The City of New Castle is one of Delaware’s most charming historic locations. The flags of Sweden and the Netherlands were flown over New Castle before it became Great Britain’s colonial capital.

William Penn landed in New Castle in 1682—his first landing site in North America. During its early days as part of the Pennsylvania colony, New Castle was the principal port along the Delaware River. It remained a major port for the middle-American colonies throughout the 1700’s. As an important stop for travelers, it played host to most of the great figures of colonial times and the early days of the Republic.

In 1777, Delaware’s capital was moved from New Castle to Dover. New Castle’s prominence again declined in the 1800’s when Wilmington became a major industrial and commercial center. At the same time, the construction of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal ended the era of stage coach travel for which New Castle had served as the final stop. In 1801, the county seat shifted from New Castle to Wilmington. With the growth of port facilities at Wilmington and Philadelphia, time and events had finally passed by New Castle.

The town has many fine examples of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, and early Victorian architecture. There are guided tours available of the Read House, the Amstel House, the Dutch House, the Old Library Museum, and others which are well worth the time. The center of town clusters around the New Castle Court House—a National Historic Landmark. The spire of the courthouse served as the mid-point for the arc that forms the northern boundary of Delaware, the only state to have an arc as part of its boundary.

The scenic 1¼-mile Battery Park Trail runs from Battery Park to just south of Dobbinsville. Army Creek and Gambacorta Marsh, which are next to the trail, are currently under restoration by the Division of Fish and Wildlife through the Northern Delaware Wetlands Rehabilitation Program. This shoreline is a good place to see a variety of birds such as coots, rails, herons, gulls, and other wading birds. Parking for this trail is available at either end of Delaware Street in New Castle. Bicyclists, joggers, and walkers will all enjoy the natural beauty found along this trail.

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