Oyster House Park

Spotlight on Seaford Delaware’s Oyster House Park

Located at: 201 S. Cannon Street, Seaford, DE 19973

Photo Credit: City of Seaford

Thanks to a public-private partnership, the former site of the old J.B. Robinson Oyster House on the Nanticoke River in Seaford, Delaware, is now a public park with an expansion of the city’s River Walk. Opened to the public in the summer of 2021, Oyster House Park, 201 South Cannon Street, was made possible through a collaboration between the City of Seaford, Chesapeake Conservancy, the State of Delaware and partners. Through funding from generous donors such as the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, Longwood Foundation, Welfare Foundation, Crystal Trust and The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, this park has been established and Seaford has more changes to come. 

To date, partners stabilized the eroding shoreline, expanded the River Walk and added new fishing nooks for the community. Kayak and boat docks were added to enhance water access to downstream destinations. Make a point to visit and see what this park has to offer.

The Nanticoke

The Nanticoke River watershed is one of the most unspoiled, beautiful and biodiverse tributaries of the Chesapeake and is host to an impressive array of wildlife, waterfowl, native and rare plants and fish that make it the envy of the watershed. Conserving the river corridor and creating public access to the river is a core focus for Chesapeake Conservancy.

The City of Seaford sits at the head of the Nanticoke, and its culture and history are tightly intertwined with the health of the river. Originally home to the Nanticoke Indian Tribe, the region eventually became a significant shipbuilding center and a cornerstone of a major north-south supply line for shucked oysters. In fact, there was a time when it was possible to travel from one side of the river to the other by walking across the oyster barges.

The Power of a Park to Revitalize a Community: The Oyster House Park Project

Much has changed since the days when five oyster house packing plants sat along the river’s edge. Formerly known as the Nylon Capital of the World, Seaford was decimated when the Dupont Company closed its plant resulting in a loss of jobs and local pride.

Oyster House Park is now a vibrant gateway to the Chesapeake Bay that will help drive community revitalization.

Photo Credit: Jody Couser/Chesapeake Conservancy

The Perfect Place to Fall in Love with the Outdoors:

Just downstream from the Oyster House Park, Chesapeake Conservancy has joined with our partners to conserve priority lands to protect and link 19,300 acres of habitat supporting biodiversity, working lands, public access and military readiness along the Nanticoke protected with an array of partners including Mt. Cuba Center. We’re making progress on creating a paddle-in camping trail linking Seaford, DE to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to give Delaware residents and visitors a quintessential experience of the Nanticoke River. Read about the recent event celebrating the new Nanticoke Crossing Park near the Woodland Ferry.