DRIVING THRU THE HISTORIC DISTRICT OF NEW CASTLE DELAWARE

The New Castle Historic District is an area approximately 4 by 5 blocks square in the center of town with about 500 historic buildings that date from c. 1700 to 1940. This area contains one of the highest concentrations of well-preserved buildings dating from the 17th to early 19th centuries. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1967.[11][12]
The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1967 and it was relisted, with enlarged boundaries and expanded period of significance, in 1984.[13] The historic district then covered 135 acres (55 ha) of area and includes Amstel House and Old Courthouse which are separately listed on the NRHP. The area includes 461 contributing buildings, one other contributing structure, and one contributing object.[14]
The New Castle Court House, the Green, and the Sheriff's House are parts of First State National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System. The national park interprets Delaware's settlement and role in the founding of the United States.[15]
Notable sites the historic district include:
Amstel House, home of New Castle Historical Society
Stonum, house of George Read
Read House and Garden, former home of George Read Jr. The house, built between 1801 and 1804.
Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green
New Castle Court House Museum, original colonial capitol; first state house of Delaware. Served as Court House until 1882, when county seat was moved to Wilmington. Its cupola served as the center of the Twelve-Mile Circle which defined Delaware's boundary with Pennsylvania.
Old "Dutch" House, (ca. 1700), a typical small early dwelling
Thomas McKean House
New Castle Presbyterian Church, (1707)
Lesley-Travers Mansion, built in 1855.
The Bellanca Airfield, located outside of the Historic District, is the site of the former Bellanca Aircraft Corporation factory (1928-1960) which built over 3,000 airplanes. Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame Museum is located in hangar. Also nearby are Buena Vista, Glebe House, The Hermitage, New Castle Ice Piers, Penn Farm of the Trustees of the New Castle Common, and Swanwyck, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.