NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION NEW CASTLE

NATIONAL

HISTORIC

LANDMARK NOMINATION

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NP

S

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

1

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

1.

NAME

OF

PROPERTY

Historic

Name:

Other

Name/Site

Number:

New

Castle

Court

House

New

Castle

Court

House

Museum;

Old

Courthouse;

Old

Colony

and

State

House;

Delaware

Cultural

Resource

Survey

Number

NO

1290

2.

LOCATION

Street

&

Number:

211

Delaware

Street

City/Town:

New

Castle

State:

DE

County:

New

Castle

Code:

3

Not

for

publication:

Vicinity:_

Zip

Code:

19720

3.

CLASSIFICATION

Ownership

of

Property

Private:

_

Public-Local:__

Public-State:_X.

Public-Federal:

Number

of

Resources

within

Property

Contributing

1

0

1

Category

of

Property

Building(s):

JL

District:

_

Site:

_

Structure:

_

Object:

_

Non-contributing

0

buildings

0

sites

0

structures

0

objects

0

Total

Number

of

Contributing Resources

Previously

Listed

in

the

National

Register:

1

Name

of

Property

Listing:

N/A

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NPS

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

2

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service_____________________________________National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

4.

STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY

CERTIFICATION

As

the

designated

authority

under

the

National

Historic

Preservation

Act

of

1966,

as

amended,

I

hereby

certify

that

this

__

nomination

__

request

for

determination

of

eligibility meets

the

documentation

standards

for

registering

properties

in

the

National

Register

of

Historic Places and

meets

the

procedural

and

professional

requirements

set

forth

in

36

CFR

Part

60.

In

my

opinion,

the

property

__

meets

__

does

not

meet

the

National

Register

Criteria.

Signature

of

Certifying

Official

Date

State

or

Federal

Agency

and

Bureau

In

my

opinion,

the

property

__

meets

__

does

not

meet

the

National

Register

criteria.

Signature

of

Commenting

or

Other

Official

Date

State

or

Federal

Agency

and

Bureau

5.

NATIONAL

PARK

SERVICE

CERTIFICATION

I

hereby

certify

that

this

property

is:

__

Entered

in

the

National

Register

Determined

eligible

for

the

National

Register

Determined

not

eligible

for

the

National

Register

Removed

from

the

National

Register

_____

Other

(explain):

_________________

Signature

of

Keeper

Date

of

Action

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NPS

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

3

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service_____________________________________National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

6.

FUNCTION

OR

USE

Historic:

Government

Sub:

Capitol,

Courthouse

Current:

Recreation

and

Culture

Sub:

Museum

7.

DESCRIPTION

ARCHITECTURAL

CLASSIFICATION:

Colonial,

Georgian

MATERIALS:

Foundation:

Brick

Walls:

Brick

Roof:

Wood

Shingle

Other:

Stone

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NPS

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

4

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

Describe

Present

and

Historic

Physical

Appearance.

Located

on

the

southeast

corner

of

the

New

Castle

Common,

facing

Delaware

Street

in

New

Castle,

Delaware,

the

New

Castle

Court

House

is

a

two

and

one

half

story,

early

Georgian

style

brick

building. The

building

is

composed

of

three

sections

built

between

ca.

1730

and

1845.

The

oldest

section

of

the

building

is the

central,

five

bay

block

which

was

built

between

1730

and

1731.

The

four

bay

wide

east

wing section

was

built

in

two

stages,

1765

and

1802.

The

west

wing

was

constructed

in

1845.

The

building

had

been

modified

for

several

different

uses

since

the

State

and

Federal

Court system

left

the

building

in

1881.

The

entire

building

was

restored

by

the

State

of

Delaware

between

1955

and

1963

for interpretation

to

the

public

as

part

of

the

state

museum

system.

The

main

block

of

the

building

was

restored

primarily

to

the

appearance

documented

in

the

1802

Benjamin

H.

Latrobe

"Survey

of

the

City

of

New

Castle."

Extensive

archeological

investigation

produced

information

that

was

used

to

recreate

the

layout

and

missing

details

of

the

earlier

appearance

of

the

building.

