New Castle Revisited

By Michael Connolly

Since its founding in 1651 on the western shore of the Delaware River, New Castle and its residents have shared in the making of American history. Known as the first capital of the first state, this charming town watched European powers clash over its control; welcomed William Penn when he first set foot on American soil; participated in the drama of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War; and reaped the benefits of new technologies like the railroad, steam engine, and aviation. Eventually, trade and commerce moved elsewhere, leaving New Castle preserved and intact. Today, the people of New Castle take great pride in their community s heritage and enjoy sharing the story of this National Historic Landmark District with others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Oct 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781439648049

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INTRODUCTION

New Castle was settled in 1651 as a military outpost on the western shore of the Delaware River. The Dutch constructed Fort Casimir here to reestablish their claim to the land that today comprises the states of Delaware and New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. Their claim to that land was threatened when New Sweden was established with Fort Cristina at Wilmington.

Fort Casimir, and the community that soon began to grow around it, changed hands several times over the next two decades, as the Dutch, the Swedes, and eventually, the English struggled for control of this region. As the nations in control of this area changed, so did the name of the fort and the community—from the Dutch Fort Casimir, to the Swedish Fort Trefaldighet (Trinity), to the Dutch New Amstel, and finally, to the English New Castle.

In 1682, a new proprietor arrived in New Castle to claim lands granted to him by King Charles II. Since New Castle was the first major port on the Delaware River, William Penn first set foot on North American soil here when he arrived to claim what would eventually become Pennsylvania and Delaware. But, from the time of his arrival until June 1776, Penn’s lands comprised a single colony, with its three southernmost counties—New Castle, Kent, and Sussex—referred to as the Three Lower Counties on Delaware.

Penn and his heirs were largely responsible for establishing the boundaries of present-day Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. New Castle figured prominently in establishing Delaware’s northern boundary in particular, which was surveyed by establishing a 12-mile arc from New Castle, the site of the governing assembly of the Three Lower Counties.

On June 15, 1776, the Delaware assembly, meeting at the New Castle Court House, declared its independence from England and the Penn family. The State of Delaware continues to celebrate its birthday, called Separation Day, annually on the second Saturday in June in New Castle. A long-standing tradition, the Separation Day celebration includes a parade, a festival, concerts, and fireworks.

As the seat of government and the courts, as well as a port, New Castle was an important town through the early 19th century. During the revolutionary and early national periods, many of Delaware’s political leaders lived and worked here, including Thomas McKean, George Read, Nicholas Van Dyke, Gunning Bedford, Kensey Johns, Caleb Bennett, and Thomas Stockton.

The town also prospered as a hub of transportation, catering to travelers and trade moving along the north-south corridor of the East Coast and relying on the Delaware River for access to Philadelphia and the Atlantic Ocean. Businesses like taverns, hotels, and stagecoach lines prospered as Americans became increasingly mobile.

As Philadelphia and Wilmington outgrew New Castle, the small town struggled to find economic opportunities. Capitalizing on New Castle’s location, the New Castle & Frenchtown Railroad opened in 1831 to replace the stagecoaches that traveled the turnpike between New Castle and the Elk River in Maryland. The prosperity from the railroad was short-lived, however. New Castle was soon bypassed by a competing railroad that provided an all-land route between Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Although the town remained the county seat and the site of the courts, New Castle turned toward manufacturing for its next big opportunity. In the second half of the 19th century, a number of new industrial ventures were established in New Castle, including a locomotive factory, textile mills, and steel plants. Because of these new industrial opportunities, New Castle’s population grew, fueled primarily by immigrants seeking employment in the manufactories.

In 1881, New Castle lost the title of county seat to Wilmington, and the courts, the jail, and jobs quickly followed. Industry continued to provide employment for New Castle residents during the first half of the 20th century, and New Castle added an important new factory, the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation. In 1925, automobile ferry service began between New Castle and Pennsville, New Jersey. This brought thousands of travelers through New Castle each week, and once again brought opportunity for the New Castilians to provide travel services like food and lodging. With all these people passing through, New Castle became known for its history and architecture, and a new opportunity developed: tourism.

Beginning in 1924, New Castle began to capitalize on its history by offering house and garden tours. In 1929, its first historic house museum opened, and historic preservation was soon being touted as an integral part of New Castle’s future. Plans were even considered to turn New Castle into a Colonial Williamsburg–like mecca celebrating the early years of the United States. Preservation efforts continued and expanded in the 1960s with the designation of the town as a National Historic Landmark District. New Castle enacted ordinances to insure its architectural treasures were protected and established an architectural review process.

Throughout all these changes, small local businesses—groceries, barbershops, appliance stores, clothiers, and confectioneries—provided for the basic needs of New Castle’s residents. These independent shops were sprinkled throughout New Castle’s distinct neighborhoods. Many were so well known and loved that the proprietors and their products are still discussed regularly today.

But, once again, changes in technology and lifestyle intervened. The construction of the Delaware Memorial Bridge ended the reign of the New Castle ferries, and traffic through New Castle disappeared. People increasingly commuted out of New Castle to work and stopped at convenient shopping centers on their way home. As they always have, external forces pressured New Castle into change, and they forced many local service providers out of business, not to be replaced.

Today, New Castle is often described as a bedroom community. It is primarily a residential area with a few businesses and restaurants located along the town’s main street, Delaware Street. There are now several museums in the community committed to preserving the town’s history: the Amstel House and Gardens, the Dutch House and Gardens, the Read House and Gardens, and the New Castle Court House Museum. The town is also the home of the First State National Monument, which tells Delaware’s