Delaware Facts and Figures

1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons

 Delaware ranks 35th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Delaware is a state in the United States of America located in the American Northeast. It is also in the Mid-Atlantic region. Delaware is some 2 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 967 thousand people. The state is divided into three counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Delaware we have discovered historical markers in 97 cities and towns lying in 65 different ZIP Codes.

How many historical markers are there in Delaware? There are least 826 of them, by our count. We have cataloged 818 historical markers and 62 war memorials—each individually presented on 873 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another eight historical markers in Delaware that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.

The first Delaware marker in the database, Return Day, was added July 1, 2006. It was photographed in Georgetown in Sussex County. The last one added was submitted on February 11, 2020, and titled Village of Christiana. It is in Christiana in New Castle County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Delaware was erected in 1905. It was this one: Fort Casimir, and one of our correspondents found it in New Castle in New Castle County on July 4, 2012.

Delawareans don’t want to forget their Churches and Religion history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Delaware about Churches and Religion—189 of them—than about any other historical category. It is followed by Colonial Era with 129 markers.

The first marker added to the database with the Churches and Religion category was Gravesite of Bishop Peter Spencer (1779-1843) and His Devoted Wife, Annes, added September 20, 2007. It had been erected in Wilmington in New Castle County. The last one submitted was submitted on November 14, 2019, and titled Home of Judge Thomas White. It had been erected in Harrington in Kent County. One of the earliest marker erected with the Churches and Religion category that we have listed was erected in 1932. More than one was erected in 1932. This is one of them: Colonel John Haslet, found in Dover in Kent County on January 14, 2008.

The Delaware county with the most historical markers listed in this database is New Castle County, with 401 of them. It is followed by Sussex County with 262 markers. The Wilmington area of New Castle County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 139. In Sussex County the area with the most markers, 65, is Lewes.

Checking the database for the city or town in Delaware with the most markers we again find Wilmington at the top of the list with 139 markers in or near it. It is followed by Newark in New Castle County with 109 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 19801 at the top of the list with 67 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 19801 is assigned to Wilmington DE.) It is followed closely by ZIP Code 19958 with 66 markers. (19958 is assigned to Lewes DE including the Lewes Beach delivery area.)

Getting back to New Castle County, the first marker added to the database from there, Gravesite of Bishop Peter Spencer (1779-1843) and His Devoted Wife, Annes, was added September 20, 2007, and was also the first one submitted in all of Delaware. in Wilmington. The last one submitted—also the last one submitted in all of Delaware—was uploaded on February 11, 2020, and is titled Village of Christiana, in Christiana. The earliest marker erected in New Castle County that we have listed was erected in 1905. It was Fort Casimir, found in New Castle on July 4, 2012.

By Carl Gordon Moore Jr., February 8, 2020

Latest Entry from Delaware
“Village of Christiana”

And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Newark. The first: Pencader Presbyterian Church, was added August 1, 2008. It had been erected in 2002. The last: Original Site of the White Clay Creek Presbyterian Church added on November 11, 2019. It had been erected in 2017. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1932: Washington's Reconnaissance, added on August 1, 2008.

Delaware Public Archives is currently in charge of the familiar blue and gold or black and brass official historical markers found all over the state and the Delaware Department of Transportation typically installs and maintains those that are roadside. You will also find official markers erected by the Historic Markers Commission, a predecessor. They erected their first marker in 1931, and we have 455 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.

By Charles Quandt, June 8, 2017

A Delaware Public Archives Historical Marker

Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.

Delaware offers both and there is plenty of history to check out. If you live in or are visiting Delaware, hit the road and check out places where something of interest once occured, or where famous or infamous people once stood. Our database can help you find some of these places. And perhaps you’ll find some we don’t know about and will take the time to photograph them and add them to the database. Happy Hunting!