HARRIET TUBMAN

Born near this place on a plantation known as “Cedar Town”, Jones moved to Philadelphia in 1762 and in 1784 purchased his freedom. He helped to establish the Free African Society in 1787. A leader of the independent African American church movement, in 1792 he organized St. Thomas’ African Episcopal Church (Philadelphia) and in 1804 became the first African-American to be ordained an Episcopal Priest. He reverently opposed slavery and other forms of social injustice.

LOCATION: South side of route 36 approximately 1/8 mile west of the intersection of route 36 and route 1 Milford.

The Delaware Public Archives operates a historical markers program as part of its mandate. Markers are placed at historically significant locations and sites across the state. For more information on this program, please contact Karen Donovan at (302) 744-5048.

Believed to be one of the smallest Quaker Meeting Houses in the nation, the Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House was built in 1785 by David Wilson and presented to the Friends as a gift. Local tradition identifies this structure as a stop on the Underground Railroad during the years preceding the Civil War. While enroute to destinations north of Delaware, runaway slaves would hide in the loft of the church in order to escape capture. Prominent local Quakers who served as agents on the Railroad included John Alston and John Hunn. The Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House was placed on the national Register of Historic Places in 1972.

LOCATION: Odessa – Approximately 1/8 mile west of the intersection of Route 1 and Route 299 (main street) southside of Route 299.

On May 10, 1846, groups of African-American residents of Wilmington who had affiliated themselves with the African Methodist Episcopal Church held a meeting for the purpose of electing trustees and organizing as a corporate body. At the time, approximately 15 families were meeting from house to house, worshipping under the direction of ministers from Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia. The following September, the congregation purchased land at 12th and Elizabeth Streets on which a church was to be erected. The new Structure was dedicated in April 1847.

In 1853 the congregation relocated to a site at 6th and Penn Streets. They continued to worship there until 1865, when their need for a larger building led them to purchase the present site, where the Zion Evangelical German Lutheran Church then stood. The old building was used until 1878, when it was demolished and a new structure was built here.

A tragic fire led to the complete destruction of the church on New Year’s Day, 1935. On March 5, 1939, the members of Bethel A.M.E. Church dedicated their new house of worship. The church was expanded in 1976 with the opening of the adjoining Multipurpose Building.

Born August 21, 1789, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Garrett came to Wilmington in 1822. A prominent merchant, his home and business were located nearby on Shipley Street. Garrett was committed to the anti-slavery efforts of his Quaker faith. He is credited with assisting more than 2,700 of “God’s Poor” to escape slavery through the secret network known as the Underground Railroad. Though he was convicted and fined by the U.S. District Court in 1848 for aiding runaway slaves, he refused to abandon the fight to abolish slavery. After his death on January 25, 1871, Black Wilmingtonians carried him to the Quaker Cemetery at 4th and West Streets in appreciation of his unwavering commitment to the emancipation of slaves.

Richard Allen founded and became the first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1816. Born into slavery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 14, 1760, Allen and his family were sold to a family near Dover in 1772. While there, he purchased his freedom, became a minister and joined the Continental Army as a non-combatant during the Revolutionary War. After returning to Philadelphia, he and Sussex Countian, Absalom Jones, founded the Free African Society in 1787. He helped organize and was elected President of the “The First Convention of the People of Colour” in 1830.

A Black man named Anthony was among the First permanent settlers of New Sweden. He came to the Colony from the West Indies in 1639 aboard the Swedish ship Vogel Grip. Records indicate that Black Anthony became a free man named Antoni Swart, an employee of Governor Johan Printz, who cut hay and sailed Printz’s sloop during the 1640’s and 1650’s.

Delaware remained a racially segregated society until the mid-twentieth century. Though the segregation of public schools was supported by the “separate but equal” doctrine that had been upheld by the nation’s highest court, the facilities and services provided for the whites and African-Americans were hardly equal. Seeking to address this situation, citizens in the communities of Claymont and Hockessin solicited the counsel of Louis L. Redding, the state’s first African-American attorney. In 1951, with the assistance of attorney Jack Greenberg, Mr. Redding brought suit against the State Board of Education in the Delaware Court of Chancery. Formally known as Belton v. Gebhart and Bulah v. Gebhart, the cases were combined. Redding argued that laws requiring schools to be segregated by race denies the African-American students their constitutional rights to the equal protection of the law. The chief judge of the court of Chancery, Collins J. Seitz, agreed, finding that segregation was inherently harmful to the students, and therefore unconstitutional. The Chancellor’s opinion was the first clear victory for opponents of segregation in an American court. The ruling was subsequently appealed and heard by the United States Supreme Court as part of the Brown v. Board of Education case. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court adopted the reasoning of Redding and Seitz in a decision that effectively ended the segregation of public schools throughout the nation.

