LEWES, Del.- After years of debate over the future of their family home, the Daisey family is celebrating the completion of a new house in the Lewes Historic District.
The family hosted an appreciation gathering to thank community members and supporters who followed their effort to rebuild the home at 331 Chestnut Street.
The project drew attention after the family’s initial request to demolish the former structure was denied by the city’s Historic Preservation Architectural Review Commission.
The Daiseys argued the home was outdated and no longer met their needs, saying they wanted a space that could better support their family for generations to come, as they have lived in Lewes for 250 years.
"We've done the economic studies and to remodel the house versus rebuilding would take away anywhere from 300 to 500 thousand dollars of value," said Darryl Daisey in a previous interview.
“Our father would be proud that his children fought hard to get this new house built, to again help to anchor his family in Lewes, but he would be more proud that the city he loved went out of its way to help make that happen,” said Darnell Daisey Saturday.
The city has since updated its historic preservation standards to include cultural and social significance in evaluating properties.