Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park
January 2025 Project Update

Pete Miele, Senior Project Leader

As we embrace the start of 2025, we’re thrilled to share the latest updates on our journey to transform the historic Mifflin House and Farm into the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park, a vibrant hub of history, art, nature, and community engagement.

With the benefit of warm weather in November and early December, our initial public access improvements, initially, progressed quickly. As I write this, however, I am gazing out my window at the snow-covered ground, reminding me that it is still winter out there. The new driveway, parking area, and walking paths have all been graded and stoned, and now we are just waiting on paving. This will be completed once we have a few warm days in a row. We fully anticipate that the site will be ready for visitors by late winter or early spring. This vital step ensures that our community can soon experience the historic Mifflin property firsthand, laying the groundwork for engaging programs and events.

As we finish these improvements, we are turning our attention to the initial visitor experiences on the site. In December, we applied for a grant to develop interpretive panels and an orientation film that will help bring the site’s rich stories to life. This is just the beginning of our efforts to make the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park an immersive and educational destination. In addition, we’re preparing an application for a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant to create a comprehensive interpretive plan for the site, weaving the Discovery Center, River Art Museum, Underground Railroad Learning Center, and Heritage Park together. This plan will ensure the stories of the site are thoughtfully and inclusively presented.

While public access construction wraps up, we are planning an exciting slate of public programs for summer 2025. From author talks to history and art presentations, we’re curating experiences that will connect visitors to the site’s compelling past and its relevance today. Stay tuned for details as we finalize the schedule.

The historic significance of the Mifflin House continues to inspire our preservation efforts. We are working with Becky Zeller, of Zeller Preservation, to finalize our application for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, with national significance. An SNHA team, headed by our Interpretive Specialist Barb Brundage, is completing an application to join the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. These designations will elevate the site’s national profile and cement its place as a beacon of resilience and freedom.

Amidst all this on-the-ground work, we are still deeply engaged in our Master Planning & Interpretive Framework process. We are now more than halfway done with this initiative, but there are still opportunities for public engagement. We invite everyone to join us on Wednesday, February 26th at Wrightsville Presbyterian Church (205 N. 2nd Street, Wrightsville, PA) to learn about the project and provide your input. Remember, we are designing this site for YOU.

As we continue on this journey, we thank you for your continued support. We look forward to welcoming you to the Mifflin Farm in 2025!