LEWES, Del. - Wednesday afternoon, a house that lies within the Historic District of Lewes came crumbling down. The home owned by the Daisey family for 60 years, was finally demolished after much debate with the city.
"There is joy and relief, a little bit of sadness wishing my dad was here to see it here. And we're very proud that we're able to accomplish this and take this next step and we're really glad that our family having been been here for 250 years," said Dionne Daisey. "This has sort of restated our claim and can remain in Lewes as one of the legacy families."
The family was told in 2022 by the Historic Preservation Architectural Review Commission that the home could not be destroyed since it was historic. The family argued to the city that renovations done in 1991 made the house no longer historic. The case proceeded through other city committees for consideration until it was approved to come down in August 2023.
The family was told in 2022 by the Historic Preservation Architectural Review Commission that the home could not be destroyed since it was historic. The family argued to the city that renovations done in 1991 made the house no longer historic.
However, Daisey says the fight was worth it.
"I'm proud of us. I think our father would have been thrilled to see those hearings and see his children and my dad, you know, who grew up poor so poor he had to wait in food lines, to see his educated children fight back at this board and win. I'm thrilled. It is overwhelming."
The Daisey family plans to build a new home on the property that will sustain the future of their family for years to come.
