New Castle, Delaware was founded in 1651 by Petrus (Peter) Stuyvesant under the authority of the Dutch West India Company. Originally named Fort Casimir and later renamed New Amstel, the settlement was established along the navigable Delaware River and quickly became an important commercial seaport with strategic military benefits. After Britain gained control of the port town in 1665, it was renamed New Castle and served as the seat of colonial government until 1777- the town even produced three signers of the Declaration of Independence! Today, you can walk down the cobblestone streets of the historic town and feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
A Historic Walking Tour of New Castle, DE
New Castle has a remarkable collection of colonial-era buildings and you could spend hours walking about admiring the architecture and exploring the museums (thus, this walking tour does not include every historic site in New Castle). This approximately 60-90 minute tour begins at the Amstel House and ends at New Castle Harbor and Battery Park; however, a quick stop at the Visitor’s Center at the Arsenal (30 Market Street and stop #6) is recommended before beginning the tour for a map, information, and tickets (as desired).
Near the Court House Museum on Delaware Street is a very helpful map that shows where the major historic sites are located. This is a great guide to assist in your walking tour and can help you find additional sites you may want to see!
The following tour map gives a recommended route that will take you by 12 historic buildings and sites:
1 – Amstel House
2 – Nicholas Van Dyke House
3 – New Castle Green
4 – New Castle Court House
5 – William Penn Statue
6 – The Arsenal
7 – Immanuel Episcopal Church
8 – New Castle Presbyterian Church
9 – Jessop’s Tavern
10 – William Penn Landing Site
11 – Packet Alley
12 – New Castle Harbor & Battery Park
1 – Amstel House (Museum)
At the corner of 4th and Delaware Streets in New Castle stands Delaware’s first mansion: the brick Georgian-style Amstel House. Although the rear of the building was said to have been built in the 17th century, the house that stands today was built by wealthy Doctor John Finney around 1738. The house was purchased by Nicholas Van Dyke, who fostered an atmosphere of patriotic activity in his house during the American Revolution. Van Dyke would go on to serve as President (Governor) of Delaware from 1783-1786. On April 24, 1784, Ann Van Dyke married Kensey Johns Sr. in the parlor of the house and remarkably, George Washington was in attendance!
As part of a resurgence of historical preservation that took place around the country in the 1920s/30s, the Amstel House was purchased and preserved by local citizens and in 1934, the New Castle Historical Society was founded. This Colonial Revival period also saw the establishment of a Georgian town garden at the Amstel House, designed by landscape architect Charles Gillette. Tour tickets can be purchased at the Arsenal Visitor’s Center; however, even if the house is closed, you can meander through the peaceful gardens (open sunrise to sunset).
Source: http://www.newcastlehistory.org/houses/amstel.html
2 – Nicholas Van Dyke House (Business)
On the corner of Delaware and Third Streets is the Federal-style Nicholas Van Dyke House, which was built around 1820 by then Senator Nicholas Van Dyke Jr. (son of patriot Nicholas Van Dyke who lived in the Amstel House). On October 6, 1824, Senator Van Dyke’s daughter, Dorcas, married a man named Charles I. DuPont at this house. Remarkably, famed Revolutionary War hero and frenchman, the Marquis de Lafayette, was a guest at the wedding and even gave the bride away (Lafayette was traveling throughout the United States on a “farewell” tour). Over the years the house would be privately owned by a number of people (including Delaware Governor Thomas Stockton and Australian director Peter Weir). Today, the historic house is occupied by a business.
3 – New Castle Green
The New Castle Green/Market Plaine was laid out in 1655 by then Dutch Governor, Petrus Stuyvesant. Located at the center of the riverfront town, the Green served as a public forum where townsfolk gathered, exchanged the latest news, and were entertained. The Green often hosted fairs and weekly markets that sold fresh fish, vegetables, and livestock. In the early years, New Castle’s jail and gallows were located on the Green. Today, the New Castle Court House, Arsenal, and other public buildings still stand on the Green.
4 – New Castle Court House (Museum)
The New Castle Court House was built in 1732 and was the meeting place for Delaware’s Colonial Assembly from 1732 to 1777. On June 15, 1776, the assembly gathered in this building voted to not only separate from England, but also from Pennsylvania to create the state of Delaware. After the Revolutionary War, the Court House continued to hold proceedings regularly until 1888 (the most famous series of trials occurred here in 1848, when two prominent abolitionists were tried and fined for violating the Fugitive Slave Act). Today, the New Castle Court House Museum is part of First State National Historical Park, which is made up of seven sites throughout the state of Delaware. For information about tours, check out the Visitor’s Center, which is located in the Arsenal nearby (see below).
