Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park
August 2024 Project Update

Pete Miele, Senior Project Leader

 

As we savor the last days of summer, I’m excited to share the latest updates from our ongoing projects to transform the historic Mifflin Farm into the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park.

Since July, momentum at Mifflin Farm has quickened. We’ve secured construction bids to begin the initial public access improvements, including a new driveway, parking area, and walking paths. These enhancements are set to be completed by the end of the year, paving the way for tours and events as early as late winter. Our visitor engagement team is busy crafting a schedule of regular tours and programs for next spring and summer, ensuring that visitors can experience this remarkable piece of history firsthand. In mid-August, we received the news that the PA Outdoor Corps will assist us next summer. A youth crew will spend a week extending a walking path down to the pond and around it, making it easier for visitors to explore this historic land.

In tandem with these developments, we’re focusing on essential site maintenance. After cleaning out the barn last year, our attention now turns to the home and surrounding grounds. This work includes clearing vegetation, removing outdated fixtures, and prepping the house’s interior for small group tours. We’ve also contracted a construction firm to stabilize the leaning corn crib and repair the roof and floor of the main barn area.

We’re not just stopping there. We’re aiming for national recognition of this historic site. In July, we applied to list the home on the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom by the National Park Service and received an updated Determination of Eligibility from the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, we’ve applied for a grant from the National Park Service to fund a Historic Structures Report for the home, a vital step in understanding its appearance during its days as an active Underground Railroad station and providing a guide for future rehabilitation. We have also begun conversations with the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a worldwide network of museums and historic sites dedicated to promoting human rights. We look forward to making Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park part of this association.

Our collaboration with Mahan Rykiel Associates (MRA) has also kicked into high gear. In July, our team met with Scott Scarfone, our lead contact at MRA, to map out the year-long Master Planning/Interpretive Framework process. Later this month, key stakeholders, including task force members, board members, funders, and government officials, will gather with MRA consultants at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center for a two-day kickoff meeting. Together, we will further develop our vision for the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park.

Thank you for your support of this special project. For the first time in over 200 years, guests will soon be able to safely access and discover the critical role this property played in the fight for freedom.