Delaware to restore park honoring Swedish colony
This is not a story impacting Americans abroad globally, but those in Sweden may be interested to know that Fort Christina Park, a National Historic Landmark on the site where the first Swedish colonists in North America landed, is slated for a face lift. The park is the oldest public landmark commemorating Delaware’s history as the first Swedish colony in the U.S. According to a story in The News Journal last month, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is preparing to repair the park. The News Journal wrote:
The site includes the spot where Swedes and Finns are believed to have landed in 1638, known as “The Rocks,” before they went on to establish Fort Christina and the New Sweden colony, the first permanent European settlement in the state and Delaware Valley.
There is a lot of work to do to restore the park and remedy the damages caused by years of vandalism and neglect, and it seems as though funding has not been secured. A perfect opportunity for Swedish American groups both in Sweden and America to get involved?
The Swedes may be interested to know that this site may become part of America’s newest national park.
There was a book published about the New Sweden Colony that I found at a local Barnes & Noble, but it was damaged and the only issue. I thumbed through it and found an interesting article about the first log cabin being constructed in New Sweden in the 1600’s stating that this was the original, first log cabin built in America and that was the prototype for all log cabins to follow. I would be very interested in learning more about the new park, being a Swedish-American.