General Management Plan

Hampton National Historic Site is developing a new General Management Plan, which will guide the development and interpretation of the park for the next ten to fifteen years. After years of planning, the park is finally in the home stretch of completing the GMP. It is anticipated that there will be a final public comment period in the fall of 2008 before the document is finalized.

Planning History 

The June 1998 Newsletter is a good place to start learning about the Planning process. It describes the need for a general management plan, and the steps involved in implementing it. To see the newsletter click here.

The first public meetings were held in the fall of 1998. The Park Service has written a report of the meetings, including a summary of the public's response. To see the results of the first public meetings click here.

Another round of public meetings was held in April 1999. The second newsletter was published and mailed in June 1999, incorporating more public comment. To see that newsletter, click here.

The Third Newsletter was published and mailed in September 1999. To see the Third Newsletter click here.

After the September 1999 newsletter, another public meeting was held in October 1999. Additional public input was gathered.

After 2000, due to a number of personal changes and unresolved questions about potential development, the plan was put on hold for some time.

In the summer of 2006, the Northeast Regional Director of the NPS provided guidance that got the plan moving again. The planning alternatives were re-packaged with input from park staff and community partners including Historic Hampton, Inc. During 2006/2007, the park also produced a Business Plan (pdf) jointly with its sister park--Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

A community open house was held in March 2008 to check in with the public about the draft alternatives and to ensure public support for suggested strategies.

This feedback was incorporated in a final draft General Management Plan which is now moving through internal NPS review. This document should be released to the public for comment in the fall of 2008.

The General Management Plan Project Team consists of:

Fort McHenry NM&HS and Hampton NHS

• Paul Bitzel, Chief of Resource Management
• Laurie Coughlan, Management Assistant
• William Curtis, Park Ranger
• Lynne Hastings, Curator (retired)
• Jack Harthousen Sr, Mason Supervisor (retired)
• Greg McGuire Facilities Manager
• Kirby Shedlowski, Park Ranger
• Vince Vaise, Chief of Interpretation
• Gay Vietzke, Superintendent

Northeast Regional Office, NPS

• Michelle Batcheller, Natural Resources Specialist
• Allen Cooper, Archeologist
• M. Shaun Eyring, Cultural Landscape Architect
• James Farrell, Graphics
• Deirdre Gibson, Chief of Resource Management, Valley Forge NHP
• Kathy DiLonardo, Chief, Interpretive Planning (retired)
• Terry Moore, Manager, Park Planning Program
• Peter Iris-Williams, Park Planner

Historic Hampton, Inc.

• Robert Brown, President
• Rhoda Dorsey, PhD, Past President
• Marilyn Warshawsky, Past President