New Castle, Del., is waiting for you to come and partake of its gift to you—cobblestone streets, historic homes, beautiful gardens, shops, restaurants, intrigue and lots of stories involving familiar names like William Penn, George Washington, Lafayette, and all of this within a few blocks in a National Historic Landmark district. Park your car on the street and walk to everything in this historic and fascinating town.

A good place to begin is the 22-room Read House and its gardens, located at 42 The Strand. Built in 1801 by George Read II, son of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Read House is a fine example of early Federal architecture and features elaborately carved woodwork with punch and gouge carving on the chair rails and around the doorways and fireplaces.

The tour begins in the front hallway whose bright yellow walls are the original color as are all of the walls in the home. From the hallway, you will visit the two parlors, one with jib windows, which enabled guests to move easily from room to outdoors. As your knowledgeable guides lead you through the house, you will learn about the three families who lived there between 1803 and 1975 and experience what life was like for them. In one of the oldest gardens in the Brandywine Valley, built by the second owner in 1847, relax with a stroll through the flower garden or sit awhile on the benches in the park garden under the magnolia and holly trees. Before you leave, take a look at the kitchen garden and inhale the fragrance of the herbs. If you visit Saturdays in January, you can take the backstairs tour, which introduces you to life lived by the servants and includes fireside cooking on the hearth in the original 1803 kitchen. The Read House has been seen on Good Morning America and Bob Vila’s Guide to Historic Homes of America.

Next, you might want to visit 2 East Fourth Street, the Georgian-style Amstel House, one of the few surviving early Colonial buildings in New Castle. Built in 1738 by Dr. John Finney, the town’s wealthiest landowner, it was the largest, finest house in the town at that time. A large portion of the original structure remains as it was in the 1700s. In the parlor, you will walk on the original wood floors while viewing a room that looks as it did when it was built. The home was owned by Governor Nicholas Van Dyke, Delaware’s seventh governor. George Washington did not sleep here but did attend the wedding of the governor’s daughter Ann Van Dyke to Kensey Johns in this parlor in April 1784. You will learn about the Van Dyke family and their connection to The Johns Hopkins University. Ann and Kensey’s daughter, Fedelia, born in the Amstel House, married Governor Thomas Stockton. Examples of furniture from the Stockton family can still be seen in the home. On the tour of the house, you will learn what life was like in the port town in the 1770s. In addition to the parlor, you will see the dining room, a kitchen with an open hearth and the master bedroom.

Near the Amstel House, at 32 East Third Street, is the Dutch House, built between 1690 and 1700. This small house, which began as a one-room house, is slightly larger today. Its red door and shutters invite you to enter and enjoy experiencing late 17th-century life. Louise Du Pont Crowninshield was instrumental in furnishing the house with Dutch Colonial antiques and artifacts, including a 16th-century Dutch Bible. You will enjoy the kitchen with its brick floor and open hearth fireplace.

On the Green, you will find the New Castle Court House Museum. The Court House is one of the oldest surviving courthouses in the United States. As you enter the building, built in 1732, you will walk into a Colonial courtroom setting with the judges’ bench, the jury box and a defendant’s box. Knowledgeable guides will walk you through the building, explaining that this Court House was built over the remains of the original 1689 courthouse. You will hear many interesting stories from Delaware’s history as you move through the New Castle Court House. You will see the Assembly Room where on June 15, 1776, legislators passed a resolution separating from Great Britain and Pennsylvania, creating the State of Delaware. The Court House continued to serve as the state capital until 1777. You will also find an extensive exhibit of the Underground Railroad, which provides fascinating details about those involved in protecting runaway slaves. Two prominent abolitionists were tried in the Court House. You will want to linger and take in all of these details.
There are many other sights to see and enjoy in New Castle. Any time is a good time to visit this historic district, and a particularly good time to do this is during one of the events held each year, such as the May Market Flower Festival and Sale on the Green, held on May 1, or the Day in Old New Castle and Garden Tours event that takes place the third Saturday in May. There is also the Separation Day Celebration on the second Saturday in June.

For more information on events in New Castle, visit http://www.ci.new-castle.de.us/historicnewcastle/events.html. For more information on places to visit in the Brandywine Valley, go to www.visitwilmingtonde.com.