Port Penn’s name is attributed to a visit that William Penn made to the area in 1682. Dr. David Stewart founded Port Penn in the 1760s and laid out the town in a grid pattern. A protected deep water harbor and access to an active peach and grain trade made Port Penn a successful village, and a target of the British navy during the Revolution and War of 1812. Port Penn supported a Customs House, churches, school, cannery, and other businesses. The opening of the C & D Canal and expansion of the Delaware Railroad in the mid-1800s shifted transportation and commerce away from Port Penn, leaving behind a well-preserved Delaware River village.

NCC-241: Installed in 2019.

Location:

1 West Market Street, Port Penn, DE 19731

 

Links to more resources:

• NCC-241: Deeds and Plots
• NCC-241: Pamphlet Collection Database
• NCC-241: State Deeds Database
• Port Penn on ContentDM