New Castle Court House Museum
Inside the 1732 courthouse, guided tours connect colonial law, the 1776 separation vote, and later struggles over freedom.
Artwork inspired by Frank E. Schoonover
The New Castle Court House served the assembly and courts of Pennsylvania’s Three Lower Counties. On June 15, 1776, delegates voted here to separate from Pennsylvania and Great Britain, creating Delaware as a distinct state. Government was not abstract in this room: people argued, voted, judged, and enforced law within its walls.
A guided tour goes beyond that founding date. Exhibits address Swedish, Dutch, English, and Lenape relationships; Underground Railroad history exposes the law’s unequal reach. Ask what changed—and what did not—for people outside the assembly. The courthouse is compact, but the historic district around the Green rewards a walk after the tour.
- Built
- 1732
- Separation vote
- June 15, 1776
- Tour format
- Interpreter-led
Quick guide
- Time the tour
- This is guided-only; arriving between tours does not open the rooms.
- Ask about 1776
- Separate the Delaware statehood vote from later national ratification.
Know before you go
- Stand in the assembly room
- Imagine the three counties debating separate government.
- Widen the narrative
- Ask how colonial trade involved the Lenape.
- Follow freedom stories
- The court’s later history intersects with abolition and the Underground Railroad.
- Walk the Green
- Compare the courthouse with nearby civic and domestic buildings.
Good to know
Tours last about 45 minutes, normally begin at the front double doors, and may cap at 15 visitors. Call ahead if arriving as a large group.
Notice these
- Brick colonial facade
- Red cupola
- Historic court and assembly rooms