A methodological approach to preserving Delaware's small town suburban landscapes

Sheppard, Rebecca J.The Delaware landscape is undoubtedly comprised of building patterns and spatial organizational forms from the recent past. Yet despite the significant presence of post-World War II architecture on the landscape, these structures have not been recognized through policy boundary decisions. The current National Register of Historic Places historic districts automatically exclude this recent past based on their dates when the nomination was written. This thesis draws upon a visual analysis of historic maps and aerial photography for a sample of small towns in Delaware to propose a more cohesive methodology for looking at the landscape as a vernacular form in order to better understand where and how towns grew. The towns included in this study are Bridgeville, Camden, Delaware City, Georgetown, Milford and New Castle. By identifying historic resources and spatial land use patterns, specifically suburban and decentralization patterns from the recent past, this methodology encourages interpretation of these patterns on the landscape of Delaware’s small towns and reinforces the importance of including these resources in historic districts.University of Delaware, Department of Urban Affairs & Public PolicyM.A