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As Fort DuPont honors the past and shapes the future, we invite you to join our community. This newsletter shares events and updates that connect Delaware City and celebrate our area’s rich history and natural beauty.
History came alive at Fort DuPont on Oct. 18 during Muskets to Machine Guns: A Day of Living History. Visitors explored historic batteries, watched live reenactments, met local vendors and enjoyed a full day of community and discovery.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success.
On Oct. 21, 2025, members of the Friends of Fort DuPont Board of Directors visited The Everett Theatre in Middletown, Delaware, for a hands-on tour and conversation about historic theater operations, programming, and preservation. The visit was the second half of a “swap” relationship that began when the Everett board toured Fort DuPont’s War Department Theater on August 18, 2025.
This two-way exchange is designed to learn from a peer institution with decades of community programming and volunteer leadership, while sharing Fort DuPont’s own progress in adaptive reuse, access improvements, and cultural activation. During the tour, the Friends discussed audience development, rental and rehearsal scheduling, volunteer engagement, capital planning, sound and light upgrades, and preservation-friendly maintenance, all topics directly relevant to bringing the War Department Theater back to vibrant public use.
“Our goal is simple: learn what works, avoid reinventing the wheel, and build a lasting relationship between two Delaware landmarks,” noted Friends board members after the visit. “The Everett’s experience helps us think strategically about phased improvements, sustainable operations, and welcoming audiences of all ages.”
Next steps include continued knowledge-sharing, swapping checklists and SOPs, and exploring co-promotions that connect audiences between Middletown and Delaware City. As Fort DuPont advances its preservation and programming roadmap, this partnership offers a practical blueprint for success grounded in real-world lessons from a fellow historic venue.
Friends of Fort DuPont is pleased to announce Kelli Racca, AIA, as the new Chair of the Board of Directors. Racca is a registered architect and seasoned project leader whose career blends historic preservation, strategic planning, and large-scale community work, a natural fit for the Friends’ mission to preserve, interpret, and activate the Fort DuPont campus for public benefit. As a longtime design and construction professional, she has led preconstruction teams and complex initiatives that center early planning, clear goals, and equitable implementation.
Racca currently serves as Vice President of Preconstruction Services at Bancroft Construction, overseeing projects from initial opportunity through handoff to operations, experience that translates directly to thoughtful stewardship and phased delivery of preservation projects at Fort DuPont. Previously, as Project Executive, she guided both business development and field execution on projects ranging from under $1 million to more than $150 million. Her background also includes leadership roles in public-sector facilities and planning, grounding her board service in both community and campus-scale work.
An AIA member and registered architect in Delaware and Pennsylvania, Racca holds an M.A. in Urban Affairs/Historic Preservation from the University of Delaware and a B.A. in Architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her portfolio spans cultural, educational, and civic projects, experience that will help the Friends connect campus history with contemporary uses and public programming.
Effective immediately, Michael Lutz, who has ably served as Board Chair during a pivotal period, will resume his role as full-time Treasurer. This leadership realignment strengthens the Friends’ capacity in both governance and fiscal management, positioning the organization for upcoming capital, preservation, and program initiatives.
“Kelli’s combination of preservation insight, front-end planning, and delivery at scale is exactly what the Friends need as we advance access, programming, and restoration across the campus,” said the board in welcoming the transition. “And we’re grateful for Michael’s continued stewardship of our financial systems as Treasurer.”
What’s next: Under Racca’s leadership, the Friends will continue building partnerships, activating historic spaces for public use, and advancing inclusive access improvements across Fort DuPont.
The Friends of Fort DuPont is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Fort DuPont’s beauty and history while building a vibrant, community-driven future. We support revitalization through arts, culture, and shared events that connect neighbors and celebrate Delaware City.
From Wilmington take I-95 south to DE Route 1 south toward Dover. Take exit 152 for Delaware City and Route 72. Turn left on Route 72 and follow into Delaware City. Go through the traffic light at Clinton Street and continue over the Branch Canal Bridge. Take your first left, which will put you onto Old Elm Ave and into Fort DuPont. Follow Old Elm Ave along the parade ground (on your right) to the first building on the right, 260 Old Elm Ave.
Fort DuPont is a lifestyle-based community designed around the water and great outdoors.
A place where bicycling, boating, walking, hiking, and birding are the norm and not the exception.