New Historical Marker Unveiling – Fort Delaware

The Delaware Public Archives invites you to attend the unveiling of a new State of Delaware Historical Marker: Fort Delaware.

Fort Delaware was a site of major military and cultural significance in the First State. Constructed in the mid-1800s on Pea Patch Island, Fort Delaware served as a coastal defense fortification protecting the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia, and later operated as a Union prison during the Civil War. Preservation efforts led in part by the Fort Delaware Society helped establish the site as one of Delaware’s first state parks in 1951.

Please note: The unveiling will take place on the Delaware City mainland in Battery Park and does not require a ticket. Admission is required to tour Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island. Visitors interested in touring the fort following the ceremony should purchase ferry tickets through Fort Delaware’s ticketing office. The unveiling will coincide with Fort Fest, opening day for Fort Delaware this season.

This event will be held rain or shine; an alternate indoor location at Dolly Spankers will be used in the event of rain.