NEW CASTLE HOUSE AND GARDEN TOUR
―May 16, 2009―

                        From Doylestown:                              From New Hope:
                        Departure Time: 8:30 A.M.                 Departure Time: 8:15 A.M.
                        Return Time: Approx. 6:15 P.M..        Return Time: Approx. 6:30 P.M.

Cost: $82.00 due at time of reservation

Reservation deadline: April 22, 2009

Step back in time to historic New Castle, Delaware, and walk its charming, cobblestone streets in the oldest house and garden tour in the United States. Now in its 85th year, your day will be filled with period music, dance, bell ringing, and authentic recreations of colonial life. Listed on the National Historic Register, it was here where William Penn first set foot in the New World in 1682, and New Castle has been welcoming visitors ever since. The town prospered under Penn’s Quaker administration eventually serving as the capital of the fledgling colony of Delaware and producing two signers of the Declaration of Independence, George Read and Thomas McKean. Located on the banks of the Delaware River, it became a bustling seaport in the 1800’s for Dutch, English, Swedish, and Finnish settlers and traders. However, the town became an isolated community when its railroad was rerouted through Wilmington in the 1830’s. However, due to this seclusion its Colonial and Federal architecture remained intact. Many of the homes on the tour date back to this earlier time, and their residents often conduct tours of their own houses demonstrating the continuing adaptation of old structures to new life. Among the houses, museums, churches, and gardens in full bloom on the tour are the Dutch House and Amstel House. The late 17th Century Dutch House is one of the oldest brick houses in Delaware. Typical of Colonial Dutch architecture the house’s furnishings reflect the life style of early Dutch colonists. The elegant Georgian style Amstel House, once home of Governor Nicholas Van Dyke, on the other hand, showcases the style and refinement of New Castle’s early prosperity and grandeur. Built in the 1730’s by the town’s wealthiest landowner, the mansion is graced with original woodwork, fine architectural details, and open hearth. It is believed George Washington attended the wedding of Ann Van Dyke and Kensey Johns in its parlor. Not to be missed is the George Read House and Garden, considered one of the finest examples of early Federal architecture in America. Begun in 1797 and completed in 1803, this brick, 22-room mansion with its call bell system and cooking configuration was the most technological advanced for its time in the state. The 2.5-acre formal Victorian gardens at the side and rear of the house were laid out in 1847 and include a symmetrical flower garden, informal park and kitchen garden. Other events of the day include several guided walking tours, a choral evensong, military drills, and madrigal singers. Lunch is on your own at one of the town’s many restaurants.

The tour includes deluxe motorcoach transportation and admission.

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