Elaine Brenchley, Project Director, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9194; Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902; or Chris Portante, Delaware Department of State, 302-739-4111.

*Photos available on request

Historic John Bell House hosts Governor Markell for “sneak peek” of restoration

DOVER (March 30, 2011) – Governor Jack Markell joined DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock for a “sneak peak” and tour of the historic John Bell House on The Green in Dover, which has been newly restored. The grand opening celebration will be held Saturday, April 2.

The building, which is the oldest wooden structure in Dover, will serve as an interpretive center for the First State Heritage Park, Delaware’s first urban “park without boundaries” linking historic and cultural sites in the state capital. It is the newest addition to the park, a partnership of state agencies, including Delaware State Parks and the Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs, working in collaboration with city and county government, nonprofit organizations and the private sector.

Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara and Delaware State Parks Historic Reconstruction Specialist Eric Dawson discuss the reconstruction of the John Bell House on The Green in Dover

First State Heritage Park historic interpreters at the reconstructed John Bell House, on The Green in Dover

“State agencies worked together to restore a rare historic treasure that Delawareans and visitors from other states will now be able to enjoy,” said Governor Jack Markell. “Over the past year, the First State Heritage Park – of which the John Bell House is an important part – welcomed visitors from five continents and nearly 40 states. This is evidence of the value of our state tourism industry, which generates more than a billion dollars for our economy and provides a significant number of jobs for Delawareans.”

“The restoration of the John Bell House is another example of the ongoing and strong partnership between DNREC and the Department of State in the establishment and growth of the First State Heritage Park,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “First State Heritage Park brings together the region’s best natural and cultural resources for the public to enjoy. I thank the Divisions of Parks and Recreation, and Historical and Cultural Affairs for another successful collaboration.”

“We take our role as stewards of historic properties seriously, and we seek partners like DNREC and others to help us ensure success in that effort,” said Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock. “The bottom line is that we want Delaware’s historic places to be open and available to the public. Even in difficult financial times, the Department of State has been able to invest in worthy projects to do just that. We have built significant public/private partnerships in the past couple of years to make the most use of state assets, such as our buildings.”

Examples of these public/private partnerships include providing more gallery space to the Biggs Museum, the State’s partner in the fine arts, and the Children’s Theatre of Dover and Kent County, which now uses two previously unoccupied historic buildings for their rehearsal and administrative spaces. In addition, the Department of State is funding $8.8 million of the new Dover library and recently opened the new First State Heritage Park Welcome Center in partnership with DNREC.

The John Bell House dates back to the mid-1700s and was owned by three generations of the Bell family. The Bells owned and operated a series of 18th-century taverns around The Green, and it is believed that the structure originally served as a workshop. In the mid-19th century, two notable Delawareans – Nathaniel Smithers and George Valentine Massey – maintained law offices in the building.

When the park was first established, the structure was in danger of being lost, due to severe termite damage and several centuries of wear and tear. In order to save it, the Department of State purchased the building in 2005. The restoration work was completed by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation.

One of the highlights of the restoration work is the return of the building’s exterior to its appearance in the mid-19th century. The placement of the rear doors and windows on the newly exposed south side is based on a drawing from an 1885 map of Dover. No paint survives from the 18th century, so the exterior was painted in the earth tones which were very popular during the mid-19th century.

The siding on the east and west walls replicate the 18th-century hand-riven oak siding with butt joints that originally covered the structure (and some of that original siding remains at the gable ends). The north and south exterior have straight-sawn oak clapboard in keeping with the building’s second-generation exterior. Three of the four corner posts, the second-story floor boards, and much of the west wall’s original elements, including the hand-wrought nails, remain.

The John Bell House was certainly on The Green when the U.S. Constitution was ratified at the Golden Fleece Tavern in 1787 and was also quite possibly already standing during the events of the Revolution. The Ridgely House is the only other surviving building that would have been on The Green at that time.

Vol. 41, No. 120