Explore 31 historic sites across Delaware’s three counties. Click any site to learn more.
New Castle County
African Union Church and Cemetery (of Iron Hill and Museum Complex)
Newark, New Castle County
The Iron Hill African Union Church, located at 1578 Whittaker Road in Newark, is connected to the African Union Methodist Protestant Church, which is recognized as the first independent Black Methodist denomination established in the United States. The church at Iron Hill served an African American farming community that developed in the area during the antebellum period, composed largely of free Black families. The church and adjacent cemetery served as the spiritual and communal center of the Iron Hill community. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site
Newark, New Castle County
Cooch’s Bridge, located north of Newark near Route 896, is the site of the only Revolutionary War battle fought on Delaware soil. On September 3, 1777, American forces under General William Maxwell engaged British and Hessian troops advancing toward Philadelphia. The engagement ended in a British victory, and American forces withdrew northward toward the Brandywine. The site is a National Historic Landmark. The surrounding area, including the historic bridge and adjacent farmland, preserves much of the original battlefield landscape.
Corbit-Sharp House
Odessa, New Castle County
The Corbit-Sharp House, located on the corner of Main and Second Streets in Odessa, Delaware, is a National Historic Landmark recognized as one of the finest surviving examples of Delaware Valley Quaker domestic architecture. The house was built between 1772 and 1774 for William Corbit, a prosperous tanner. The Georgian-style brick structure is notable for its well-preserved period furnishings, many of which are original to the house. The property is administered by the Historic Odessa Foundation and is open for guided tours.
Eleutherian Mills
Wilmington, New Castle County
Eleutherian Mills is the original gunpowder manufacturing site established by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont along the Brandywine Creek north of Wilmington in 1802. The mill gave rise to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, which grew into one of the largest industrial corporations in American history. The property includes the original 1803 residence, formal gardens, millwright’s house, and surviving mill structures. It is now part of the Hagley Museum and Library, which preserves the history of early American industry and the du Pont family, and is open to the public.
Fort Christina
Wilmington, New Castle County
Fort Christina, located in Fort Christina State Park at East 7th Street and the Christina River in Wilmington, marks the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. Swedish colonists established the fort in March 1638 under the leadership of Peter Minuit, naming it after Queen Christina of Sweden. The site features the Rocks, the original landing point of the Swedish colonists, and a monument donated by Sweden in 1938 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the settlement. Fort Christina is a National Historic Landmark administered by the Delaware Division of State Parks.
Hale-Byrnes House
Newark, New Castle County
The Hale-Byrnes House, located at the corner of Delaware Routes 7 and 4 in Stanton, is a National Historic Landmark associated with the American Revolutionary War. General George Washington used the house as his headquarters on September 8 and 9, 1777, while planning the defense of Philadelphia prior to the Battle of Brandywine. The house was built in the mid-18th century and is named for two of its historical owners. The property is owned and managed by the Hale-Byrnes House Association and is open to the public.
Howard High School
Wilmington, New Castle County
Howard High School, located at 13th and Poplar Streets in Wilmington, was the only public high school in Delaware open to African American students for several decades during the period of legally mandated racial segregation. The school opened in 1929 and was named for General Oliver Otis Howard, founder of Howard University. Notable alumni include musician Cab Calloway, attorney Louis Redding, and musician Chick Webb. The school was a central subject in Gebhart v. Belton, a Delaware case that contributed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Howard High School is a National Historic Landmark and is included in the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.
New Castle Court House
New Castle, New Castle County
The New Castle Court House Museum, located in the historic City of New Castle, Delaware, is one of the oldest surviving courthouses in the United States and a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1732 over the remains of an earlier 1680s courthouse, the building served as Delaware’s first court and state capitol, with additions and modifications made throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1776, representatives from New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties met here and declared independence from Pennsylvania and Great Britain, creating the Delaware State. The building also served as the meeting place for the colonial and early state legislature, where Delaware’s first constitution was adopted later that year. The state capital moved to Dover in 1777, though the courthouse continued to host judicial proceedings for many years and remains a historic site open to the public.
New Castle Historic District
New Castle, New Castle County
The New Castle Historic District encompasses the colonial-era core of New Castle, one of the oldest municipalities in the United States. The town was founded in 1651 by Peter Stuyvesant of the Dutch West India Company and subsequently came under Swedish, then English control. The district includes buildings dating from the 17th through 19th centuries, centered on the historic Green and Battery Park along the Delaware River. New Castle served as Delaware’s colonial capital until the seat of government moved to Dover in 1777. The New Castle Historical Society maintains several historic properties within the district.
Old College Historic District
Newark, New Castle County
The Old College Historic District on the University of Delaware campus in Newark includes several 19th-century academic buildings, among them Old College Hall, completed in 1834, which is the oldest building on campus. The university traces its origins to a small classical academy established in 1743. The historic buildings in the district represent the institutional development from a small colonial-era academy to a major public research university. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and carries a State of Delaware historical marker.
