New Castle on the Delaware Compiled by the DELAWARE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION Sponsored and Published by the NEW CASTLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Copyright, 1936, by Workers of the Federal Writers· Project, of the Work Progress Administration in Delaware. Photog,-aph by W. Lincoln Highton OLD ACADEMY ON THE GREEN rr••••• I expect your next letter will be replete with domestic news, and that you will again go over the history of New Castle, leaving out neither widow, maid or wife, births, deaths or marriages; whether G. R. (George Read, the younger) has got into his elevated house, as the last I heard respecting him he and his carpenters were at law together,· how the hotels, inns, wharfs and shop-keepers come on. I should like to know something of American fashions. The style in which you dress, as I can imagine it differs a good deal from the English; if you have good wigs and handsome ones. George, I am told, wears a black wig wrt. h out powd er ....." -Letter of Elizabeth Clay Lees, written at Liverpool, England, March 25, 1804, to her sister, Ann Clay Booth, wife of Judge James Booth, the elder, at New Castle. New Castle on the Delaware 1651 - 1936 Foreword "I had no idea that so charming a spot was to be found in North America." This 1lattering tribute was inscribed in October 1936, in the Visitors' Book of Immanuel Church at New Castle by a lady from Kent in Old England. That ·some of the background and some of the atmosphere of New Castle might be more generally known is the aim and the object of this book. History, and especially local history, is not a dead and useless interest. Present day life is but the reincarnation of the lives and trials of our fathers framed in the new setting of modern conditions. As we know the efforts, the successes and even the f allures of our fathers and the difficulties with which they struggled, so we more confidently meet those same problems in their new and modem garb. The search for the hidden bits of history is an interesting, if somewhat elusive quest. It is more difficult in Delaware because of the lack of intelli­ gent interest in the past and the inexcusable destruction of many sources of information. As the search is difficult so, and in an ever increasing ratio, is a successful discovery most satisfying. That country of the Old World or that locality of the New World which has exercised the greatest care in the intelligent preservation of the traditions and life of its former generations is today the place of greatest interest. Such is the real object of this book. Just why New Castle may be deemed worthy of having its former life and traditions perpetuated must appear in the pages which follow. We leave to the discriminating and, we hope, kindly reader the pleasant duty of determining, each for himseif, those items which he may think worthy of preservation. To us it has seemed that a town which for over 280 years has occupied an important and a unique position must have much of interest even to those so unfortunate as not to live within its limits. An existence of one hundred and twenty-five years as Colo­ nial capital and two hundred and thirty years as seat of county government could not fail to carry in its wake a Rood of memories, traditions and inci­ dents which should not entirely be lost. When we realize that the geograph­ ical position of New Castle was such that in the first half of the 19th century almost every traveler from north and south passed within its borders, then we recognize that almost every important national figure has contributed to our local scene. When to these we add the stalwart Colonial .figures who here made history, then our faltering inclination to preserve some memorial of their presence becomes almost a bounden duty. The pleasant privilege of compiling the incidents worthy of preservation has fall en upon the Delaware Federal Writers' Project, which is also compiling the Delaware State Guide. This organization has been untiring in its efforts to ferret out the items of especial interest, and remarkable in its keen and intelligent use of material. An outstanding feature of the work has been the meticulous care with which each historical note has been verified and the steps that have been taken to make every tradition fit with obvious facts. It would be a pleasure to list here the name of each n1ernber of the project who has contributed to this book. This has been denied me but I cannot be deprived of_ the privilege of testifying to their most excellent services under the tireless supervision of the local director. Without her ability and zeal the work could not have been done. To the research for and recording of historical data there has been added visual pleasure by the inclusion of many excellent views of the town. The lives of our fathers are but imperfectly shown by the mere recital of events. True history includes all those things that surrounded the living actors and became a part of their being. This is particularly true of the houses in which they lived. On these houses the builders placed the indelible stamp of their ow~ personalities and in them the master masons and master carpenters have shown the finest examples of the builders' craft. In the pages which follow we have tried, in connection with the pictures themselves, to give some account of the details of the buildings where such a course has been possible. It is a pleasure to have a part in a systematic undertaking which will preserve for all time the physical appearance of many of the buildings. In the flux of time many of these will dis~ppear but future generations will know them as we do today. It would be a happy circumstance had we, today, like­ nesses of many of the buildings that are now gone. For the titreless efforts of the staff of the Delaware Federal Writers' Project and for the assistance given by many unconnected -with that or­ ganization, we give our healtfelt thanks; for the few errors which must neces­ sarily have insinuated themselves despite the most painstaking efforts, we crave sympathetic indulgence. In the pleasure and appreciation of the reader, which we confidently anticipate, we will derive that satisfaction which inev­ itably flows from a sharing with others of interesting knowledge and f ram a visible presentation of the beautiful things of a long gone era. Amstel House, the home of the New Castle Historical Society, the sponsor of this book, is an excellent example of the builders' art of two hundred years ago. It has been saved in recent years from the devastating touc...li. of the mocrern despoiler and now houses a museum containing many articles of a period contemporaneous with itself. The happy circumstance of my official connection with the sponsor gives me the appreciated honor, in the name of the society, of writing this foreword. RICHARD S. RODNEY P1·esident of New Castle Historical Society. Contents TOWN IN GENERAL. 16 Information for Tourists. 16 New Castle Today. 19 THE STORY OF NEW CASTLE. 23 Dutch Beginnings . 23 Swedish Rule ......................................... 25 Recapture by the Dutch. 26 Duke of York's Rule. 31 Province of William Penn . 34 Colonial Capital . 37 Boundaries . 38 The Revolution . .. 41 Subsequent History . 42 New Castle in Literature . 45 New Castle Publishers. 46 Govemment . 46 Trustees of the Common . ~ . 47 Trustees of the Market Square ............................ 49 New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad ...................... 49 THE WORK OF THE BUILDERS. 57 POINTS OF INTEREST . _- . 61 THE GREEN . 61 Old Court House . 61 Old Sheriff, s House . 63 OJ~ Town Hall . 64 Old Presbyterian Church . 64 0 Id Arsenal . 66 New Castle and Frenchtown Monument............. 67 Immanuel Church . 67 Old Academy . 69 ALONG THIRD STREET. • . • . • . • • . • • • • • . 71 Old Dutch House. 71 Gemmill House . 71 Rodney House . 72 Kensey Johns House. 72 ALONG DELAWARE STREET. • . • . • • . • . • . 74 Kensey Johns Jr. House. 74 Amstel House . 7 4 Senator Van Dyke House. 78 Kensey J. Van Dyke House. 79 Contents (Continued) Booth House . 79 0 Gilpin House" . 81 William Penn House . 81 ,cDela-ware House'' . .. .. 82 Cloud's Row . 82 Colby House . 82 THE STRAND • • . • . • • • . • . • • • • • • . • . • • • .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 8 3 Van Leuvenigh House. 8 3 The Battery . • 84 Site of New Castle and Frenchtown Terminal. 84 0 Id Jefferson Hotel . 84 Old Farmers' Bank (Janvier House). 85 Gunning Bedford House. 85 McIntire House . 86 Row built after fire of 1824. 87 Presbyterian Manse . 87 Pack:et Alley . .. • . • . 87 Old Stage Tavern . 88 Survivors of the fire of 1824. • . • . 88 George Read House ..........................••..•.••...• 89 Site of the Tile House. .. 94 Immanuel Parish House (Thomas House) .................. 94 Site of · 'The Cave'' Tavern. 95 HERE AND THERE. ..