetery returns with some new twists. Visits from several of the notables buried in this 18th century churchyard are among the new additions. The half-dozen characters whom visitors will encounter include Delaware’s Revolutionary War hero Colonel John Haslet, who died a hero’s death at the Battle of Princeton in 1777, and several 18th century widows with decided opinions about their husbands.
“If you’ve taken this tour before, you’ll definitely want to come back for this new version,” said the Heritage Park Project Director Elaine Brenchley. “We have modeled the revision of this tour after our extremely popular lantern tour at Christ Church, which features living history characters. Visitors have said that they enjoy the special experience the characters add, so we decided to include them on the Presbyterian tour as well.”
The tour begins at the Johnson Victrola Museum Parking Lot, 375 S. New Street, Dover. Admission is $5. Tour space is limited; reservations are required and may be made by calling 302-739-9194.
The tours of this cemetery are made possible through a collaboration with the Presbyterian Church of Dover and Ronald Sherman, chair of the church’s Cemetery Committee, and uses extensive research of the cemetery conducted by David Holland.
The First State Heritage Park at Dover is Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries” linking historic and cultural sites in the city that has been the seat of state government since 1777. The park is a partnership of state agencies, under the leadership of Delaware State Parks, working in collaboration with city and county government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector.