Scott A.M.E. Zion Church
Wilmington, New Castle County
Scott A.M.E. Zion Church, located at 629 East 7th Street in Wilmington, is one of the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregations in Delaware. The church served as an important religious and community institution for the African American population of Wilmington throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The AME Zion denomination was founded in New York City in 1796 and was among the earliest independent Black church organizations in the United States. The building is recognized by the Delaware historical marker program for its role in the religious and social history of Wilmington.
Kent County
Barratt’s Chapel
Frederica, Kent County
Barratt’s Chapel, located north of Frederica in Kent County, is known as the Cradle of Methodism in America. The brick chapel was built in 1780 and is the oldest surviving Methodist church in the United States constructed specifically for that denomination. On November 14, 1784, Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke met here and made plans for the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. The chapel also hosted the first Methodist sacramental service in America, conducted by Freeborn Garrettson. Barratt’s Chapel is a National Historic Landmark and is administered by the Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Belmont Hall
Smyrna, Kent County
Belmont Hall is a Georgian manor house built around 1773, located south of Smyrna along U.S. Route 13. The two-and-a-half-story brick structure was built for Thomas Collins, who later served as President of Delaware from 1786 to 1789. The house is considered one of the best-preserved examples of late colonial Georgian domestic architecture in the state. Belmont Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and carries a Delaware historical marker.
Brecknock
Camden, Kent County
Brecknock is a historic plantation property located north of Camden in Kent County, Delaware. The name reflects the Welsh heritage common among early European settlers in the region. The property was used as a farm and plantation during the 18th and 19th centuries and is documented with a Delaware historical marker. Today the site operates as Brecknock County Park under Kent County management, preserving the historic structures alongside recreational facilities.
John Dickinson House (Poplar Hall)
Dover, Kent County
The John Dickinson Plantation, located southeast of Dover on Kitts Hummock Road, was the home of John Dickinson, a Founding Father of the United States known as the Penman of the Revolution. Dickinson authored the Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania between 1767 and 1768, which argued against British taxation without representation, and played a major role in drafting the Articles of Confederation. The plantation includes the original 18th-century farmhouse, restored outbuildings, and interpreted slave quarters. The site is administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and is open to visitors.
Loockerman Hall
Dover, Kent County
Loockerman Hall is one of the earliest buildings on the campus of Delaware State University in Dover. The building was completed in 1916 and served as the central administration and academic facility for the institution. Delaware State University was founded in 1891 as the State College for Colored Students under the Second Morrill Act, which required states to provide land-grant higher education to Black students. The hall is named after a prominent Colonial-era Delaware family and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Old State House
Dover, Kent County
The Delaware Old State House, located on The Green in Dover, is one of the oldest continuously used statehouses in the United States, dating to 1791. Delaware ratified the U.S. Constitution near this site on December 7, 1787, earning the state its designation as The First State. The Federal-style building served as Delaware’s seat of government until 1933. The Green has been the center of civic life in Dover since the town’s founding in 1683. The building is administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.
Parson Thorne Mansion
Milford, Kent County
The Parson Thorne Mansion is an 18th-century Georgian-style house located at 501 N.W. Front Street in Milford, Delaware. The mansion was built in the mid-18th century by Jonathan Thorne, a Methodist minister, and is one of the finest surviving examples of 18th-century domestic architecture in Delaware. The property sits along the Mispillion River and has been preserved for its architectural significance. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a contributing structure within the Milford Historic District.
Star Hill AME Church
Dover, Kent County
Star Hill AME Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal congregation located southeast of Camden on Route 366 in Kent County. The congregation has roots in the early 19th century, when free Black Delawareans organized independent religious communities. The church served as a spiritual and community center for the African American population of rural Kent County and is part of the broader history of the AME denomination in Delaware. The site is preserved as a museum and recognized historic landmark.
Vincelette Futuro House
Houston, Kent County
The Vincelette Futuro House in Houston, Delaware is one of approximately 60 to 100 surviving examples of the Futuro design worldwide. The Futuro was created by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen and manufactured between 1968 and 1978 as a prefabricated plastic structure originally intended as an easily transportable ski cabin. The UFO-shaped pod design became an internationally recognized example of experimental 1960s modernist architecture. The National Park Service recognizes the Houston example for its significance as a rare surviving specimen of mid-century prefabricated design.
Woodburn: The Governor’s House
Dover, Kent County
Woodburn is the official residence of the Governor of Delaware, located on Kings Highway in Dover. The Georgian-style brick house was built in the 1790s and is among the oldest continuously occupied governor’s residences in the United States. The Delaware General Assembly designated Woodburn as the official executive residence in 1966. The house features Federal-period architecture and period-appropriate furnishings, and is open for public tours. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sussex County
Camp Rehoboth Community Center
Rehoboth Beach, Sussex County
Camp Rehoboth is a community center and nonprofit organization founded in 1991 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Established by Murray Archibald and Steve Elkins, the organization was created to build bridges between the LGBTQ community and year-round residents along the Delaware shore. Over more than three decades, Camp Rehoboth grew from a small volunteer effort into a large organization offering health services, community programs, arts and cultural events, and advocacy. It is one of the longest-operating LGBTQ community centers in the mid-Atlantic region and is recognized as a significant institution in Delaware’s cultural history.