The

building

is

an

individual

National

Historic

Landmark

and

located within

the

boundary

of

a

National

Landmark

District.

The

New

Castle

Court

House

is

a

two

and

one

half

story,

brick

Georgian

style

building.

The

deck-on-gable

roof

is

surmounted

by

an

eight-sided,

frame

cupola

detailed

with

a

dome

that

is

supported

by

an

open

arcade

of

round

arches

with

keystones

and

springers.

The

roof

deck

has

a

wood

balustrade

across

the

full

width that

terminates

in

brick

piers.

A

tall

thin

metal

spire

with

an

orb

and

arrow

weathervane

caps

off

the

cupola.

The

facade

and

rear

elevations

terminate

in

simple

molded

cornices

on

the

two

earliest

sections

of

the

building,

and

no

cornice

is

present

on

the

1845

wing.

Side

elevations

on

all

three

sections

display

simple

board

raking

cornices

in

the

gable

ends.

The

foundations

of

all

three

building

sections

are

stone,

either dressed

or

field

stone.

The

building

faces

a

filled

terrace

that

was

placed

in

1822.

Detailed

with

a

dressed

stone

retaining

wall

and

a

brick

flooring

laid

in

a

herringbone

pattern,

the

raised

terrace

is

accessed

by

two

short

sets

of

stairs

with

well

worn

marble

risers,

providing

access

from

Market

and

Delaware

streets.

The

metal

railing

that

edges

the

terrace

was

placed

in

1830.

Facing

southwest

the

facade

of

the

courthouse

is

composed

of

three sections.

The

central

projecting

five

bay

section

is

the

earliest

portion

of

the

building.

The

brickwork

of

the

central

section

is

laid

in

Flemish

bond.

The

openings

are

symmetrically

arranged

with

a

central

entry

flanked

by

two

16/16

wood

windows

on

either

side

on

the

first

floor.

The

windows

on

the

first

floor

display

radiating

jack

arch

lintels

while

the

second

floor

window

lintels

are

a

simple

row

lock.

Three

marble

steps

provide

access

to

the

entrance

frontispiece.

The

surround

consists

of

half-round

Doric

pilasters

supporting

a

full

entablature

and

pediment. The

paneled

double

leaf

door

is

surmounted

by

a

ten

pane

transom.

On

the

second

floor,

a

Juliette

balcony

in

the

central

bay

has

a

balustrade

similarly

detailed

to

the

one

at

the

roof

line.

It

is

accessed

by

a

single-leaf

paneled

door

and

is

flanked

by

two

12/12

wood

windows

on

either

side.

An

unusual

decorative

corbeled

belt

course

occurs

between

the

floor

levels.

This

single

course

runs

horizontally

at

the

upper

level

of

the lintels

on

the

first floor

windows.

At

the

outside

edge

of

the

end

windows,

it

turns

vertically

for

ten

courses

then

turns

at

a

right

angle

toward

the

corner

of

the

building.

It

continues

around

both

corners

on

to

the

side

elevations,

then

turns

another

right

angle

and

continues

vertically

for

six

courses,

then

turns

another

right

angle

at

the

level

of

the

window

sill

on

the

second

floor.

The

two

story,

four

bay

wing

attached

to

the

southeast

elevation

was

built

in

two

stages

of

two

bays

each.

The

scale

of

the

wing

is

smaller than

the central

block.

The

facade

brickwork

is

laid

in

Flemish

bond.

The

12/12

wood

windows

are

regularly

arranged

on

the

first and

second

floors.

They display

radiating

jack

arch

lintels on

the

first

floor

and

soldier

coursed

lintels

on

the

second

floor.

Rebuilt interior

end

chimneys

pierce

the

gable

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NPS

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

5

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

roof

at

the

ridge.

The

facade

is

capped

off

with

a

simple

molded

cornice.

The

earlier

section

dates

from

1765

and

displays

a

belt

cornice

in

the

spandrel

between

the

floors.

The

later

section

was

built

in

1802

and

is

punctuated by

a

formal

frontispiece,

less

detailed

than

the

entry in

the

main

block.

The

paneled,

single

leaf

door

is

flanked

by

flat

pilasters

that

support

a

full

entablature

and

pediment.

