In a state that prides itself on the longevity of its elected officials and is home to the only remaining Levy Court in the nation, it seems natural that one of Delaware’s Supreme Court judges soon will be working out of a 260-year-old home built by his family’s colonial patriarch.
After a moderate renovation, Delaware Supreme Court Justice Henry duPont Ridgely will move his chambers to the historic Eden Hill mansion, built in 1749 by the judge’s ancestor, Nicholas Ridgely.
The home and the remainder of its grounds, located just west of downtown Dover, was purchased by the state Department of Transportation in 2004 as part of a plan to build the West Dover Connector, an as-yet unfulfilled project designed to relieve traffic congestion in the area.
Eden Hill’s original occupant also was a prominent jurist and served on the Supreme Court of what was then known as the Three Lower Counties, so named because Delaware still was considered part of Pennsylvania.
Nicholas Ridgely also was chosen by Caesar Rodney to be his guardian after the young patriot was orphaned at age 17.
As a Kent Countian, Justice Ridgely normally would have his chambers in the Supreme Court building on The Green, but when he was appointed in 2004, Chief Justice Myron T. Steele already was occupying the space in the old courthouse.
Since his appointment, Ridgely has rented office space elsewhere in downtown Dover, at a cost to the state of $60,000 per year.
When Ridgely learned Eden Hill was unoccupied, he began exploring the feasibility of rehabbing it for public use.
“I learned that the property was vacant after the state acquired [it] and that there was an opportunity to move my chambers, primarily motivated by saving money for the state and secondarily motivated by an effort to preserve the house,” he said.
The state plans to spend between $350,000 and $450,000 to renovate the first floor of the building to accommodate the justice and his eight-member staff, according to Office of Management and Budget spokeswoman Catherine Kempista.
Initially, the money will come from DelDOT’s budget, but the judiciary will kick in $61,875. A historic preservation fund, set up by previous owners Daniel and Deborah Scheller of Dover will provide an additional $92,000.
Architects plan to add a handicap-accessible bathroom and entrance to the rear of the building, but the design will be incorporated into an existing porch, so as not to alter the scale of the building.
