new castle court house

As a historian, my visit to Delaware was not compete without a visit to historic New Castle for this attraction. New Castle Court House Museum is the centerpiece of the historic City of New Castle. It is a state-owned and operated museum. Its cupola was designated the center of a 12-mile circle which delineates most of the border between Delaware and Pennsylvania plus a fractional part of the border between Delaware and Maryland. It is one of the oldest surviving court houses in the United States. It served as Delaware’s first court and the state capitol. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Tours operate Wednesday-Saturday 10 AM to 3:30 PM and Sunday 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. When tours are in progress, there is a sign hanging near the central door, and, that door is locked until that tour ends. On my visit, David conducted the tour. He was very knowledgeable. The restoration and preservation work on this building are excellent. It’s in very good condition. The main section of the court house was built in 1732 above the remains of a 1660’s court house used by the Dutch. There is a glass-covered cutout in the courtroom floor through which one can see part of the old structure. The court house on the first floor is an example of the English-style court system. There was a panel of three judges at an elevated desk. The judge in the center had the biggest wig. That’s where the term “bigwig” came from. A table in front of the judges was for the lawyers. There were two wooden spears on the side of the prisoners’ section. At the start of a trial, the spears were turned sideways. At the end, they would be turned to show the verdict. The white side was for innocent; the red side was for guilty. There were no jails here in the 1700’s so the penalty for a serious crime was death by hanging. Upstairs were the two chambers for the State Senate and State House. In this building on June 15, 1776, the legislature passed a resolution to declare the independence of New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County from both England and Pennsylvania, thus creating the State of Delaware. On September 20, 1776, the first constitution for the State of Delaware was adopted. In 1777, the capital moved to Dover. In 1881, the state courts moved to the City of Wilmington in 1881.Upstairs, one will also find a collection of furniture, artifacts, and decorative arts, and portraits. One of the portraits was of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, an English nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, for whom Delaware was named. It was too bad that there was no portrait of Caesar Rodney, one of the greatest figures in Delaware’s and America’s history as he rode all night through a thunderstorm from July 1st to 2nd to Philadelphia to vote at the Continental Congress to break his delegation’s deadlock on declaring independence from England July 1776. In a small room upstairs was an exhibit of sculptures of recent Presidents of the United States.A current exhibit titled “Emeline Hawkins: Her Journey from Slavery to Freedom on the Underground Railroad" illustrates the hardships runaway slaves endured on their road to freedom. This exhibit chronicles the story of Emeline Hawkins and her family on their 1845 journey on the Underground Railroad from slavery in Maryland through Delaware and to freedom in Pennsylvania. One part shows mannequins of her and her husband in a jail cell. The exhibit also details the roles of noted Delawareans of the Underground Railroad Freedom Network, including Samuel Burris, a conductor who led the Hawkins family out of Maryland into Delaware, plus stationmasters Thomas Garrett and John Hunn, who sheltered the family and aided their escape into Pennsylvania. Additionally, the exhibit tells about the famous federal trial at the New Castle Court House in 1848 which resulted in the conviction of Hunn and Garrett on charges of violating the Federal Fugitive Slave Act.Besides being a state museum, it is component of First State National Monument, Delaware’s first National Park Service unit and the 400th unit of the national park system. It was established by executive proclamation by President Obama on March 25, 2013 under the Antiquities Act. The New Castle portion includes the whole complex: the court house, the green, and sheriff’s house. The national monument celebrates Delaware’s rich history from its Native American roots to early settlement by Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, and English colonists to its part in America’s struggle for independence to its distinction as the first state to ratify the United State Constitution.For those who participate in the Passport to Your National Parks Program, the location of the passport cancellation stamps are located in the hallway near offices at the court house. One has to ask for them as there are no National Park Service Rangers onsite. The stamps read:● First State National Monument - New Castle, DE● Underground Railroad Freedom Network - New Castle Court House MuseumPublic restrooms are in the basement. Access is on the Market Street side on the building. New Castle is steeped in history. Under Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch build Fort Casimir In 1651. The Duke of York captured the town in 1664. William Penn arrived in 1682. The Marquis de Lafayette stopped by and was asked to give a bride away at a wedding in 1824.The center of New Castle is very picturesque and historic with numerous red brick buildings and sidewalks. There’s a bronze statue of William Penn around the back of the court house on the Market Street side. Nearby is the New Castle Presbyterian Church. There are a lot of other attractions nearby. The Green, Amstel House Museum, Dutch House Museum, and Old Library Museum are within a few blocks. Battery Park, a scenic park overlooking the Delaware River and Pennsville Township across the river in New Jersey, is a short drive away down Delaware Street. It's a nice place for a stroll or to sit and watch marine traffic pass.If you found this review helpful, kindly click YES below.