The

two

story,

five

bay

addition

on

the

northwest

elevation

has

a

shallow-pitched

gable

roof

and

interior

end

chimneys.

The

entry

is

located

in

the

central

bay

and

has two concentric

rowlock

brick

arches

for

a

surround.

The

door

itself

is

a

modern

replacement.

The

9/9

wood

windows

with

lug

sills

are

symmetrically

arranged

with

a

blind

window

over

the central

entry.

One

bay

of

the

main

block

of

the

building

extends

beyond

the

facade

of

the

wing

on

each

side.

Visible

details

on

both

of

the

side

elevations

of

the main

block

are

identical.

One

window

per

floor

is

exposed

and

displays

9/9

wood

sash

with

radiating

jack

arch

lintels.

Garret windows

are

visible

on

the

upper

half

story,

and

are

6/6

wood

sash.

A

simple

belt

course

separates

the

second

story

from

the

attic

level

and

occurs

at

the

sill

level

of

the

garret

windows.

The

northwest

elevation

of

the

1845

wing

is

laid

in

seven

course

common

bond

and

is

two

bays

wide.

The

fenestration

is

regularly

arranged

and composed

of

9/9

wood

sash

windows

with

lug

sills.

The

lintels on

the

first

floor

are

single

row

header

coursed

brick,

and

there

are

no

visible

lintels on

the

second

floor.

Two

bolt-

anchor

plates

are

placed

between

the

windows

at

both

floor

levels.

There

is

a

simple

raking

cornice

on

the

slopes

of

the

gable

end.

The

rear

elevation

of

the

northwest

wing

is

four bays

wide

and

laid

in

seven

course

common

bond.

The

fenestration

is

irregular

with

a

blank

space

above

the

rear

door.

The

windows

on

this

elevation

are

9/9

double

hung

sash

wood

windows

that

have

single

course

rowlock

lintels

and

lug

sills.

A

courtyard

wall

intersects

the

elevation

between

the

first

bay

and

the

rear

entrance.

Brick

detail

above

indicates

a

masonry

wall

was

formerly

attached

at

this location.

The

rear

of

the

main

block

has

no

openings

but

does

display

a

bricked-in

rear

door

that

has

a

large

stone

lintel.

The

central

section

of

the

first

floor

is

of

randomly

coursed

field

stone.

A

radiating arched

lintel

in

the

lower

portion

of

the

wall

indicates

the

location

of

a

seventeenth

century

abandoned well

from

the

site

of

the

earlier

courthouse

at

this

location

that

burned

in

the

early

eighteenth

century.

The

second

story

wall

is

brick laid

in

common

bond.

This

elevation

displays

a

cornice

with

full

entablature

across

the

full

width

of

the

main

block.

The

rear

of

the

southeast

wing

is

divided

into

two

bays

with

one

6/6

double

hung

wood

window

on

the

second

floor

of

the

older

section.

One

9/6

double

hung

wood

window

occurs

on

the

newer

section

second

story

with

a

single

panel

entry

door

in

the

bay

below.

A

handicap

access

ramp

provides

access

to

this

entrance

of

the

building.

The

southeast

elevation

of

this

wing

has

a

large

single

run

staircase

providing

access to

the

first

level

because

of

the

sharp

slope

of

the

lot

in

this

section.

Built

of

brick, the

risers

appear

to

be

of

reused

stone.

Windows

on

this

elevation

are

6/6

wood

sash

windows

with

lug

sills

on

the

first

and

second

levels

with

6/6

wood

sash

garret

windows

with

lug

sills

in

the

gable

end.

A

frontispiece

that

matches

the

one

on

the

facade

of

this

wing

is

located

in

the

eastern

bay

of

the

first

floor.

A

simple

raking

cornice

finishes

the

elevation

detail.

While

the

exterior

of

the

building

was

restored

to

the

appearance

shown in the

Benjamin

Latrobe drawing

of

the

building

in

1807,

the

interiors

have

been

restored

and

reused

based

on

ghosting

of

original

fabric

left

by

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NPS

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

6

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

and

interpretation

needs

of

the museum.

