New Castle County

US States / A-G / Delaware / New Castle County
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New Castle County is named for the town of New Castle by Dutch Governor Anthony Colve as an Anglicization of “Nieuw Amstel”.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Chester County, Pennsylvania and Delaware County, Pennsylvania

E – Gloucester County, New Jersey, Salem County, New Jersey and Cumberland County, New Jersey

S – Kent County

W – Kent County, Maryland and Cecil County, Maryland

 

Created:  August 8, 1673                                                           Map of Delaware highlighting New Castle County

County Seat: 

New Castle

Wilmington  1673 – present

 

County Courthouse – Wilmington  

 

Location:  500 King Street / East 4th Street

Built:  1999 – 2002

Style:  Modern

Architect:  Buck Simpers Architects & Associates, Inc., Grozen Samton, Justice Planning Associates, HLM Design, Inc. and Beyer & Associates, Inc.

Contractor:  Edis Company and Jacobs Facilities, Inc.

 

Description:  The building faces west and is a fourteen story concrete and glass structure. The building is sited on a five-acre parcel of land in the center of Willmington. The building forms an “L” shape with a low four story south wing and a higher east wing. On the west front is a large plaza. The central recessed entrance is on the first story of the east wing. Red colored brick facing is along either side of the entrance. Above is a projecting section with glass panel walls. The windows of the east tower are horizontal. The roof line is flat. The building is named as the Leonard L Williams Justice Center and houses the Family Court and the Delaware Chancery Court.

 

See:  The Delaware Supreme Court in New Castle County is located to the north at 820 North French Street / East 9th Street.

 

Old County Courthouse – Wilmington  

 

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Location:  1000 North King Street / 11th Street

Built:  1914 – 1916

Style:  American Renaissance

Architect:  Palmer Hornbostel & Jones

Contractor:  Unknown

 

Description:  The building faces west and is a three story structure. The building is located in the center of Willmington. The west front has a colonnade with entrance section on the north and south sides. The entrances have large fanlights and motifs with a pediment at the roof line. A balustrade runs along the flat roof line. The building was named as the Daniel Herman Courthouse. The building is now an office building.

 

County Administration – New Castle

 

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Location:  87 Reads Way Commons Boulevard

Built:  Unknown

Style:  Modern

Architect:  Unknown

Contractor:  Unknown

 

Description:  The building faces southwest and is a two story concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of New Castle. The southwest front has a two story recessed glass walled section which projects from the main building. The main building has horizontal windows and the roof line is flat. The building is named as the New Castle County Government Center and was formerly a commercial building which was renovated to house the county offices.

 

Old County Court House – New Castle

 

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Location:  211 Delaware Street / East 2nd Street

Built:  1730 – 1845

Style:  Georgian and Colonial

Architect:  Unknown

Contractor:  Unknown

 

Description:  The building faces southwest and is a two story red-brown colored brick and wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of New Castle. The building was constructed in three sections. The brickwork of the central section is laid in Flemish bond and has a central entrance with small balcony above on the second story. On the roof ridge is a balustrade with open belfry at the center with red colored roof. The courtroom is located on the second story. The west wing was constructed in 1845. The east wing is lower with a central entrance. Additions were built in 1765, and 1802. The building is now a museum.

 

Note:  The Old Courthouse was built over a period from 1730 to 1845. Prior to the Revolution it served as the meeting house for the governments of the three counties comprising Delaware. For one year ( 1776–1777 ) the building  served as the state house of Delaware. Thence it became the New Castle County courthouse for three centuries. An occasional court held there serves to keep alive the claim that this building is the oldest continuously used chamber of justice in the United States.

 

See:  National Register of Historic Places – New Castle County Courthouse

 

History:  The county was created in 1673 with the county seat being New Castle. The county was the center of government for the three counties of Delaware. The first courthouse was built in 1730 to 1731 and the site is still standing. The county seat was moved to Wilmington in 1881 and the second courthouse was designed by Theophilus P Chander and built by Archibald Given in 1881 to 1882. The third courthouse was constructed in 1914 to 1916 and is still standing. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1999 to 2002.

 

Note:  The highest point in Delaware is Ebright Road in Brandywine Springs at 448 feet ( 137 meters ) which is located in the county.

 

 

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County Courthouse – Willmington

 

 

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Old County Courthouse – Willmington

 

 

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County Administration – New Castle

 

 

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Old County Courthouse – New Castle

 

 

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Photos taken 2013