When we visited New Castle, Delaware, I had very little expectations. In fact, we only visited to collect another stamp for our National Park Passport. To say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. The town of New Castle is incredibly charming and full of history and culture. In this post, we’ll outline how to spend a day in New Castle.
How to Spend a Day in New Castle
You’ll find that most things in New Castle don’t open until 10 AM, so sleep in and take your time getting ready this morning.
9:15- Snag a parking spot near the New Castle Courthouse. Start your morning off at the Dream Bakery for a delicious croissant, cinnamon roll, or breakfast pastry.
10:00- Tour the Amstel House Museum. When successful physician Dr. John Finney built this home in 1738, it was the largest and most elegant home in New Castle. George Washington and the Marquis de LaFayette attended a wedding here in 1784.
When the home was built, it looked out onto the New Castle Courthouse, which was a sign of Finney’s prestige within the community.
Attorney Nicholas Van Dyke Sr. rented the home from the family during the American Revolution. Van Dyke was a member of the Second Continental Congress, a signer of the Articles of Confederation, and Governor of Delaware. Many of the discussions about the formation of the state of Delaware (and even the United States itself!) happened in this house.
9:45- Visit The Green. This common area was likely used for markets during Colonial times. In 1809, a U.S. arsenal was added. Later in the century, a whipping post and pillory were installed near the courthouse.
10:00- Next, you’ll tour the New Castle Courthouse, constructed in 1732. The courthouse is where Delaware declared their independence from Pennsylvania and Great Britain. It was also the site of the trial that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
11:00- Walk along E. 3rd Street towards the Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green. You’ll pass the Rodney House (16 E. 3rd Street, built in 1831 by US Representative George Brydges Rodney), Wiley House (built in 1798 by lawyer John Wiley), Dutch House, and the Gas Lamp (the last original gas lamp).
11:15- Your next stop is the Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green, the oldest Anglican parish in Delaware. The church was been operating continuously since 1689.
The church suffered a fire in 1980 as a result of a nearby marsh fire. All that remained were the church’s masonry walls. The current structure is similar to the church that stood here in 1820.
If the church is unlocked, you are welcome to walk in.
Take time to visit the grave sites of parishioners from the 17th to 21st centuries. Several are from the Revolutionary War and were signers of the Declaration of Independence.
11:45- Stop by the New Castle Historical Society to learn more about the history of this colonial town. They offer a short (less than 10 minutes) video that summarizes the importance of New Castle and its role in our nation’s independence.
Walk down the cobblestoned Market Street. You’ll pass by a statue of the influential Quaker, William Penn. Penn was a writer, religious thinker, and the founder of Pennsylvania.
12:30- Make your way back to Delaware Street and enjoy a delicious lunch at Jessop’s Tavern & Colonial Restaurant. The pub dates back circa 1724 and is known for its servers doting period costumes.
1:30- Pass by William Penn’s 1682 landing spot and head up The Strand to Packet Alley. This alleyway was an important route for Northern and Southern states to communicate and was a hub for international trade. Many of history’s most famous figures (such as Henry Clay, Davy Crockett, Andrew Jackson, Lord Ashburton, Louis Napoleon, Chief Osceola, and Chief Black Hawk) stopped here en route to other destinations such as Washington DC, and Baltimore.
Snap a selfie in front of the giant Ivory Soap mural.
2:00- Next, tour the Read House. The home was built in 1804 for George Read II, son of one of Delaware’s signers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The 14,000-square-foot home is a National Landmark and is one of the best examples of domestic architecture from Philadelphia’s Federal Period. At the time of construction, it was the largest home in Delaware.
The home boasts an impressive garden that was laid out in the late 1840s by the home’s third owner, William Couper.
3:30- Slowly make your way from the Read House, up The Strand, and turn left on Harmony Street. Walk down Market Street or E. 3rd Street and admire the colonial architecture as you make your way back to your vehicle.
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See how we squeezed in a visit to New Castle on a trip that hit up 3 states in one day! Learn more about the New Castle Court House and see all of the other cool places we visited on our Mason-Dixon Road Trip! See our full itinerary here.
