Michaelina Jones, Bellevue State Park, 302-761-6963; Kimberlee Johnson, Delaware State Parks, 302-577-1164; or National Trust for Historic Preservation, Communications and Marketing, 202-588-6141, pr@nthp.org
National Trust for Historic Preservation awards the Friends of Bellevue State Park a Preservation Grant from National Trust Preservation Funds
Grant will go toward rehabilitation of the Mount Pleasant Meeting House
WILMINGTON (Nov. 21, 2011) – The Friends of Bellevue State Park have been awarded a $2,500 grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from the Preservation Fund for Delaware. The seed grant funds will be used to rehabilitate the Mount Pleasant Meeting House and Parsonage.
The Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church and Parsonage are listed on the National Register of Historic Places for architectural significance from the period 1838-1930s, the former for being representative of the type of rural Delaware meeting house built during the mid-19th century, and the latter for reflecting the Queen Anne-style of residence of the 1890s.
The property is located within Bellevue State Park, one of 16 state parks owned and managed by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation. Bellevue State Park, located near Wilmington, features amenities such as walking and biking paths, picnic pavilions, cultural and recreational programs, botanical gardens, historic mansions and arboretums.
The Mount Pleasant Parsonage is an historical and cultural representation of the Methodist religious tenets that shaped American beliefs at the dawn of the 20th century. Delaware was christened the “Garden of Methodism” in the 1890s, and while the Methodist Episcopal Church was the last to develop in the state, the denomination led in religious, social and cultural influence.
The Mount Pleasant Parsonage is historically significant both for its architecture, and for being representative of the social and cultural tenets of the emerging mid-19th century Methodism movement in Delaware. The Parsonage was constructed in 1894 and reflects the commitment of the early American Methodism congregants to entice prominent ministers, rather than rely on itinerant circuit preachers. The property is authentic in its physical design and period characteristics, as is the adjacent historic 1840s Methodist Episcopal Church, cemetery and fieldstone wall which surrounds the entire property.
The Mount Pleasant Parsonage is being adaptably reused as a venue for group tours, which include the 1840s-era Meeting House and historic cemetery, where many of the early founders of Episcopal Methodism in the U.S. are interred. In addition, the Parsonage is rented for weddings, church and community gatherings, and has functioned as an artists’ retreat and exhibit space. The Parsonage archival library is a collection of manuscripts and hymnals dating from the mid-1800s, and includes Prohibition-era Temperance artifacts; all of which are historic evidence of Methodism that are worthy of preservation. Each artifact adds to the authentic sense of place for visitors. In 2010, the overall attendance for cultural and historical events was 1,500.
The Mount Pleasant Parsonage has suffered extensive water damage to its interior foundation walls, plaster ceilings and basement support beams from its damaged roof and inadequate drainage system; factors which, left unchecked, will endanger the structural stability of the edifice. The anticipated outcome is restored structural integrity, and safe access to additional rooms on the second floor for educational programs, historic tours, community events and art exhibits. Once rehabilitated, the Parsonage will increase its value and visibility as a destination for heritage tourism, with wide-ranging, positive economic implications for Bellevue State Park.
“Without organizations like the Friends of Bellevue State Park, communities and towns all across America would have a diminished sense of place,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The National Trust for Historic Preservation is honored to provide a grant to the Friends of Bellevue State Park, which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared heritage.”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation dispenses small grants for local projects through the National Trust Preservations Funds grant program. The grants range from $500 to $5,000 and have provided over $5.5 million of funding since 2002. They are awarded to non-profit groups, educational institutions and public agencies, and must be matched, at least dollar for dollar, with public or private funds. Preservation Funds grants are being used nationally for such wide-ranging activities as consultant services for rehabilitating buildings, technical assistance for tourism that promotes historic resources and education children about their heritage. These grants are often the deciding factor on whether historic buildings or sites can be saved for future generations.
For more information on National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preservation Fund grants, visit: www.PreservationNation.org/resources/find-funding/grants.
About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.
Vol. 41, No. 449