On January 26, 1883, the Delaware Baptist Union was formally incorporated by the state legislature. The purpose of the organization was to spread the message of the denomination and promote “the erection and maintenance of houses of religious worship.” Soon thereafter a group of African-American residents of Dover who had accepted the Baptist faith began to hold meetings in private homes and a local store. In 1884 the Delaware Baptist Union purchased land at this location on which to build a permanent home for the congregation. The new church was officially dedicated on July 10, 1887. Known as Calvary Baptist Church, it was the second African-American Baptist Church to be established in the state. The property was formerly conveyed to the trustees of the church in 1924. After a long period of sporadic growth, the congregation experienced an unprecedented expansion in the 1980s under the leadership of Reverend Richard M. Avant. Having outgrown the old facility, a major construction project was undertaken. In 1983, land adjoining the church was provided by William T. and Iris O. Wilson, and Wilson A. and Betty M. Waters. The building was expanded to include a full basement, offices, choir room, and enlarged chapel. The project was completed in 1986. Today, Calvary Baptist Church continues to serve as a cultural and spiritual center for the residents of the greater Dover community.

This house of worship, built in 1805, was first a Preparative Meeting under the care of Motherkiln (Murderkill) Monthly Meeting of Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). In 1830, Camden Monthly Meeting was formed by uniting with Motherkiln and Duck Creek Monthly Meetings. It has since absorbed all other Quaker Meetings in Kent and Sussex Counties. Many members were active in the anti-slavery movement. Local Quakers such as the Hunn, Jenkins, and Cowgill families, were well known for their efforts in support of abolition. Some served as conductors on the Underground Railroad, providing “safe houses” and passing fugitive slaves northward. Of particular note was John Hunn, the Chief Engineer of the Underground Railroad in Delaware. A resident of the Middletown area during much of his life, Hunn was responsible for the operation of the network that transported thousands of escapees through Delaware to Wilmington, and thence to freedom. A man of great modesty, he declined to take credit for his heroic efforts. He was laid to rest in the adjoining burial ground following his death in 1894.

GRAVESITE OF BISHOP PETER SPENCER (1779-1843)
AND HIS DEVOTED WIFE, ANNES

Born a slave, Bishop Spencer was the father of Delaware’s independent Black church movement. In 1813, he founded the Union Church of Africans, presently known as the African Union Methodist Protestant Church. The mother AUMP church stood on this site from 1813 to 1970. The Union America Methodist Episcopal Church (UAME), formally organized in 1865, traces its origins to Spencer. He was also the founder of “August Quarterly” in 1813, one of the oldest Black folk festivals in America.

NC – 84
LOCATION: Wilmington – French Street in Peter Spencer Plaza.

Hockessin School #107-C

Also known as the Hockessin Colored School, this building was constructed in 1920 to serve the needs of the community’s African-American students. Funding for construction was provided by the Delaware School Auxiliary Association and its primary supporter P.S. duPont.

Unlike white students, African-American students in the community were not provided with transportation to their school. After unsuccessfully attempting to convince officials to provide this service, Mrs. Sarah Bulah sought the assistance of attorney Louis L. Redding, who filed suit against the State Board of Education in 1951on behalf of her daughter Shirley. The case was formally known as Bulah v. Gebhart. It was subsequently combined with a similar suit that had been filed on behalf of students in Claymont. On April 1, 1952, Delaware Chancellor Collins J. Seitz issued a decision declaring that the disparity between the white and African-American schools was in violation of the United States Supreme Court, where it was joined with other cases to become Brown v. Board of Education. On May 17, 1954, the court issued its historic decision declaring segregation of schools to be unlawful. Hockessin School #107C was closed in 1959. It was later converted for use as the Hockessin Community Center.

NC – 137
LOCATION: Hockessin, 4266 Mill Creek Road

HOWARD HIGH SCHOOL
First Secondary School for Blacks in Delaware

Founded in 1867 by the Association for the Moral Improvement and Education of Colored People and named for Civil War General Oliver Otis Howard, the original school was located at 12th and Orange Streets. Pierre S. DuPont was the major benefactor for the new building, opened in 1938 on this site. With the annexation of the adjoining Howard Career Center in 1975, Howard’s role as the major educational institution for Blacks expanded to include students from the total Delaware community.

NC – 82
LOCATION – North Poplar Street in front of Howard High School, near West 13th Street, Wilmington.

MACEDONIA A.M.E. CHURCH

The origin of this congregation can be traced to the African Methodist Episcopal Church circa 1852. Desiring a permanent place of worship, the group obtained the old Bochin’s Meeting House and moved it to a lot on the west side of Front Street in 1861. The site was formally conveyed to church trustees the following year. A through rebuilding of the church was completed in 1879 during the pastorate of Rev. Heath.

In 1906, the trustees of Macedonia A.M.E. Church purchased land at this location to serve as a future site for their house of worship. The Front Street church was moved to the site in 1915, and an extensive remodeling project was completed under the administration of Rev. J.J. Moore. Another major renovation and expansion of church facilities was undertaken in 1981. Several annual conferences have been held here since its founding on the eve of the Civil War. Macedonia A.M.E. Church has continued to play a vital role in the spiritual life of the community.

SC – 147
LOCATION: Seaford, DE

MASON-DIXON CROWN STONE

In 1763, Penn and Calvert commissioners erected milestones along the boundary between Maryland and the Three Lower Counties (Delaware), part of the Mason-Dixon survey. Every five miles they erected elaborate Crown Stones. This stone was displayed in St. Louis in 1904, and later in Baltimore. It was returned to Marydel in 1954 and was reset in 1964.

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LOCATION: Marydel on the Maryland-Delaware line, 14 miles west of Dover.

MEETING HOUSE
RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

Grew from Newark Meeting established 1682. Present house is third in this vicinity. Friends School begun here in 1748 has operated continuously. Among 3,000 buried in yard are founders of Wilmington, John Dickinson, “Penman of the Revolution”, and Thomas Garrett, leader of Underground Railroad on Delmarva Peninsula.

NC – 76 LOCATION: Wilmington – in meeting house yard, 4th and West Streets

MORNING STAR INSTITUTIONAL
CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST, INC.

In 1856, the trustees of Whatcoat Methodist Episcopal Church purchased this site from Thomas Mifflin. The present church was erected thereafter and dedicated on July 26, 1857. Extensive renovations of the structure was undertaken in 1865 and 1940. The building was expanded with the addition of a nine-room educational annex in 1948. The Whatcoat congregation continued to worship here until 1967, when services were moved to a new church nearby. After a decade of continued use as a center for educational activities, this property was conveyed to the Church of Christ in 1977. It was subsequently sold to New Hope Baptist Church in 1981. On June 17, 1986, the structure was purchased by Morning Star Institutional Church Of God in Christ Inc. This denomination was formally organized in 1907 by Bishop Charles H. Mason of Memphis, Tennessee.

Morning Star Institutional Church Of God In Christ is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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LOCATION: Camden, located at 255 East Camden-Wyoming Avenue.

Mount Olive Cemetery

In 1862 the members of Mother AUMP Church, also known as the Union Church of African Members, purchased property at the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Union Street in Wilmington for the purpose of establishing a cemetery. In 1914 the Church sold the property, then known as St. Peter Cemetery for the construction of Bancroft Parkway. Remains were disinterred and reburied at Mount Olive. Many prominent citizens and community leaders are buried here. In 1980 the Friends of Mount Olive Cemetery was established to provide ongoing care and maintenance.

NC – 87
LOCATION: West of Wilmington, On State Route 48/100 one-half east of State Route 100/141 intersection.

PHILLIS WHEATLEY

The inadequate condition of schools throughout the nation resulted in a major effort to reform public education following World War 1. Delaware was at the forefront of this movement. With the assistance of the Delaware Auxiliary Association and its primary supporter, P.S. duPont, a program to replace outdated schools was undertaken. Noting the poor nature of facilities provided for African-American students enrolled in the state’s segregated schools, the Association made them their first priority. In 1921 they initiated the construction of a modern building at this location to accommodate students from Bridgeville and the surrounding community. Known for a time as the Bridgeville Colored School, the facility was subsequently named for Phillis Wheatley (c1753-1784), the nations’ first published African-American poet. In addition to serving the needs of the area’s elementary and middle school students, the building was a center for community activities. The school was integrated in 1966 and converted for use as North Bridgeville Elementary. It later served as the Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center. Following extensive renovation and expansion, this historic structure was reopened as the Phillis Wheatley Middle School in 2004.

SC – 179
LOCATION: Bridgeville, 48 Church Street

PRIDE OF DELAWARE LODGE #349 IBPOEW

The Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World was formally organized in 1898. Designed to promote civic improvement, the IBPOEW is one of the largest fraternal organizations of its type in the world. Responding to the request of a group of Newark citizens, the IBPOEW issued a charter for Pride of Delaware Lodge #349 on March 29, 1923. The first Exalted Ruler of the new lodge was W.G. Saunders, a long-time leader in Newark’s African-American community. The present lodge hall was purchased in 1938. Formerly a store and pool hall, it has served as the home of Lodge #349 since that time. It is also the meeting place of Elizabeth Boulden Temple #269, a women’s organization, which is affiliated with the IBPOEW. Since its founding in 1923, the Pride of Delaware Lodge has continued in its role to promote “the nobleness of soul and goodness of heart” through various activities within the Newark community.

NC -129
LOCATION: Newark, DE, located on West Cleveland Avenue

THE REVERSE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

By the late 1700s the institution of slavery was declining in Delaware. A changing economy and the active efforts of Quakers and Methodists had led to the manumission of many slaves and dramatic growth of the state’s free black population. Though Congress outlawed importation of slaves in 1808, demand for slave labor in the expanding states of the Deep South continued to grow. A nefarious criminal element sought to fill this need by kidnapping free blacks for sale into slavery. Such was the case in Delaware, where countless numbers of innocent persons were abducted and sent to the South via secret networks operated by criminal gangs. The Abolition Society of Delaware worked tirelessly against the practice, and opposed the gangs. Among these was Wilmington resident Thomas Garrett, the legendary Underground Railroad conductor who dedicated his life to the abolition of slavery after the abduction of a woman employed by his family. Despite the efforts of Garrett and others, and the enactment of harsh punishments for kidnappers, Delaware’s black residents continued to live in fear for their safety until the Civil War.

This memorial is dedicated to the victims of this evil enterprise, and those who struggled against it.

NC 128 LOCATION: Riverfront west of the John Reilly (South Market Street) Bridge.

ST JOSEPH CHURCH

The cradle of African-American Catholicism in Delaware, St. Joseph Church was organized in 1889 by Father John A. DeRuyter of the Josephites. Services were first held in the basement of St. Mary’s Church on 6th and Pine Streets. Incorporated as St. Joseph’s Society for Colored Missions on March 4, 1890, the first church structure was dedicated in October of the same year. During the next few years, Father DeRuyter expanded the church’s role in the community to include an orphanage, a school and a free dispensary. One of the school’s most prominent students was State Senator Herman M. Holloway, Sr., the first African –American to serve in the Delaware State Senate.

NC – 94

LOCATION: Wilmington. East Side of French Street, near the intersection of French Street and 11th Street.

SCOTT AME ZION CHURCH

Zion Church in New York City, organized in 1796, was the catalyst by which the African Methodist Episcopal Zion denomination was established in 1821. By the 1870’s a number of Wilmington residents had affiliated themselves with this growing denomination. Formally incorporated as Plymouth AME Zion Church in 1878, the group first held worship services in an old church at 2nd & Washington Streets. Renamed Grace AME Zion in the 1890s, the congregation moved to several locations before purchasing this site in 1959.

The present church was originally constructed in 1852 to serve as an interdenominational education facility known as the South Street Sabbath School. In 1855 the seating capacity of the building was doubled and its name was changed to Scott Methodist Episcopal Church to honor pioneering Methodist Bishop Levi Scott. After a century of good works in the community, the church was formally closed and sold to the members of Grace AME Zion. Upon moving to the present location, the name Scott AME Zion Church was adopted by the congregation, preserving an important link to the early days of Methodism.

NC – 112

LOCATION: 7th and Spruce, Wilmington

SOUTH WILMINGTON
Cradle of African-American Political Leadership

William J. Winchester, after serving 16 years on Wilmington City Council became the first of his race elected to the Delaware House of Representatives. He served from 1948 until his death in 1952. Herman M. Holloway, Sr., became the first African-American elected to the State Senate in 1964. Henrietta Johnson was the first African-American female elected to the House of Representatives, serving from 1970 - 1978.

NC – 86

LOCATION: Wilmington. New Castle Avenue, one block from South Claymont Street intersection.

STAR HILL A.M.E. CHURCH

By the end of the 18th century, this area was home to a large number of African Americans, many of them freed slaves. Their settlement was largely due to the efforts of local Quakers. A congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was established here circa 1863. On June 12, 1866, the congregation purchased land from Henry W. Postles as the site for their church, which they named “Star of the East”. Members of the church are believed to have participated in the activities of the Underground Railroad and the church’s name is attributed to the symbol of the star as a guide for escaping slaves.

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LOCATION: Near Camden - Approximately ½ mile east of the intersection of Route 13 and Star Hill Road (Route 360) north side of Star Hill Road.

THE HOME OF
WILLIAM JULIUS “JUDY” JOHNSON

Born October 26, 1899 – Died June 14, 1989

In 1975 William Julius “Judy” Johnson became the first Delawarean elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. During his career, 1921 through 1936, Johnson was considered the best third baseman in the Negro Leagues. In 1935, Johnson served as captain of the Pittsburgh Crawfords, a team that also featured Hall of Famers Satchel Paige, Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell. Later he served as a scout for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the Milwaukee Braves. This house where Johnson and his wife Anita lived for 55 years is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

NC – 95

LOCATION: Marshallton – Intersection of Newport Road and Kiamensi Avenue

WILLIAM C. JASON COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN SECONDARY SCHOOL in SUSSEX COUNTY

Named after the first African-American president of Delaware State College, the school opened in October 1950. Funds were provided in the will of H. Fletcher Brown a local philanthropist, and by the State General Assembly. Initially Jason High School served grades 9 through 12, but in 1953 it expanded to include students from seventh and eight grades. The desegregation of schools in Delaware led to the closing of Jason in June, 1967 after which it became part of Delaware Technical and Community College.

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LOCATION: Georgetown. On State Road 18 (Seashore Highway), west of the U.S. 113 intersection.

WILLIAM W.M. HENRY COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL

In 1947 the General Assembly appropriated funding to build a comprehensive high school for Blacks and other persons of color residing in central Delaware. The site for the new school was selected in 1949. The state and the Delaware School Auxiliary Association allocated additional funding, and construction was begun in 1951. The new school opened its doors in September 1952. It was named for Dr. W. M. Henry, a 1902 graduate of Delaware State College, who was the first Black physician to practice in lower Delaware. In 1965, the State Board of Education ordered the desegregation of Delaware schools. The High School was closed on June 30, 1966, and the facility became a part of Dover’s integrated public school system.

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LOCATION: Dover, 65 Carver Road

WILMINGTON FRIENDS MEETING
Burial Place of Thomas Garrett

The first Meeting House on this site was built in 1738. It was replaced in 1748 when a larger building was constructed. The old Meeting House was then converted into a school. Known as Wilmington Friends School, it was relocated to a new facility in 1937, and is the oldest existing school in the state. The present Meeting House was built in 1816.

Wilmington was the last major stop on the East Coast overland route of the Underground Railroad. One of the central figures of this clandestine network was Thomas Garrett, a Wilmington resident and member of this Meeting, who was known as the “Stationmaster of the Underground Railroad.” Found guilty of violating the Fugitive Slave Law in 1848, he was forced to sell his possessions to pay his fine. Many were purchased and returned to him by members of the Meeting and other supporters. Garrett is credited with helping more than 2,700 slaves escape to freedom. His last public appearance was as presiding officer of a suffrage meeting, continuing his dedication to the still held Quaker tenets of Simplicity, Equality, and Peace. Following his death in 1871, he was laid to rest in the adjoining burial ground.

NC – 125 LOCATION: Wilmington, corner of 4th and West Streets

For a Complete Listing:
Delaware Public Archives
121 Duke of York Street
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 744-5047
http://archives.delaware.gov/
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