The

circulation system

for

the

building

integrates

the

east

wing

into

the

main

block.

The

west

wing

is

now

wholly

separate

from

the

rest

of

the

building.

The

court

room

space

was

generally

restored

to

the

appearance

of

a

description

and

drawing

from

an

1837

account

that

proposed

building

a

new

fireproof

wing

attached

to

the

northwest

side

of

the

building.

The

arrangement

of

the

wooden

dais

for

the

judges

platform,

placement

of

benches

for

witnesses

and

prisoner's

dock,

as

well

as

seating

for

grand

and

petit

juries

generally

conforms

to

arrangement

in

that

drawing. Two

original

columns

that

flank

the

prisoners

dock

are

original

features

of

the

space.

The

present

staircase,

a

dog-leg

stair

placed

in

the

north comer

of

the

room,

was

relocated

to

that

location

during

the

restoration

of

the

building

in

the

1950s.

On the

second

floor,

the

stairway

opens

into

a

formal

hall

space

with

a

fire

place

on

the

northwest

wall.

The

Robing

Room,

a

small

well-lit

space,

is

accessed

from

the

hall.

The

more

formal

of

the

two entries

into

the

Assembly

Room

is

from

this

stairhall.

The

Assembly

Room

occupies

the

full

length

of

the

main

block

and

slightly

more

than

half

its

width.

A

large

fireplace

is

placed

on

the

southeast

wall

beside

the

entry

from

the

stair

hall

in

the

east

wing.

The

balcony

on

the

main

facade

of

the

building

is

accessed

from

this

room. Spaces

in

the

east

wing

include

the stairhall

to

the

rear

of

the

block,

the

Clerk's

office,

and

the

exhibit

room.

The

Clerk's

office has

a

winder

stair

in

the

northeast

corner

of

the

room

that

accesses

the

office

below.

The

exhibit

room,

accessed

off

the

stair

hall,

occupies

the

full

length

of

the

wing

and

slightly

over

half

of

its

width.

A

large

fire

place,

centered

on

the

southeast

wall,

dominates

the

room.

The

interior

of

the

1845

west wing

is

arranged

with

one

room

on

each

side

of

a

central

hall

with

a

dog-leg

staircase

along

the

back

wall.

Connection

to

the

main

block

was

made

at

the

top

of

the

first

run

of

this

staircase

but

it

is

currently

closed

off.

Rooms

on

the

first

floor

are

finished

with

plaster walls

and display

simple

structural

vaulted

ceilings

indicating

its

fireproof

construction.

On

the

second

floor,

the

hall

has

been

truncated

to

include

more

area

in

the

northwestern

office

space.

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NPS

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

7

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service_____________________________________National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

8.

STATEMENT

OF

SIGNIFICANCE

Certifying

official

has

considered

the

significance

of

this

property

in

relation

to

other

properties:

Nationally:_X_

Statewide:_

Locally:_

Applicable

National

Register

Criteria:

AX

BX

C_

D_

Criteria

Considerations

(Exceptions):

A_

B_

C_

D_

E_

F_

G_

NHL

Criteria:

1,2

NHL

Theme(s):

IV.

Shaping

the

Political

Landscape

1.

parties,

protests

and

movements

2.

governmental

institutions

II.

Creating

Social

Institutions

and

Movements

2.

reform movements

Areas

of

Significance:

Politics

and

Government.

Social

History

Period(s)

of

Significance:

1732-1848

Significant

Dates:

1732, 1777,

1848

Significant

Person(s):

Thomas

Garrett,

John

Hunn

Cultural

Affiliation:

Architect/Builder:

Unknown

Historic

Context:

III.

Development

of

the

English

Colonies

B.

Political

and

Diplomatic

Affairs

1.

Intracolonial

Matters

IV.

The

American

Revolution

A.

Politics

and

Diplomacy

V.

Political

and

Military

Affairs,

1783-1860

B.

The

Constitution

Underground

Railroad

Resources

in

the

United

States

Theme

Study

(2000)

NFS

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OMB

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1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

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United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

State

Significance

of

Property,

and

Justify

Criteria,

Criteria

Considerations,

and

Areas

and

Periods

of

Significance Noted

Above.