We stopped into the Court House to get another National Park Passport stamp and took a tour of the court house. So glad we stayed to enjoy the tour Did you know that Delaware was named after a gentleman who was never in Delaware? Or that Delaware was part of Pennsylvania until the signing of the Declaration of Independence? We learned so much about the 1st State and left thankful we stopped. Better than I expected.

It is recreated for three judges and the British court system. You can visit by yourself or a (free) guide. Take the guided tour of about 45 minutes. It is excellent. Some steep stair to an upstairs exhibit (worthwhile).

It's an old building back in the 1700 's not that much to see , it's just a Historic in old New Castle the Building is Historic but that's about it . they need to add more original structure thinks not just a hole in the floor unless you take the tour . all in all to me it's just an old building in old New Castle.

Its interesting to see the layout of the old style courtroom. Its arranged for 3 judges, a tightly packed jury, and a penalty box for the accused. Beautiful room upstairs too!

Situated in a small historic downtown New Castle. Nice enough old building but not that interesting without the backstory. So, take the free tour given continuously everyday except Monday. It will give you the proper context and appreciation of its historical significance. And it's quite significant.

The New Castle Court House was built in 1732 over an existing 1660's court house structure used by the Dutch. When visiting, please pay attention to the cut out see through lucent floor square in the main floor court room. You can see down to the original structure of the 1660 building. The Court House is meticulously maintained and the Docent we had for our tour was very knowledgeable. It seems like th Old New Castle Court House did not see much usage as Dover replaced New Castle as the Delaware State capital and Wilmington gained prominence after 1880 over New Castle. Nevertheless, the Old New Castle Court House is a great Historic building and treasure trove of information. Be sure to see the second floor rooms and specifically the information on the Abolitionist movement in DE. The entire Historic New Castlearea is all within walking district from the Battery Park to the George Read / New Castle Court Houses and on to the Amstel and Dutch Houses. Great Way to spend a Sunday just be sure to check out the timings for each of these attractions. Sunday especially is a very short tour day (11 am to 4:30 pm) for New Castle Historic sites in the Common ...Old New castle Court House is definitely a must see when in New Castle....

History buffs would love this place. Numerous historical issues took place here and the signs tell you who was where.

New Castle, DE??? Not the first place that comes to mind for a weekend outing, but once you go you'll be glad you did. We visited the old town district and simply enjoyed walking through town and along the river. If you have children, there is a large park with playgrounds along the river and it's pet friendly. How about that a place you can take your children and your dog. Small town historic districts clearly connect America with Europe. If you're in the area, take the time to visit and just relax.

This is a beautiful building central to the Historic district. Very friendly and nice guides who give a great informative tour. Call for the hours when this building is open. Even tho the sign says closed on Sundays, it was open from 1:30 to 4:30 the day we were there. The main room has a replica of what the court would have looked like back in the day. Find out about the use of the wooden spear and how the word 'dock' was used. Then you go upstairs to learn of the history of the area, and lastly downstairs to learn of the underground railroad aspect. You will need an hour for this tour. There are public restrooms available when this building is open. They are outside to the right and downstairs under an arch. The bathrooms are dated but work in a pinch. Enjoy!

The New Castle Court House is a great stop for those interested in history. The staff were knowledgable and excited about the courthouse and it's history. The tour guide was engaging and answered my school aged children's questions and even asked them questions to test their knowledge of US history. The displays were simple but interesting. Before we left the tour guide gave my children quill pens and little pamphlets to take home which my kids were excited about. The area around the courthouse is charming and only a quick drive from the Delaware River. Overall, a very nice stop if you happen to be in the area!

The New Castle Court House is definitely worth checking out if you have the time. Admission was free so we figured, "Sure, why not" without any high expectations, but were very pleasantly surprised. The tour starts off in the actual court room but then takes you upstairs to see the assembly room and an office. We really enjoyed walking on the original floor of the assembly room and seeing the original office door. This tour really helped me understand more about the historic importance of New Castle.

The tour guide was very good and made this visit interesting. This building has been here since the 17th century. It's amazing to step back in time in a place like this.

If you ever get the chance to go the this Court House..you should go. I love the little town. You should go inside and take the tour. It is very informative. So much history to hear about that you don't read in history books. There is a wealth of information here to see and hear. I have been more than once and I will go back again and again! :)

The town of Old New Castle is a real slice of history. All the buildings in the old town are original colonial, not re-creations. This is true for the Court House. A free tour provides you with some insight into our history and colonial justice. It is well worth a visit.