Historic New Castle

National Historic Landmark District Covering The Colonial And Federal Core Of New Castle On The Delaware River, Delaware'S Capital Until 1777 · New Castle, Delaware

New Castle is a small, lived-in river town a few miles south of Wilmington whose old core has barely changed shape in three centuries. The Dutch built Fort Casimir here in 1651; the Swedes took it, the Dutch took it back, and the English took it in 1664. William Penn first stepped ashore in the New World here in 1682, and the town was the colonial capital of Delaware until 1777. What survives is a grid of brick and cobble streets - The Strand along the river, Delaware Street, Third Street and the Green - lined with Georgian and Federal houses, many still private homes. The Court House of 1732, whose cupola was the center of the curved 12-mile circle border with Pennsylvania, belongs to First State National Historical Park and has its own entry; this is the walk around it. Add Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green, the Amstel House and Dutch House museums, the Read House and Gardens on The Strand, Market Square and Battery Park with its river path. It is quiet, with few restaurants and a handful of B&Bs, and it rewards a slow half day on foot.

Delaware Street and The Strand, New Castle, Delaware, 19720, United States

The town itself never closes: the streets, the Green, Market Square and Battery Park are public and free at any hour, and most people walk them in daylight. What keeps hours is everything you might want to go inside, and that is where days get ruined. The Amstel House and the Dutch House, run by the New Castle Historical Society, open on a limited seasonal schedule, typically only on some weekend days from spring to autumn, and are often shut in winter except for special events; confirm before you plan around them. The Read House and Gardens, run by the Delaware Historical Society, keeps its own seasonal days and may be closed early in the week; confirm. Immanuel Episcopal Church is an active parish: the churchyard is usually walkable, but the interior is open for services and at posted times only. The Court House and Sheriff's House follow First State National Historical Park and state hours, commonly closed Mondays; confirm. The few restaurants in the old town often close one or two weekdays and between lunch and dinner. On Separation Day in June and on house-tour days streets can be closed to cars.

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