Auburn Heights Preserve
| Auburn Heights Preserve | |
|---|---|
| Delaware State Park | |
 Israel Marshall's Home, Auburn Heights | |
| Named for: Auburn Heights Mansion | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Delaware |
| County | New Castle |
| Location | |
| - coordinates | 39°48′33″N 75°40′47″W / 39.80917°N 75.67972°WCoordinates: 39°48′33″N 75°40′47″W / 39.80917°N 75.67972°W |
| Area | 300 acres (121 ha) |
| Managed by | Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control |
  Location of Auburn Heights Preserve in Delaware | |
| Website : Auburn Heights Preserve | |
Auburn Heights Preserve is a state park, located in Yorklyn, Delaware. The park preserves the former home and estate of the Marshall family as well as portions of the family's mills alongside the Red Clay Creek and additional land purchased by the state to preserve the park's rural character.[1] The park also features what the state bills as the largest collection of operational steam cars in the world, and a miniature coal-powered train that runs on tracks encircling the estate. The home and estate were donated to Delaware by Thomas Marshall in 2008, while the car collection is owned by the Friends of Auburn Heights Preserve, who operate the park in partnership with the state. The park also includes several miles of trails open to walking, biking, and antique cars.
The mansion, mills, and steam museum were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as the Auburn Mills Historic District.
Auburn Heights Mansion
The Auburn Heights Mansion was built in 1897 by Israel Marshall, the descendant of a family of local farmers that immigrated to the United States in the seventeenth century. In 1890, Marshall and his brother purchased the nearby mills. The home was built in a Victorian style, and is situated on a large hill so that it overlooks the mill complex, and the town of Yorklyn, below. The fully furnished home was donated to the state in 2008 by Tom Marshall, the grandson of Israel Marshall, and tours are given in which visitors can learn about the family as well as the industrial history of the region.
Marshall Steam Museum
T. Clarence Marshall, the youngest son of Israel Marshall and the father of Thomas Marshall, was fascinated by the steam power that operated the family's mills. He became a licensed dealer for Stanley Motor Carriage Company and began acquiring a personal collection of steam automobiles. The collection was first opened to the public in the 1970s.[2] The collection is housed in the Auburn Heights carriage house, where a team of volunteers maintains the vehicles so that they remain fully operational. Included in the collection are 15 Stanley cars and several steam and electric cars from other manufacturers. The Museum's collection also includes a 1/8-size steam locomotive that runs on tracks around the estate called the Auburn Valley Railroad.
Visitors are able to view the collection, and on certain days rides on the cars and trains are offered to the general public. The park has a field trip program in which visiting students can learn about the history of transportation technology and steam power.[3]
References
- ↑ "At Delaware estate, Stanley Steamer automobiles rolling along". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ↑ "Marshall Steam Museum at Auburn Heights Preserve". Delaware Beautiful. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ↑ "A Teachers Guide to Delaware State Parks". Delaware State Parks. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
External links
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