New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Presbyterian Church

American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Site

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., October 28, 2021

1. Presbyterian Church Marker

Inscription. Founded as a Dutch Reformed Church, 1657. The first building was on the Strand end of the church lot. This church was one of 7 which organized the first Presbytery in America in 1706. Present brick meeting house was built 1707.

Erected 1951 by Public Archives Commission. (Marker Number NC-75/256.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the American Presbyterian and Reformed Historic Sites, and the Delaware Public Archives series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1657.

Location. 39° 39.584′ N, 75° 33.769′ W. Marker is in New Castle, Delaware, in New Castle County. Marker is on East Second Street, 0.1 miles north of Delaware Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 25 East Second Street, New Castle DE 19720, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Welcome Society of Pennsylvania (here, next to this marker); New Castle Common (a few steps from this marker); Sheriff's House and County Jail (within shouting distance of this marker); Frenchtown Railroad Sleepers (within shouting distance of this marker); New Castle Court House 1732 (within

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shouting distance of this marker); William Penn (within shouting distance of this marker); Penn's Place (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Revolutionary War Patriots in the Immanuel Churchyard (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Castle.

Regarding Presbyterian Church. New Castle Presbyterian Church is a contributing building within the New Castle Historic District that was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1967 and declared a National Historic Landmark. This church is also one of 445 American Presbyterian and Reformed Historical Sites registered between 1973 and 2003 by the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS), headquartered in Philadelphia. Approved sites received a metal plaque featuring John Calvin’s seal and the site’s registry number (PHS marker location unknown).

The following text is taken from the Presbyterian Historical Society website:

The congregation of New Castle Presbyterian Church stems from the first services of the Dutch Reformed founders of New Castle in 1651. In 1698, Rev. John Wilson arrived, and the church was welcomed into the Presbyterian fold. In 1706,
Photographed By Adam Margolis, July 31, 2021

2. Presbyterian Church Marker
Wilson, Francis Makemie, and five other ministers organized the first American presbytery, with New Castle being one of the churches. Construction began on the meeting house in 1707, with brick walls eighteen inches thick. It was enlarged in 1712 to its present size. A balcony was added in 1803, the interior was renovated in 1818, and the building was restored to its original style in 1949. A seven-block area in New Castle, which includes this site, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1968.

Also see . . . New Castle Presbyterian Church History. Church webpage (Submitted on November 7, 2007, by Roger Dean Meyer of Yankton, South Dakota.)

Presbyterian Church Sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Adam Margolis, July 31, 2021

3. Presbyterian Church Sign

The marker can be seen to the left of the sign, along the sidewalk.

The Presbyterian Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Roger Dean Meyer, October 8, 2006

4. The Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Adam Margolis

5. Presbyterian Church

Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2007, by Roger Dean Meyer of Yankton, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 1,870 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on August 22, 2018, by Douglass Halvorsen of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Photos: 1. submitted on October 30, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2, 3. submitted on February 2, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 4. submitted on November 7, 2007, by Roger Dean Meyer of Yankton, South Dakota. 5. submitted on February 2, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.