Before the Park: A Very Brief History of the Battery

Because New Castle was a coastal town, a battery was important to protect it from threats arriving by water.

Library of Congress Geography and Map Division

The Origins of Battery Park and Colonial Artillery

Battery Park takes its name from the defensive battery that once stood here. In this context, a “battery” refers to a strategically located and somewhat fortified position used to fire artillery, such as cannons. The battery at this site fired cannons at approaching enemy ships to help protect New Castle, as well as Wilmington and even Philadelphia farther upriver. Cannons were placed in this general location as early as the seventeenth century.

There were, of course, other cannons at Fort Casimir and later at the fortified blockhouse in town, but these were separate defensive sites. This location along the river provided an excellent vantage point from which to spot ships approaching upriver. During the early colonial period, French and Spanish privateers and pirates were considered a particular threat.

Foritfications, Powder Taxes and Controversy

As a result, a short-lived fortification was constructed on the Battery site in 1706–1707 in hopes of protecting New Castle from pirate incursions. Ships traveling upriver were required to pay a “powder tax,” payable in gunpowder, to help fund the fortification. If a ship failed to stop, the battery’s cannons fired warning shots into the river near the vessel until it complied. Fines were charged and increased with each shot fired for captains who did not stop and go ashore to obtain permission to proceed.

This plan proved controversial. Quakers in Philadelphia objected to such militaristic measures on religious grounds. At the time, New Castle was part of the colony of Pennsylvania and subject to decisions made by Pennsylvania’s colonial Assembly. After the mayor of Philadelphia provoked a confrontation in which cannons at New Castle fired on his ship, opposition within the Assembly grew strong enough that the powder tax was abolished and the fortification dismantled.

Rebuilding Defenses During the French and Indian War

During the French and Indian War (1754–1763), invasion by French ships again became a serious concern. This conflict was part of a broader global struggle between Great Britain and France, often called the Seven Years’ War, and represented the latest chapter in a centuries-long rivalry between the two powers. In 1757, funds were raised to build another fortified battery, likely located near the hill along lower West Third Street.

Transformations of the Shoreline Through Industry and Railroads

Since that time, the shoreline has changed significantly. Industrial development, railroad construction, and later landscaping associated with the creation of Battery Park all altered the land from its original eighteenth-century appearance.

By the mid-nineteenth century, numerous railroad tracks extended to the waterfront, and an industrial area developed nearby due to easy transportation access by rail and river. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), this proximity made the Battery area particularly useful for transferring coal from rail cars to ships. Coal was essential to power trains and many other vessels, making its efficient movement critical to the war effort.

Railroad tracks run across the foreground of the Battery area in this early 1900s view. Fishing nets hang to dry on wooden frames, with small waterfront buildings beyond—capturing a time when rail transport, industry, and river life shaped the landscape before it became Battery Park.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society

The Coal Wharf and River Commerce in the 19th Century

In 1863, a structure known as the “Long Wharf” or “Coal Wharf” was built at the end of South Street to facilitate this transfer. The wharf stretched approximately 600 feet into the river and was built strong enough for coal-laden rail cars to run directly onto it. Construction cost an enormous $250,000 at the time—equivalent to millions of dollars today. Despite this investment, the wharf was used only a few times and was considered a failure. As it fell into disuse, it became a popular swimming spot. Remnants of the coal wharf can still be seen at low tide just offshore from the General Holcomb Memorial Flagpole.

Delaware Street Wharf and Ferry Operations

Another wharf, located at the end of Delaware Street, proved far more successful. Built in 1832 by the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad Company, it was rebuilt several times for commercial use. From 1925 to 1927, it served as a ferry terminal, until ferry operations moved to Chestnut Street.

Establishment of Battery Park as a City Park

The Battery was not solely an industrial landscape. It also served recreational purposes. In 1913, while the Pennsylvania Railroad owned the land, the company opened Ocean Beach Park. The park featured beach houses and bathhouses, a dance pavilion, and picnic groves. Trains ran regularly from Wilmington to bring visitors to the site.

Following a series of land purchases facilitated by the Trustees of New Castle Common , Battery Park officially opened as a city park in 1939 {Link to Battery Park page}. Many improvements and additions have been made since that time, and the park remains a popular place to enjoy river views and observe the steady traffic moving along the Delaware River.

Historic Benchmarks

This article is part of a series titled Historic Benchmarks: New Castle and the Making of a Nation which was created in partnership with the Delaware250, New Castle Historical Society, Old New Castle Outdoor Recreation Coalition, the City of New Castle, and The Trustees of the New Common.

References

Arnold, H. (1994). The Tides Led the Town: A Recent History of the Waterfront, New Castle, Delaware. New Castle, Delaware: New Castle Historical Society.

Benson, B. E., & Hoffecker, C. E. (2021). New Castle, Delaware: A Walk Through Time. New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press.

Cooper, A. B. (2020). The History of New Castle, Delaware. (J. Meek, Ed., & J. Meek, Trans.) New Castle, Delaware: New Castle Historical Society and Oak Knoll Book.

Delaware Federal Writers' Project, Originally published 1936, reprinted. (2001). New Castle Memories 1900-1950: New Castle Today. In C. J. Cooper (Ed.), 350 Years of New Castle, Delaware: Chapters in a Town's History (pp. 135-140). Wilmington, DE: New Castle Historical Society and Cedar Tree Books.

Higgins, A. (Ed.). (1973). New Castle on the Delaware (Third ed.). New Castle, Delaware: New Castle Historical Society.

McIntire, N. (1980, August 20). Behind the Times. New Castle Gazette, pp. Reprinted in "Selected Columns of Nicholas S. McIntire," p.113.

Meek, J. L. (2015). Where was The Battery in Battery Park? Retrieved June 24, 2025 from New Castle, Delaware: Community History and Archaeology Program: https://nc-chap.org/battery/

New Castle Historical Society. (1986). The Best of 'Behind the Times': Selected Columns About New Castle by Nicholas S. McIntire. New Castle, Delaware: New Castle Historical Society.