The St. Jones River: Why the Mansion Faces South

The St. Jones River: Why the Mansion Faces South. . , The St. Jones River, a major Delaware navigable waterway, is situated south of the John Dickinson Plantation. The river connects the Delaware Bay to the inland city of Dover. Between 1760 and 1808, John Dickinson owned six farms that bordered the north shores of the St. Jones River. These farms were approximately six miles from Dover. The river was the main source of transportation used by John Dickinson, his family, and tenants., The mansion was situated just 300 yards north of the river. Early property descriptions note, "The Creek is navigable for Shallops, some miles above the Farms and affords at least six convenient Landings on the premises.", Shallops, small open boats used in shallow waters, carried grain and other agricultural products from Dickinson's landings along the river to northern ports including Wilmington and Philadelphia., The St. Jones River helped supplement the diet of the people on Jones Neck. Residents included landowners, indentured servants, tenants, free and enslaved individuals., In 1764, a newspaper advertisement leasing the property noted "... great Conveniency for fishing and Oystering..."