Control battle brews over Washington Crossing Park
A 250-word section slipped into a Pennsylvania budget bill that passed this summer is triggering a firefight over who will control a sprawling park that includes the site where Gen. George Washington’s army crossed the Delaware River in 1776.
The provision calls for two state agencies to reach an agreement on how to manage Washington Crossing Historic Park, six months after a new visitor center opened.
The legislation is drawing objections from a group of volunteers that has raised money and manpower to keep the park going.
A state lawmaker who pushed for the measure says the park is being mismanaged. He cites poor yard maintenance, poison ivy patches, inconsistent tour hours and duplication of effort between the Historical and Museum Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.