Report of the Archaeological Investigations of the New Castle Court ...

1.1 BACKGROUND
NEW CASTLE COURT HOUSE PLAZA
NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The New Castle Court House is an eighteenth-to-twentieth-century governmental structure
located in the town of New Castle and it overlays an earlier governmental structure that was
constructed in the fourth quarter of the seventeenth century (Figure 1). The Court House is
located on the southern edge of the New Castle Green and along the north side of Delaware
Street. Numerous changes and additions have occurred to this structure, which included the
construction of a plaza that extends across its entire south façade. The building underwent a
substantial renovation between 1955 and 1963 and since that time has been open to the public for
interpretation as part of the state museum system. The building and property were designated a
National Historic Landmark in 1972 (amended 2003) for its historical significance as the seat of
government in Delaware during the colonial and early statehood eras (Bodo et al. 2001).
The Court House has recently undergone a new phase of architectural renovation. This effort
included the stabilization of the plaza area. Plaza stabilization involved the removal of the present
brick paving and its foundation material, the installation of below grade downspout drains, and
repairs to the stone retaining wall and associated iron railing. The original brick was replaced, but
on top of new foundation materials. The plaza renovation commenced in the fall of 2003.
Because of the extensive alteration of the brick paving and its foundation material, archaeological
testing and monitoring was required as a component of this restoration effort. Previous testing in
the plaza area revealed remains dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to be present
under the brick paving foundation materials, and it was anticipated that additional remains be
present in other areas.
1.2 HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL BACKGROUND
The Old New Castle Court House served as the seat of the colonial Assemblies and Court for the
Three Lower Counties (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex) for 150 years, from the last quarter of the
seventeenth century until 1777, when Dover was established as the state capital. The Court House
was used as the seat of the U.S. District Court, alternating with Dover. The county seat continued
at the Court House until 1881 when it was moved to Wilmington (Higgins 1973:59).
The Court House consists of three principal sections (Kruse 1966:94-95; Figure 2). The earliest
section is the circa 1732 central brick block that is approximately 40 feet square. This central core
was known to have replaced a late seventeenth-century government building that burned circa
1729-1730 during the escape attempt of burglar William Kelsey (Cario 2001:56). Historical
records indicate that the earlier structure contained both a Court House and jail, and archeological
evidence of this earlier building was discovered during the 1950s restoration efforts (see Section
1.4.1 below).
Two identical brick wings (each 20 feet square) were added to the east and west ends of the
central core in 1765. The County Treasurer’s accounts indicate that these wings cost £440
(Wolcott 1957:198). Access to the wings was from the exterior of the Court House and the spaces
were apparently used leased for school rooms. In 1770 the leases were cancelled due to fear of
fire. The addition on the east side of the central block was expanded again in 1802, while the
western wing was demolished to make way for a larger addition on the central block’s west side
in 1845. Each section has a south facing entrance and associated stone steps.
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