Education in New Castle: Before Modern Schools

An example of a student's geometry schoolwork from 1799.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society.

Early Modern Schooling in New Castle

There are many modern public and private schools in New Castle and the immediately surrounding area today. One of the first modern schools in New Castle opened in 1930 as the William Penn School, located on Delaware Street just outside the center of town. It originally served all grade levels, but is now home to New Castle Elementary. Before modern school buildings like this existed, education in New Castle looked very different.

Education Under Dutch and English Colonial Rule

Under Dutch and later English colonial rule, religious institutions or private individuals handled most education for children, as was common in Europe at the time. The first known school in the Dutch colony of New Amstel (later New Castle) was founded by 1657. A single schoolmaster taught approximately 25 students with limited supplies. The curriculum likely included reading, writing, and basic math, as well as religious doctrine and moral instruction.

Under English rule in 1727, education remained informal and inconsistent. A visiting clergyman complained that schooling was limited to traveling teachers hired by individual families. These teachers were poorly paid and often regarded as disreputable. At the time, education was not considered a public priority.

As Quaker influence increased in the region, different ideas about education began to take hold. While Quaker instruction remained largely faith-based, with recommended reading that included scripture and other religious texts, Quakers believed in the value of educating all children—not just White boys. In nearby Wilmington, around the turn of the nineteenth century, Quakers established a school for Black students that met one day a week. There is also evidence that classes for Black students were held in New Castle churches, likely on Sundays.

After the New Castle Meetinghouse moved to Wilmington, the former Quaker Meetinghouse on Fourth Street in New Castle was rented for various uses, including as a school. William Penn himself, a Quaker, supported education for all children and proposed that every child be educated in a skill or trade by age twelve. Although the Assembly passed a law reflecting this idea, the plan was never fully implemented.

An act of the Legislature in 1772 permitted the Trustees of the New Castle Common (link to the Trustees Page) to use land on The Green at the corner of Third Street and Harmony Street to build a schoolhouse. Construction of the Academy was delayed until 1798 due to the American Revolutionary War and the reorganization of government that followed. During this delay, private tutors and religious institutions continued to educate children, including a group of private citizens who rented the former Meetinghouse for this purpose.

The Academy served as a school for both boys and girls in New Castle.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society.

The New Castle Academy finally opened in 1799. Although described as a “public” school, the meaning of that term has changed over time. At the time, “public” meant the school was less exclusive than private institutions. Children from any White family who could afford tuition were allowed to attend, and some students from poorer families could enroll if scholarship funds were available. It is estimated that children from about half of the White families in New Castle attended the Academy.

Both boys and girls attended the school, though they were separated by gender and followed slightly different curricula. All students learned reading and basic mathematics, while boys also studied a classical curriculum that included translating works from Latin.

The Arsenal building was also used for classes by students.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society.

The New Castle Institute and Expanded Public Support

The Academy remained a tuition school until an 1852 Act of Assembly established the New Castle Institute, supported by the Trustees of the Common and local taxation. Classes were held in the Academy building as well as in The Arsenal across The Green. Although tuition was still charged, arrangements were made for families unable to afford the cost of attendance. At this point, boys and girls followed the same curriculum.

Segregation and Education for Black Students

Until the mid-twentieth century, schools in Delaware were segregated by race. In 1824, the African School Society was established to raise funds for the education of Black students. By 1866, there were seven schools for Black students in Delaware, though none were located in New Castle.

In 1867, the Freedmen’s Bureau—a federal program created during Reconstruction to assist formerly enslaved and free Black Americans after the Civil War—funded fifteen new schools across the state. These efforts were supported by charitable donations from both Black and white community members. One such school was located in New Castle: the Williams Street School, which stood on Williams Street between West Fourth and West Fifth Streets.

The surrounding neighborhood was predominantly Black, though some white families also lived nearby. A prominent church, Union African Methodist Church (formerly Bethany Church), still stands in the area and served as an important community anchor. In 1877, records show that 48 students attended the Williams Street School, which operated from October through May. The school was replaced in 1923 by the Booker T. Washington School. Beginning in 1919, the Buttonwood School served Black students in the Buttonwood neighborhood.

Pierre S. DuPont and Statewide School Modernization

In the early twentieth century, Pierre S. DuPont, a member of the prominent DuPont family in Delaware, recognized that education for all was essential to modernization and to keeping Delaware competitive with other states and internationally. A 1919 survey of Delaware schools showed poor conditions statewide, including in New Castle. That same year, DuPont began funding public schools with his own money.

DuPont limited his support to districts that adopted the “new School Code,” which aimed to centralize, standardize, and modernize the education system. He funded schools for both White and Black students, whose access to education had long been unequal. DuPont supported the construction of 86 schools for Black students across Delaware, including both the Booker T. Washington School and the Buttonwood School in New Castle.

The William Penn School for white students opened in 1930.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society

The William Penn School

The William Penn School for White students, funded in part by duPont, opened in 1930. The building originally included elementary and high school classrooms, an auditorium, and specialized instructional rooms. Located on Delaware Street just outside the town center, it now serves as New Castle Elementary School.

Religious Education and Catholic Schools

Religious schools continued to play an important role in local education. In 1906, St. Peter’s School was founded by the pastor of St. Peter’s Church with the help of the Sisters of St. Francis. Located on Fifth Street between Delaware and Harmony Streets, the elementary school initially enrolled 157 students, most from the church’s congregation. In 1920, ninth and tenth grades were added, and by 1931 the school had become a full high school. St. Peter’s was the only Catholic high school in Delaware outside of Wilmington. A new high school building opened in 1951 at Fifth and Harmony Streets.

Growth, Integration, and New Schools

As New Castle’s population grew and schools became racially integrated, older school buildings could no longer meet community needs. New schools were constructed—many of which continue to educate students in New Castle and the surrounding area today.

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

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

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.