Booker T. Washington School and Buttonwood School

Early Education and Segregation in New Castle

The earliest forms of education in New Castle were informal and privately organized. Until the mid-twentieth century, schools were segregated by race, meaning Black children were not allowed to attend school with their White neighbors. At the turn of the nineteenth century, the Academy in the center of town was open only to White students who could afford tuition, but there was no equivalent institution for Black students.

Early Efforts to Educate Black Children

Before the Civil War, educational opportunities for Black children were limited. Religious groups, including Quakers, and private individuals made efforts to provide some instruction to the Black community. Some churches held classes for Black students on Sundays, and a Quaker-run school for Black students existed in Wilmington as early as the turn of the eighteenth century. In 1824, the Wilmington-based African School Society was formed to raise funds for additional schools for Black students. In New Castle, the Williams Street School was built in 1867 to serve children in the Williams Street neighborhood.

Pierre S. DuPont and Statewide Educational Reform

In 1919, a prominent Delaware citizen Pierre S. DuPont commissioned a survey of Delaware’s educational system, including schools for Black students. After reviewing the results, DuPont concluded that if Delaware was to remain competitive nationally and internationally, its entire education system required major improvement. Through his organization and personal funding, DuPont supported the construction of numerous public schools throughout the state, including 86 one-room and two-room schoolhouses for Black students. Two of these “DuPont Schools” were located in New Castle.

The Booker T. Washington School was one of two schools for Black students in New Castle.

Courtesy of the Hagley Museum and Library

The Booker T. Washington School

The Booker T. Washington School, named for the renowned writer, educator, and civil rights leader, was built in 1923 replacing the Williams Street School. The Booker T. Washington School stood near the corner of Fourth and South Streets. The two-room school served students in grades one through eight, with multiple grades taught together by one teacher in a single classroom.

The Booker T. Washington School continued to operate after schools were racially integrated and served as an elementary school until 1958. Today, the building is home to the New Castle Senior Center.

Prior to the construction of the new Buttonwood Colored School building in 1925, this one-room schoolhouse served as the community’s school.

Courtesy of the Hagley Museum and Library

The Buttonwood School

To meet this need, the Buttonwood Methodist Church opened the Buttonwood School in 1919, using an addition to the church building as a classroom. In 1926, the school moved into a newly constructed, DuPont-funded one-room schoolhouse, retaining the name Buttonwood School. A second classroom and an additional teacher were added in 1934. The school officially closed in 1957. Today, the building is preserved as the Buttonwood Colored School and Museum.

Secondary and Postsecondary Education Opportunities

Although there were no institutions of higher education in New Castle itself, Howard High School in Wilmington provided secondary education for many Black students from New Castle and the surrounding region. Originally founded in 1869, the school moved to a new building in 1928 and today operates as Howard High School of Technology within the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District. For postsecondary education, Delaware State College—founded in Dover in 1891 and now Delaware State University—offered opportunities for advanced study.

School Integration After Brown v. Board of Education

In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. Delaware moved to integrate its schools soon afterward. The former school buildings that had served New Castle’s Black students were repurposed, and students of all races were allowed to attend the same schools as their neighbors.

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.

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

Buttonwood School Board of Trustees. (n.d.). The Buttonwood Colored School and Museum. Retrieved from https://www.buttonwoodschool.org/

Dalleo, B., Dalle, P., Harendz, H., & Kaser, C. H. (2002). Passing on the Story: African-Americans in New Castle. New Castle, Delaware: New Castle Historical Society.

Delaware Public Archives. (n.d.). Booker T. Washington School No. 109C. Retrieved from State of Delaware Historical Markers Program: https://archives.delaware.gov/delaware-historical-markers/booker-t-washington-school-nc145/

Delaware Public Archives. (n.d.). Buttonwood School. Retrieved from Delaware State Historical Markers Program: https://archives.delaware.gov/delaware-historical-markers/buttonwood-school/

Rhodes, A. (1993). Buildings Books & Blackboards: Education in New Castle from 1657 to 1930. New Castle, Delaware: New Castle Historical Society.

Front exterior view of Buttonwood Colored School prior to new construction. Delaware School Auxiliary Association photographs (Accession 1969.044). 1925 (year approximate). 1969044_014. Accession 1969.044, Box 1, Audiovisual Collections, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807. Accessed 2026-02-11; https://digital.hagley.org/1969044_014.

Front exterior view of New Castle Colored School. Delaware School Auxiliary Association photographs (Accession 1969.044). 1925 (year approximate). 1969044_060. Accession 1969.044, Box 2, Audiovisual Collections, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807. Accessed 2026-02-11; https://digital.hagley.org/1969044_060.