Old Library on East Third Street, circa 1900.
Collection of New Castle Historical Society.
Delaware Street near Third Street, 1891. .
Collection of the New Castle Historical Society.
An Incredible Collection
of Over 500 Historic Buildings
Because New Castle did not have large-scale development to rebuild like some bigger cities did, more than 500 historic buildings are still standing in the town today.
What makes New Castle even more interesting is that these buildings aren’t all from the same time. They were built in different styles over hundreds of years – from the late 1600s to the 2020s. You can literally walk a block and see history changing right in front of you. The entire historic section of New Castle has been named a “National Historic Landmark” for its mix of building styles as well as its importance in American history.
But New Castle is not frozen in time. People still live and work in these buildings. When owners update them, they try to stay true to the building’s history while also making sure the building fits how people live today. New Castle is a place where the past and present live side by side.
The Great Fire of 1824
In early America, the risk of house fires was a daily concern. Particularly in urban areas like New Castle, sparks from chimneys and forges could fall on and ignite nearby structures quickly. A huge fire broke out along New Castle’s waterfront in 1824. It began inside a shed in a lumberyard. High winds helped flames spread so fast that many buildings near the water burned down. Fire companies from both New Castle and Wilmington eventually stopped the flames, but not before many people lost their homes, their businesses, and almost everything they owned.
After the fire, the town worked hard to rebuild. Most people did not have insurance. Donations from across the United States were made to help the citizens of New Castle. They didn’t just replace what was lost — they created new buildings in the latest styles. When you walk along The Strand today, you can see the results of that big rebuild.
Newspaper account of the fire at New Castle in The Gettysburg Compiler May 5, 1824.
An Early Focus on Protecting Historic Buildings
In the 1880s, one of New Castle’s oldest buildings—the 1687 Tile House—was torn down. People were shocked and upset. They realized that if they didn’t start protecting the historic buildings, more of the town’s history could disappear.
By the 1920s, the community got serious about saving these old places. Philip and Lydia Laird bought the George Read II House and began fixing it up.
The preservation movement really took off in 1929. A group of concerned neighbors realized that the Amstel House, one of the town's architectural gems, was at risk. They raised money to buy the property. This grassroots effort eventually grew into the New Castle Historical Society (NCHS).
Soon after, another group—the Delaware Society for the Preservation of Antiquities—stepped in to restore the Dutch House, one of the oldest and most iconic structures in the state, before eventually handing it over to the NCHS for safekeeping.
And for the first time, residents opened their historic homes and gardens to visitors for an event called A Day in Old New Castle. Today, it is the longest-running home and garden tour in the country.
 Amstel House, 1891 |  Dutch House, c. 1930s |
|---|---|
 Painting of the Tile House in 1822 |  Amstel House, 2010 |
 Dutch House, 2010 |  This photo was taken just before the Tile House was razed in the late 1880s. |
Continuing to Preserve New Castle’s Living History
New Castle didn't become a "living time machine" by accident. For over a century, the people of New Castle have made conscious, sometimes difficult choices to protect its unique character rather than trade it for modern development.
One crossroad was faced in the late 1940s. A proposal was suggested to transform the New Castle into a town that recreated Federal era of the 1830s - a tourist destination similar to Colonial Williamsburg. The plan would have involved tearing down many beautiful buildings from the late 1800s just to make the town look more like it did in the 1700s.
Lacking a major investor, and after reviewing a massive architectural survey, the town made a bold decision: they rejected the plan. Instead of creating a "fake" version of the past, they chose to protect the "full spectrum" of history. They decided that a Victorian house from 1880 was just as important to the town's story as a mansion from 1730. In the 1940s, this decision was “ahead of its time.”
Today, preserving New Castle’s historic buildings is a massive team effort. It involves a partnership among homeowners and property owners in the historic district, the City of New Castle, New Castle Historical Society, Arasapha Garden Club, Delaware Historical Society, the Trustees of the New Castle Common, the State of Delaware, and the National Park Service.
The City’s Historic Area Commission is the city’s watchdog group. Before anyone can permanently change the exterior of a building in the historic district, they must get Commission approval. This oversight ensures that New Castle balances its focus on preserving American history with the needs of people who live and work in these historic buildings.
 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |