GEORGETOWN, Del. — The Delaware Family Court marked a milestone Thursday with a time capsule ceremony at the site of its new courthouse in Georgetown, symbolizing both the court’s history and its future.
Family Court Chief Judge Michael K. Newell led the ceremony on Aug. 21, placing the time capsule behind a dated commemorative stone in the new building. The courthouse, located at Race and East Market streets east of the Sussex County Courthouse, is nearing completion, with final interior work scheduled in the coming months.
“We are excited to see this new home for Family Court in Sussex County taking shape, and placing this time capsule is one of the last major architectural milestones on our way to opening this facility later this year,” said Chief Judge Newell.
The time capsule contains key items from Family Court history and the courthouse construction process, including:
The 1971 Delaware Laws book that created the unified Family Court
A 2021 written history of Family Court in Delaware
Commemorative tiles of the current courthouse and from the court’s 50th anniversary
Copies of news articles, official documents related to the project, and annual reports tracking its progress
The program and remarks from the 2022 groundbreaking
Local and state officials, along with members of the Delaware Judiciary, attended the brief event before touring the construction site to view the progress.
Construction began in June 2022 with the goal of replacing the outdated courthouse currently located on the Circle in Georgetown. The new facility is nearly three times larger and is designed with modern security and safety improvements. Features include larger courtrooms, expanded meeting space for litigants and attorneys, secure judge corridors and elevators, and upgraded holding facilities.
The courthouse is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by the end of October. A ribbon cutting is planned once the building is ready to open to the public.