New Castle, DE Summary

In 1682, Quaker leader William Penn landed here after English King Charles II granted him the region that had previously been controlled by Sweden and then Holland.

Located in northern Delaware on the Delaware River, 7 miles south of Wilmington, New Castle served briefly as the capital of Delaware. During the Revolutionary War two signers of the Declaration of Independence — George Read and Thomas McKean — hailed from New Castle.

The town prospered through trade until a fire destroyed its business district in 1824. The arrival of the railroad in 1832 revitalized the town, but in the mid- 1800s the lines were rerouted through Wilmington.

New Castle is noted for its Colonial and Federal architecture. Among its attractions is the 1730s Amstel House, which is now a museum. The Dutch House, built in the late seventeenth century, is thought to be the oldest brick house in the state, and is also now a museum. The Green, on Delaware Street between Third and Market Streets, was laid out in 1655. The New Castle Court House, built in 1732, was occupied by the Colonial Assembly until 1776 — it was here that Delaware adopted its constitution in September 1776.

New Castle can be reached by Route 9 from Wilmington.