Source: https://www.nps.gov/frst/learn/historyculture/new-castle.htm
5 – William Penn Statue
The renowned William Penn (1644 – 1718) first arrived in North America along the banks of the Delaware River nearby. Known as an early champion for democracy and religious freedom, Penn is considered the founder of Pennsylvania and was highly influential in shaping the colony. The William Penn statue that stands on the New Castle Common between Market and 2nd Streets was designed by Delaware artist Charles Parks. The land that the statue stands is on 1,000 acres that was set aside by William Penn in 1701 for the inhabitants of New Castle.
6 -The Arsenal (Visitor’s Center & Museum Store)
The New Castle Arsenal was constructed between 1809 and 1811 after an 1804 legislative act ordered the construction of fortifications, arsenals, and magazines around the country. New Castle’s Arsenal stored cannon, grapeshot, gun powder, carriages, and other military supplies. By the 1820s, the Arsenal’s use faded and it was no longer being used to store military arms and munitions. Over the years the building served as a makeshift hospital, offices, storage, and even as a high school from the mid 1800s until 1930. Today, the Arsenal serves as the Visitor’s Center and Museum Store for historic New Castle and is managed by the New Castle Historical Society. You can buy tickets to tour the Amstel House Museum, the Dutch House, or the Old Library Museum here.
Source: https://nc-chap.org/pdfs/arsenal.pdf
7 – Immanuel Episcopal Church
Immanuel Episcopal Church was founded in 1689 and is one of the oldest Episcopal parishes in the United States. The current church was erected between 1703-1708 and was enlarged in 1822; however, due to a fire in 1980, the interior currently dates from 1982 (it was restored to its 1822 appearance). The church has been a central symbol of New Castle’s history for centuries and its churchyard serves as the final resting place for many town elders and Revolutionary War patriots. Other than the Van Dykes, the most notable burial at Immanuel Episcopal Church is that of George Read, who served as a member of the Continental Congress, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and who served on the convention that framed the U.S. Constitution.
8 – Presbyterian Church & Meeting House
New Castle’s Presbyterian Church has its roots in the year 1657, when New Castle established a Dutch Reformed church. The current brick Presbyterian Meeting House was built in 1707 and its congregation was one of the seven founding churches of the first Presbytery in the United States. In July 1775, the church’s preacher gave a sermon on the town Green to the militia in support of independence. During the American Revolution, congregants of the Presbyterian Meeting House were predominantly patriots, which included Thomas McKean, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The historic Meeting House was restored in the 1950s and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 – Jessop’s Tavern (Restaurant & Bar)
Although Jessop’s Tavern is not an original colonial tavern, it occupies a historic building that was built in 1674! The tavern is named after a New Castle cooper named Abraham Jessop, who lived in the building and operated a barrel-making shop there in 1724. The nearly 350-year-old structure witnessed the American Revolution and New Castle in its prime. Over the years the building has served as a private residence, businesses, and multiple restaurants since the 1950s.
In November 1996, the Day family opened the doors of Jessop’s Tavern, a quaint and authentic colonial restaurant that is a local favorite. Jessop’s offers fantastic food (including Delaware’s best fish and chips), refreshing beer on tap, and friendly service. Relaxing at the bar with a Thomas Jefferson’s tavern ale (they offer multiple colonial-themed beers by Yards Brewing Company) is an experience not to be missed. Out of the many colonial taverns we have visited, Jessop’s is at the top of the list!
Source: https://jessops-tavern.com/
10 – Landing Place of William Penn
On October 27, 1682, William Penn first landed in the New World right here in modern-day New Castle, Delaware (this historical marker is placed near where he landed). Upon arrival, Penn made his way to the fort and “performed livery of seisin,” which is an ancient ceremony for transferring land ownership, often involving the symbolic transfer of items. Penn received a key, some soil with a twig (symbolizing the transfer of the land), and a small bowl of river water. Penn would remained in New Castle for a day or so, then headed North to modern-day Pennsylvania.
11 – Packet Alley
Packet Alley is so named for the packet boats that once traversed the Delaware River from Philadelphia to this location in New Castle (from here travelers would take a stage coach to Frenchtown, Maryland). Looking down this long alley towards the river, one can imagine the famous travelers who walked through this area in the early 1800s. From Andrew Jackson, Davy Crockett, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Stonewall Jackson, and many more, Packet Alley was graced by some of the biggest names of their day.
12 – New Castle Harbor & Battery Park
New Castle Harbor was once filled with ship’s masts, as merchants and naval vessels stopped in the port town for trade and on the way to and from sea. The harbor was also utilized as a winter port for ships from Philadelphia, because the upper Delaware River would freeze and pose a great risk to the wooden ships. In 1794, Delaware began work to erect “ice piers” in the harbor, which were designed to protect anchored ships from free-floating ice (remnants of later ice piers can still be seen at low tide). Nearby Battery Park is so named because it once served as a battery with cannon to protect the town. Today, you can meander the waterfront trail in the park and finish your day relaxing along the beautiful Delaware River.
