Auburn Valley State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Auburn Valley State Parks |
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Israel Marshall's Home, Auburn Heights
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| Location | New Castle County, Delaware, United States |
| Area | 471.72 acres (190.90 ha) |
| Established | 2018 |
| Administered by | Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control |
Auburn Valley State Park is a cool place in Yorklyn, Delaware, USA. It's a big area, about 471 acres, where you can have fun outdoors and learn about history. This park used to be called Auburn Heights Preserve.
The park protects the old home and land of the Marshall family. It also includes parts of their old mills next to the Red Clay Creek. You can find about 4 miles of trails for walking and biking here. There's even a paved loop that's 1.2 miles long! The state also helps protect other nearby private lands to keep the area looking natural.
One of the most exciting things about the park is its collection of old steam cars that still work! There's also a miniature coal-powered train that runs on tracks around the estate. The main house, mills, and steam museum were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means they are important historical sites.
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Discovering Auburn Valley State Park's History
People living near the Red Clay Creek first asked the state to protect this land in 2000. A company nearby was getting smaller, so people saw a chance to save the land. Tom Marshall, who owned a large estate, started giving parts of his land to the Delaware Nature Society to protect it.
The state began buying land for the park in 2002. They bought 104 acres from the company for $3 million. They also bought 65 acres of Marshall's old land from the Delaware Nature Society for $2.3 million. More land was bought in 2005, making the park almost 200 acres. It officially became a state park in 2008.
Later, the state bought more land from the company, adding 42 acres. This made the main part of the park 234 acres. The state also made agreements to protect other nearby lands. They worked with developers to keep open spaces, build more trails, and reuse old buildings.
On November 9, 2018, Auburn Heights Preserve got a new name: Auburn Valley State Park. Important people like Governor John Carney and U.S. Senator Tom Carper were there for the special ceremony.
The Historic Auburn Heights Mansion
The Auburn Heights Mansion was built in 1897 by Israel Marshall. His family had lived in the United States since the 1600s. In 1890, Israel and his brother bought the nearby mill. The house is built in a fancy Victorian style. It sits on a big hill, looking down over the mill and the town of Yorklyn.
Tom Marshall, Israel's grandson, gave the fully furnished house and 4 acres of land to the state in 2008. Today, you can take tours of the mansion. You'll learn about the Marshall family and the history of factories in the area.
Exploring Oversee Farm
Oversee Farm is another part of Auburn Valley State Park. It's close by but not directly connected to the main park area. This farm used to belong to Eleanor Marshall Reynolds, who was Tom Marshall's cousin. She bought the farm in 1945 because she wanted it to be saved for the future.
The farm has forests, freshwater marshes, open fields, and pretty views of Red Clay Creek. After Eleanor passed away in 2003, her son sold the 125-acre farm to The Nature Conservancy. They worked with the state to make sure the farm became part of the state park system. There are plans to connect the farm to the main park with trails in the future.
The Amazing Marshall Steam Museum
T. Clarence Marshall, Israel Marshall's youngest son, loved steam power. He was fascinated by the steam engines that ran his family's mills. He became a seller of Stanley Motor Carriage Company cars. He also started collecting his own steam automobiles.
His collection was first shown to the public in the 1970s. In 2008, Tom Marshall donated the collection. Now, a group called the Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve owns it. They work with the state to run the park. The collection is kept in the Auburn Heights carriage house. Volunteers work hard to keep all the vehicles running perfectly.
The museum has 15 Stanley steam cars and other steam and electric cars. It also has a miniature steam train, one-eighth the size of a real one. This train, called the Auburn Valley Railroad, runs on tracks around the estate.
Visitors can see all these amazing vehicles. On certain days, you can even take rides on the cars and trains! The park also has a special program for students. They can visit and learn about the history of transportation and how steam power works.