The

New

Castle

Court

House,

located

on

Delaware

Avenue

in

New

Castle,

Delaware,

was

designated

a

National

Historic

Landmark

in

1972

for

its

historical

significance

as

the

seat

of

governance

in

Delaware

during

the

colonial

and

early

statehood

eras.

"The

cupola

served

as

the

beginning

point

of

the

12-mile

radius

that

determines

Delaware's

curved

northern

boundary.

Among

the

important

events

that

took

place

here

were

Delaware's

decision

to

separate

from

Great

Britain

and

Pennsylvania

and

the

writing

and

adoption

of

the

first

state

constitution,

both

in

1776."

1

In

addition

to

this

previously

documented

national

significance, the

property

is

also

nationally

significant

under

the

National

Historic

Landmark

theme

study

on

the

Underground Railroad

as

the

site

of

the

Hunn-Garrett

Trials

of

1848

where

two

prominent

Delaware

abolitionists

of

the

Quaker

faith

were

sued

by

the owners

of

fugitive

slaves

from

Maryland.

John

Hunn

and

Thomas

Garrett

were

prosecuted

under

the

Fugitive

Slave

Act

of

1793,

which

made

it

a

Federal

crime

to

assist,

aid

and/or

harbor

a

"fugitive

from

servitude."

These

well-documented

trials

exemplified

the

measures

used

by

slave

owners

as

recourse

against

persons

involved

in

assisting

those

escaping

slavery,

and

that

Underground

Railroad

participation

or

other

assistance

to

fugitive

slaves

did

not

occur

without

some

risk

and

consequences.

These

trials

were

well

publicized

in

the

anti-slavery

press

and

reaffirmed

the

commitment

of

the

two defendants

to

assist

those fleeing

slavery.

In

addition,

precedent

regarding

the

interpretation

of

the

Fugitive

Slave

Law

of

1793,

specifically

how

fines

were

imposed,

was

set

at

the

Hunn-Garrett

Trials.

According

to

the

National

Park

Service

Thematic

Framework,

the

New

Castle

Court

House

is

significant

under

Theme

IV:

Shaping

the

Political

Landscape;

Theme

II:

Creating

Social

Institutions

and

Movements,

and

for

the

Underground

Railroad

Resources

in

the

United

States

Theme

Study.

The

trials

also

had

a

profound

impact

on

the

defendants.

Thomas

Garrett

and

John

Hunn dedicated

the

rest

of

their

lives

to

assisting

those

escaping

slavery,

and

after

the

Civil

War,

to

the

assistance

of

those

newly

freed

from

bondage.

Thomas

Garrett

was

already

a

prominent

figure

in

the

anti-slavery/

abolition

movement,

well

known

by

national

figures

like

William Lloyd

Garrison

and

Lucretia

Mott,

and

by

the

renowned

conductor

of

fugitives

from

slavery,

Harriet

Tubman.

By

the

beginning

of

the Civil

War,

Thomas

Garrett

had

assisted

over

2700

escaping

slaves

by

his

own

account.

John

Hunn

was

active

in

Underground

Railroad

activities

from

his

home

in

the

Kent

County

community

of

Quakers

in

and

around

Camden,

Delaware.

In

1862,

Hunn

joined

a

Quaker-affiliated

freedman

relief

effort and

relocated

to

St.

Helena Island

off

the

coast

of

Beaufort,

South

Carolina.

He

did

not

return

to

Delaware

until

1884.

His

son,

also

named

John

Hunn,

became

the

first

Quaker

governor

of

the

state

of

Delaware

in

1900,

and

it

was

under

his

leadership

that

the

state

legislature

finally

passed

the

13

th

,

14

th

,

and

15

th

amendments

to

the

Constitution

of

the

United

States

of

America.

New

Castle

Court

House

as

Seat

of

Governance

(1732-1777)

It

was in

late

1729

that

William

Kelsey decided

to

escape

from

the

New

Castle

jail

by

setting

a

fire.

His

escape

plot

didn't

succeed,

but

he did

manage

to

burn

down

the

first

courthouse

on this

site

in

New

Castle,

Delaware.

