DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO COMMISSION AN ARCHITECTURAL STUDY OF KINGSTON-UPON HULL.

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Hoffner & Rep. Harris

Sens. Buckson, Paradee, Pettyjohn, Seigfried, Wilson; Reps. Bolden, Carson, Ortega

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 4

DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO COMMISSION AN ARCHITECTURAL STUDY OF KINGSTON-UPON HULL.

WHEREAS, Kingston-upon Hull, also known as “Town Point” and “Logan’s Way House”, is a historical structure dating back to 1677; and

WHEREAS, Kingston-upon Hull was originally owned by John Briggs and Mary Philips; and

WHEREAS, John Briggs was a member of the first Assembly under William Penn’s government, and served as sheriff and justice for Kent County; and

WHEREAS, Kingston-upon Hull was later owned by George Nowell, who kept a store on the property until his death in 1730; and

WHEREAS, it is believed that Judge Samuel Dickinson, father of John, “the Penman of the Revolution,” leased the property from Nowell’s widow, while he was building his own mansion on his nearby farm; and

WHEREAS, John Dickinson bought the Kingston farm in 1796, where, for a century and a half, the house remained a tenant house of Dickinson’s absentee descendants; and

WHEREAS, Kingston-upon Hull is believed to be the third oldest standing structure in Delaware, and the oldest in Kent County; and

WHEREAS, Kingston-upon Hull was added to the National Register of Historic Place in 1972; and

WHEREAS, Kingston-upon Hull is located on land currently managed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Fish and Wildlife; and

WHEREAS, it is imperative that the state take measures to preserve its cultural history for future generations.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 153rd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, with the approval of the Governor, that the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control shall commission an architectural study of Kingston-upon Hull. The study must include the following:

(1) The estimated cost of restoring Kingston-upon Hull.

(2) The estimated cost of stabilizing Kingston-upon Hull.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control shall submit a report to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Director and the Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services not later than March 31, 2026.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report shall detail the findings of the architectural study, assess the feasibility of both restoring and stabilizing Kingston-upon Hull, and make recommendations on further actions related to Kingston-upon Hull. The report must include:

(1) A recommendation on the course of action for Kingston-upon Hull.

(2) Consideration and recommendations for an entity to manage Kingston-upon Hull.

(3) Consideration and recommendations for the use of Kingston-upon Hull for revenue-generating activities

SYNOPSIS

This Joint Resolution directs the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to obtain an architectural report of Kingston-upon Hull to consider estimated costs to either restore or stabilize the property. The resolution further directs the report consider future use of the property and recommend a course of action for the property.

Author: Senator Hoffner