Oyster House Park

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Oyster House Park

PHASE 1 COMPLETE!

Have you heard about the Oyster House Park Project? It will be an amazing public park located along the banks of the Nanticoke River in Downtown Seaford. This unique space will serve as a trail-head, which will allow the public to visit and explore the bio-diverse land, learn about the history of Seaford and the Nanticoke through collaboration with the Seaford Museum, and support the revitalization and economic development currently underway in Seaford.

oyster house update ribbon cutting collage

Phase 1 Of the Oyster House Park is complete! With this phase came a new bulkhead, planted living shoreline, extended boardwalk with fishing nooks, canoe/kayak floating dock launch, performance dock and boat docking! The ribbon-cutting ceremony was on July 1st with several partners, state and local representatives and community members present. Take a walk along this new addition to the Riverwalk!

Subsequent phases are planned to take place over five years, with each phase focused on providing benefits for the community that can be enjoyed immediately upon completion. These plans include:

Phase Two: A natural green amphitheater at the edge of the property that seats 75 people and an overflow of about 200 on the lawn. This will also serve as a community outdoor classroom, gathering space for performances and erosion control to address runoff from steep banks.

Phase Three: A structure that is a reimagination of the two Oyster Houses that were once on the site that will showcase sculpture, interpretive exhibits and provide meeting space. It will include the necessary public amenities such as parking and bathrooms, as well as a porch and garage door openings that will permit an unblocked view of the river from South Cannon Street.

Phase Four: Enhancing community emotional and spiritual connections through pedestrian access to the nearby prayer garden, a tribal ring for the Nanticoke Indians to practice traditional ceremonies by the river and a pavilion for shaded gatherings.

To view the entire Oyster House Park Master Plan, click here. The appendix can be found here.

The park complements a significant number of other conservation projects along the Nanticoke River including the recently celebrated Nanticoke Crossing Park near the Woodland Ferry. Through partnerships with the United States Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI), the states of Maryland and Delaware, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Mt. Cuba Center, Lower Shore Land Trust, Sussex County Land Trust, Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy, and others, Chesapeake Conservancy has helped conserve 3,050 acres in 21 projects across the corridor linking Vienna, MD, to Seaford. Significantly, these 21 projects link to other previously conserved properties and refuges, which creates 19,300 total acres of conserved land in the Nanticoke River watershed with a powerful impact on the environment.