Delaware’s Brandywine Valley represents the very start of America — a place where George Washington fought for independence and Benjamin Franklin printed ideas that changed lives. In this sense, the Brandywine River is truly one of our nation’s “founding rivers.”

On March 25, 2013, President Barack Obama designated the First State National Monument in Delaware, which, until that time, had been the only state in the country without a National Park Service unit. After continuous effort, the monument was designated a national historical park in 2015. The park includes three historic areas that tell the story of Delaware’s early settlement and the important role it played as the first state to ratify the Constitution: Dover Green, the New Castle Court House complex and a property in the Brandywine Valley known as Woodlawn.

Establishing Delaware’s First National Park Site

Located three miles north of Wilmington, along the Brandywine River, the Woodlawn property has served as a wildlife preserve, urban park and recreational destination for the more than five million people who live within 25 miles of the city. Of the property’s 1,100 acres, 880 are in Delaware, with the remainder in Pennsylvania.

William Penn originally acquired Rockland Manor, which included the Woodlawn property, from the Duke of York in 1682. Industrialist William Bancroft purchased the Woodlawn property in the 1900s and maintained it as open space, even as development encroached. Elected officials — including the governor of Delaware, Pennsylvania and Delaware’s congressional delegations, and New Castle County Council members — have broadly endorsed Woodlawn as a property worthy of national recognition.

The Conservation Fund purchased and protected the historic 1,100-acre Woodlawn property in 2012. The acquisition — made possible by a generous gift from Mt. Cuba Center and the desire of Woodlawn’s trustees to see the land protected for the public — galvanized Delaware residents ready for a national monument or park of their own. As TCF discussed donating the Woodlawn property to the National Park Service, community support swelled. Hundreds of people turned out for a public hearing, over a thousand sent letters of support to congressional offices and dozens more contributed articles and editorials in favor of making Woodlawn a key part of a new national conservation land.

Did You Know?

Woodlawn’s trustees had long kept the property unspoiled for the public to enjoy, with land preservation a top goal. But the time had come for the trustees to sell the property. That’s why it’s so important that The Conservation Fund acted, with support from Mt. Cuba Center, as quickly as it did. When the National Park Service evaluated the land’s historical significance, it knew this special place belonged to all Americans. TCF donated the land to the National Park Service as a gift for future generations to enjoy.

Learn More

• First State National Historical Park
• U.S. Interior Department News Release
• Woodlawn Trustees
• Mt. Cuba Center
• National Parks Traveler