William W.M. Henry Comprehensive High School
In 1947 the General Assembly appropriated funding to build a comprehensive high school for Blacks and other persons of color residing in central Delaware. The site for the new school was selected in 1949. The state and the Delaware School Auxiliary Association allocated additional funding, and construction was begun in 1951. The new school opened […]
Site of African Union Church and Cemetery
The African Union Church (AUC) of Christiana Bridge built a wood-framed church on this site in 1819. The AUC was the first incorporated religious group in the country controlled entirely by African Americans. The congregation replaced the structure with a brick church in 1850. The church relocated in 1897. Members disassembled the church and transported […]
New London Road Community
The African American New London Road community can be traced back to 1786 when free black families began settling in the area. The community clustered around New London Road and was bounded by Cleveland Avenue to the south and Corbit and Ray Streets to the north. At a time when African Americans were not welcomed […]
Jason Beach
Named after William C. Jason, the second President of State College for Colored Students (now Delaware State University), Jason Beach was a recreational destination for people of color from the 1930s through the early 1970s. Along with use as a swimming area, this location situated in Trap Pond State Park was also used for a […]
Phillis Wheatley School
The inadequate condition of schools throughout the nation resulted in a major effort to reform public education following World War I. Delaware was at the forefront of this movement. With the assistance of the Delaware Auxiliary Association and its primary supporter, P.S. duPont, a program to replace outdated schools was undertaken. Noting the poor nature […]
Paul Laurence Dunbar School
The Paul Laurence Dunbar School educated African American students in Laurel in grades 1-11 from 1921-1965. Constructed as part of philanthropist Pierre S. du Pont’s school rebuilding program, the Dunbar School replaced a small wood-framed school in West Laurel built in 1867. The new building was named for black poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and also […]
Equal Suffrage Study Club
In 1914, the Equal Suffrage Study Club, founded by and for African American women, encouraged the public to campaign for women’s voting rights and inclusion of African American women. This club was one of Delaware’s most active suffrage organizations with members speaking in public, lobbying, and marching. On April 13, 1920, with encouragement from Alice […]
Site of Carlisle African Methodist Episcopal Church
In 1849, Caper and Leah Carlisle deeded a quarter-acre of land to Meeting House Trustees Jacob Allston, Peter Carlisle, James Collins, Perry Hawkins, and Nathaniel White. The Carlisles and the trustees were part of a free African American community located nearby at Cassons Corner. A wood-framed church was built on this site after 1849 and […]
Abraham Shadd Family
Abraham Doras Shadd (1801-1882) was the grandson of Hans and Elizabeth Schad, a Hessian soldier and free Black woman who settled in Delaware in the 1770s. Abraham was a shoemaker and a well-known abolitionist in Wilmington who aided freedom seekers. He also served as President of the National Convention for the Improvement of Free People […]
Rabbit’s Ferry School 201-C
Rabbit’s Ferry School educated Native American and African American students of the Robinsonville area from 1920-1965. Built in 1919 through Pierre S. du Pont’s school rebuilding program, the school served students in grades 1-8 and later, grades 1-6. Rabbit’s Ferry was one of the last active one-room schools in the state when it closed in […]