Delaware Breakwater & Lewes Harbor
Lewes, Sussex County
The Delaware Breakwater, located at the entrance to Lewes Harbor near Cape Henlopen, is a federally constructed stone breakwater completed in 1839. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the structure to provide a harbor of refuge for vessels navigating the Delaware Bay, where storms and shoals posed constant hazards. A second structure, the Harbor of Refuge Breakwater, was completed in 1901 to further protect the anchorage. The Delaware Breakwater East End Light, built in 1885, marks the outer end of the original breakwater. The site is recognized for its significance to maritime history and commerce along the Delaware Bay.
Fenwick Island Lighthouse Station
Fenwick Island, Sussex County
The Fenwick Island Lighthouse, located off Delaware Route 54 on Fenwick Island, was constructed in 1858 to mark the Fenwick Island Shoal and aid vessels entering the Isle of Wight Bay. The lighthouse stands 87 feet tall and is built of white-painted brick in a conical tower form. It was decommissioned in 1978 and replaced by an automated light. The lighthouse stands near the Transpeninsular Line marker, which historically defined the boundary between colonial Maryland and Pennsylvania, and later Delaware. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained by the Friends of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse.
Governor Ross Mansion
Seaford, Sussex County
The Governor William H. Ross Mansion is a 19th-century mansion located north of Seaford on Market Street in Sussex County. William Henry Ross served as the 20th Governor of Delaware from 1851 to 1855. The house reflects the domestic architecture of prosperous mid-19th-century Delaware and the social history of the Seaford region. The property is maintained by the Seaford Historical Society, which makes it available for tours as part of the organization’s local preservation efforts.
Johnson School – Nanticoke Community Center
Millsboro, Sussex County
The Johnson School, located on Route 24 between County Roads 309 and 310 near Millsboro, served as a school for the Nanticoke Indian community of southern Delaware. The Nanticoke people have inhabited the Delmarva Peninsula for thousands of years and maintained organized communities in Delaware through the colonial and post-colonial periods. Today, the Nanticoke Indian Center is a focal point for the community and serves as the Tribal Office, and is utilized for the Nanticoke Indian Association, Inc.’s monthly meetings.
Lewes Historic District
Lewes, Sussex County
The Lewes Historic District encompasses the historic core of Lewes, Delaware’s oldest municipality. Dutch settlers from the Zwaanendael Colony made one of the earliest European settlement attempts near the site in 1631, and English colonists established the town of Lewes in 1659 as a port on the Delaware Bay. The district includes a range of residential, civic, and commercial buildings reflecting the town’s development from the colonial period through the 19th and 20th centuries. It remains the historic and cultural center of the community.
Old Christ Church
Laurel, Sussex County
Old Christ Church, located southeast of Laurel at the junction of State Routes 465 and 465A, is an early Episcopal church in Sussex County. The church building dates to approximately 1771 and served the rural Anglican community of the Nanticoke River region. It is one of the oldest surviving church structures in Sussex County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation is associated with St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, which maintains the historic structure.
Phillips Potato House
Laurel, Sussex County
The Phillips Potato House, located southwest of the junction of Delaware Routes 492 and 492A near Laurel, is a historic agricultural storage building associated with the sweet potato industry of southern Delaware. The structure is one of the few remaining examples of a traditional potato house, a building type designed to cure and store sweet potatoes through winter months. Such structures were common across the Delmarva Peninsula during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when sweet potato farming was a significant part of the regional agricultural economy. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Prospect A.M.E. Church
Georgetown, Sussex County
Prospect A.M.E. Church, located at 220 South Railroad Avenue in Georgetown, is a historic African Methodist Episcopal congregation that served the African American community of Georgetown and southern Sussex County. AME churches across Sussex County played a central role in the spiritual, educational, and civic life of Black Delawareans during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The church carries a Delaware historical marker recognizing its contributions to the religious and social history of the region.
Sussex County Courthouse & The Circle
Georgetown, Sussex County
The Sussex County Courthouse is located on the Circle in Georgetown, the county seat of Sussex County, Delaware. Georgetown was established in 1791 as the new county seat, replacing Lewes, and laid out with the courthouse at the center of a circular town plan. The current courthouse building dates to 1837 and has undergone subsequent renovations. The Circle remains the center of civic and commercial life in Georgetown and is the site of Return Day, a post-election tradition unique to Sussex County in which candidates of opposing parties ride together in a horse-drawn carriage as a symbol of reconciliation.
Zwaanendael Museum
Lewes, Sussex County
The Zwaanendael Museum, located in Lewes, Delaware, was built in 1931 to commemorate the state’s Dutch heritage and early colonial history. Designed in the style of the former City Hall of Hoorn in the Netherlands, the building reflects Dutch Renaissance architecture and serves as a landmark in the city’s historic district. The museum interprets the history of the 1631 Zwaanendael Colony and the broader maritime and coastal history of the Delaware Bay region. It is administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and is open to visitors.
