A walking tour presented by the Delaware Historical Society offers an immersive look at the lives of Black residents of Old New Castle during a crucial 100 years of American history.
The tour, called “These Houses were Homes,” is a joint effort of the Historical Society’s Mitchell Center for African American Heritage and the Read House and Gardens. It is based on research and a walking tour originally created by Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers.
“We have made the tour from 1776 to 1876, and we take folks through historic New Castle, starting at the Read House and ending at the Read House,” explains Dr. Britney Henry, Program and Outreach Coordinator at the Mitchell Center for African American Heritage. “Folks are able to see some of the historic places and spaces that Black folks would have either lived, worked, or socialized.”
In addition to the Read House, the tour also visits two historic churches and talks about their history and importance to the area’s Black community.
“The Black church was a space not only for religion, but also the central hub of the community,” Henry says.
The tour also visits the site where the Williams Street School once stood, and the courthouse, also a central location in this history.
“The courthouse was a space that many different types of trials, justices, misjustices have happened,” Henry says. “And so we talk about the complexities of the courthouse.”
Over the century that stretched from the American Revolution through the end of Reconstruction, Old New Castle was home to a diverse, thriving Black community - religious leaders, property owners, businesspeople, and more.
“There are a lot of incredible folks here who were doing great things that you wouldn't really think about in 1776 through 1876,” Henry says.
While she stresses that every city has its own unique Black stories and experience, Henry notes that the tour in Old New Castle is part of a rich historical tapestry in the First State.
“Being able to take this walking tour and learn all of these things grounds people in just how rich, diverse, and complex Delaware's black history is,” she says.
She says there are several narratives that run through the tour.
“So some of the themes that we think about - Black joy, we think about what it means for freedom in different spaces,” she explains. “We also talk about the fact that during this time, right after the Civil War, Reconstruction is happening, but then also the start of Jim Crow and what that would have looked like.”
She adds that one of the best parts of the tour for her is hearing from residents who take it.
“It's so great to hear from others who have lived in New Castle and their thoughts on this history, or if they've never heard this history before, their excitement about hearing about this history,” she says.
The Historical Society has two more tour dates available, on February 28 and March 7.
