Join us in-person in the library or online for a conversation with Michael Rawl, author of The First Settler of Lewes: A History of the Fourth Street Preserve, and learn about efforts underway to save the historic and environmentally important Fourth Street Preserve.

In 1670, the first officially deeded land in Lewes was granted by the Duke of York to the town's earliest settler, Helmanias Wiltbanck--30 of the original 104 acres of Wiltbanck's beloved preserve remain pristine and undeveloped today, right in the heart of Lewes. Three families owned this land for 312 of the past 355 years. Their tales involve attacks by pirate ships and the British, death and survival during the "fever years" and a prominent but forgotten judge who helped write the original Delaware Constitution and fund its Revolutionary War troops. Local author and preservation leader Michael Rawl will tell these stories and unfold the long history of this piece of the heart of Lewes.

We invite you to support the author by purchasing a copy of their book from Browseabout Books by clicking HERE. Call-in orders are accepted at (302) 226-2665 or you can stop by the store to purchase a copy. For store hours, please visit their website. Each copy purchased comes signed. Books will be available for sale and for signing at the event.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer.

If you need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email us.

Basic written instructions for using Zoom may be found here and a brief video tutorial may be found here. Closed captioning is available for all our sessions. Information on enabling closed captioning in Zoom may be found here.