New Castle’s Harbor

A coastal freighter sits off the coast of New Castle.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society

The River as the Foundation of New Castle’s Economy

For much of its history, New Castle’s economy was dependent on the Delaware River for almost everything. Before man-made improvements to the waterfront, it was a long sandy beach that the Dutch called “Sandhoec (Sandy Hook)” or “Sandhuken (Sandy Point)” and was an excellent vantage point at a narrowing bend in the river. Migratory fish such as shad and sturgeon provided a reliable food source through the early 20th century, but New Castle’s location also made it a convenient place for ships to stop. The surrounding landscape provided a natural harbor and a somewhat sheltered place in the river out of the current where a ship could safely stop. The residents of New Castle improved the harbor starting early in the city’s history.

Tides, Sediment, and the Need for a Harbor Stop

The river used to be closer to The Strand, but sedimentary deposits have built up since the town’s beginnings. The water level of the Delaware River, which opens out into the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, is affected by the ocean tides. When the tide comes in (high tide) the ocean water causes the river to rise. When the tide goes back out (low tide), the level falls again. Before the deeper channel was dug in the river, the larger vessels that sat deep into the water needed the assistance of high tide to go upriver to Philadelphia, and stopped in the New Castle harbor to wait.

A Hub for International and Local Shipping

International ships powered by sail and steam, as well as local vessels, packet boats and ferries transported cargo and passengers. New Castle’s harbor served as an important stop for ships headed out to sea. The stop at New Castle was the last chance to take on fresh water, supplies, and livestock before heading out into the Atlantic Ocean, and the first stop to the area after crossing the ocean before heading upriver to Wilmington or Philadelphia. Because of its proximity to the river, The Strand, previously known as Front Street or Water Street, was a prized location for trade and transportation-related businesses such as hotels, taverns, warehouses and workshops.

A historic view of New Castle’s waterfront, showing early docks, warehouses, and riverfront structures that supported commerce and travel along the Delaware River.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society

Packet Boats and the Rise of the Wharf District

By the late 18th century, several wharves lined the shore, with alleys leading down to them, serving packet boats and ships stopping for supplies. Packet boats came to the wharf at what is now “Packet Alley,” providing easy transfer to the New Castle-Frenchtown Turnpike (and later Railroad). Merchants built shops along the alley to supply the boats and their passengers.

Winter Ice and the Construction of Ice Piers

During the winter when the river was icy, Wilmington and Philadelphia’s harbors could be closed by ice floats. The ice could cause significant damage to wooden ships. Some ships would take refuge in New Castle’s harbor if the ice prevented them from traveling up the river or to prevent damage. To help prevent damage for ships docked in town and the harbor itself, the State of Delaware built ice piers.

The Arrival of Steamboats

In the late 18th and early 19th century, people began harnessing steam to power all sorts of technology including new forms of transportation. The first steamboats were developed in various places. Philadelphia inventor John Fitch successfully demonstrated his steamboat, Perseverance, on the Delaware River in 1787, and opened a steamboat service on the river in 1790. In 1807, Robert Fulton’s famous steamboat, Clermont, traveled from New York City to Albany, New York. The new technology took off soon after flooding New Castle with steamboat traffic and passengers. Steamboats started running between Philadelphia and New Castle in the 1820s, with the C&D Canal opening in 1829.

Steamboat Lines and Harbor Improvements

Robert Morris was a steamboat on the Baltimore Union Line, running between Philadelphia, New Castle, and Burlington, New Jersey starting in 1830 and continuing for several decades. The “Ericcson Line” in 1844 ran between Philadelphia and Baltimore through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The design of their boats allowed them to navigate the Canal more easily than earlier versions. The Trustees of the New Castle Common built a wharf at the foot of Harmony street in 1817, and in 1847, the Delaware Legislature allowed the town to collect fees on goods that landed on the town’s wharf there, which helped to fund town projects and maintenance.

Steamboats, like the one pictured, carried passengers to New Castle to enjoy all the town had to offer.

Courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society

Excursion Travel and Leisure Destinations

Steamboats brought passengers on pleasurable excursions to get out of cities and travel to beaches, picnic grounds or amusement parks such as New Castle’s Deemer’s Beach. The steamboat Thomas Clyde, the sister ship of the Major Reybold, launched in 1878, and carried passengers between Philadelphia and Wilmington and Bombay Hook, where there were peach farms and picnic grounds. Later, it would run to Augustine Beach, south of New Castle, and Riverview Beach in New Jersey for picnics and other amusements.

The Harbor’s Legacy

Throughout its history, New Castle’s harbor proved to be important to the town, with government and private companies building and maintaining wharves to facilitate trade and travel. Although no longer a major stop for ocean-bound vessels or a hub for commerce, the wharf at the end of Delaware Street still sometimes hosts tall ships such as the Kalmar Nykel.

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, C. J. (2001). A Town Among Cities; New Castle, 1780-1840. In C. J. Cooper (Ed.), 350 Years of New Castle, Delaware: Chapters in a Town's History (pp. 73-107). Wilmington, DE: New Castle Historical Society and Cedar Tree Books.

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.

The Water Front in New Castle: Its Wharves and Early Piers. (1975). In R. S. Rodney, & G. H. Gibson (Ed.), The Collected Essays of Richard S. Rodney on Early Delaware (pp. 219-228). Wilmington, Delaware: Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Delaware.