LEWES, Del. — The City of Lewes now officially owns the Fourth Street Preserve, a 30-acre forested property in the heart of downtown, after a successful $8 million fundraising campaign led by the Greater Lewes Foundation.
The 30 acres off Fourth Street will remain open space after a successful fundraising campaign.
The land, which was the first property ever deeded in Lewes in 1670, had been at risk of development. Now, thanks to years of work by volunteers and local donors, it will be protected as natural open space. Settlement on the property was completed Monday.
Lewes mayor Amy Marasco looks on as Greater Lewes Foundation chairman Joe Stewart signs the preserve over to the city of Lewes.
Jim Ford, who served as campaign chair with the Greater Lewes Foundation, said the next step is to determine how the land will be preserved and used.
An image of the settlement of the Fourth Street Preserve
“We will come up with a final accepted master plan of the preserve,” Ford said. “Very passive recreational use — some trails, habitat preserve, hopefully some wetland area there. We're going to do a hydrology study initially, that will be our first major step, and also removal of some invasive species.”
The Greater Lewes Foundation will continue to partner with the City of Lewes to guide future planning for the site.
Ford emphasized that the achievement was made possible by widespread community support.
“The community really has made a statement regarding the development within the area and the need to preserve something," Ford said, expressing gratitude. "It's very rewarding to have some positive news, to say that we have been able to achieve this.”
Land which is proposed to be preserved on 4th Street in Lewes.
The forested site lies just blocks from downtown Lewes and contains valuable habitat. Early planning will focus on environmental studies and conservation priorities before any public access features, such as walking trails, are developed.
More fundraising events including the Race for Open Space will take place in 2026.