The

central

section

of

the

building

that

stands

today

was

in

use

by

1732

when

the

representatives

of

the

Penn

Alien

S.

Chambers,

Jr.,

National

Landmarks,

America's

Treasures:

The

National

Park

Foundation's

Complete

Guide

to

National

Historic

Landmarks

(New

York,

NY: John

Wiley

&

Sons,

Inc.,

2000),

75.

NFS

Form

10-900

USDI/NPS

NRHP

Registration

Form

(Rev. 8-86)

OMB

No.

1024-0018

NEW

CASTLE

COURT

HOUSE

Page

9

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

family

and

Lord

Baltimore

met

to

determine

boundaries

for

the

three

lower

counties, centering

the

twelve

mile

arc

for

the

northern

boundary

of

Delaware

on

the

center

of

the

cupola.

The

New

Castle

Court

House

served

as

the

seat

of

the

colonial

assembly

of

the

Three

Lower

Counties from

its

construction

in

1732

until

June

15,

1776.

At that

time,

it

served

as

the

home

of

the

Delaware

State

Assembly

until

the

legislative

body

moved

to

Dover

in

May

1777.

On

September

10,

1776,

it

was

here

at

the

New

Castle

Court

House

that

the

Delaware

Assembly

drafted

the

first

Constitution

of

the

State

and

officially adopted

the

name

Delaware

State.

In

addition

to

its

function

as

a

place

of

assembly

for

colonial and

state

government,

the

New

Castle

Court

House

served

as

the

judicial

facility for

the

colony,

and

later

for

the

state

of

Delaware.

The

colonial Court

of

General

Sessions

met

at

New

Castle

every

third

Tuesday

in February,

May,

August,

and

November.

The

Orphans

Court

would

also

meet

concurrent

with

this

Court

as

needed.

The

Delaware

Supreme

Court

and Court

of

Oyer

and

Terminer

met

in

April

and

October.

2

In

addition

to

legislative

and

judicial

functions,

the

New

Castle

Court

House

was

used

by

the

community

for

all

types

of

functions,

both

physical

and

symbolic.

Important

in

the

development

of

the

city

of

New

Castle,

the

presence

of

the

building

held

a

great

deal

of

symbolic

value

for

prospective

settlers

and

merchants

to

the

area,

as

an

emblem

of

stability,

order,

and

the

rule

of

law.

It

also

served

the

community

as

a

gathering

place

for

religious

services,

balls

and

dances,

education,

and

public

discourse

on

issues

of

the

day.

It

was

in

this

building

on

August

22,

1774,

that

the

delegates

of

the

Lower

Counties

appointed

deputies

to

the

first

Continental

Congress.

3

Those

delegates

formed

the

core

of

representatives

that

constituted

the

Assembly

that

called

for

the

separation

from

both

Great

Britain

and

the

Penn

colony.

Led

by

three

of

Delaware's

most

famous

politicians,

Caesar

Rodney,

Thomas McKean, and

George

Read,

the

Assembly

of

the

Three

Lower

Counties

met

and

resolved

the

following:

Whereas

it

is

become

absolutely

necessary

for

the

safety,

protection,

and

happiness

of

the

good

people

of

this

colony,

forthwith

to

establish

some

authority

adequately

to

the

exigency

of

their

affairs,

until

a

new

government

can

be

formed; and

Whereas

the

representatives

of

the

people,

in

this

assembly

met,

alone

can

and

ought

at

this

time,

to

establish

such

temporary

[authority].

Resolved

unanimously,

that

all

persons

holding

any

office,

civil

or

military,

in

this

colony,

on

the

13

day

of

June

instant,

may

and

shall

continue

to

execute the

same,

in

the

name

of

the

government

of

the

Counties

of

New

Castle,

Kent,

and

Sussex

Upon

Delaware,

as

they

used legally

to

exercise

it

in

the

name

of

the

King,

until

a

new

government

shall

be

formed,

agreeable

to

the

resolution

of

Congress

of

15

May

instant.

4

With

this

resolution

Delaware

plunged

forward

into

revolution. Accordingly,

the

New

Castle

Court

House

was

designated

as

the

first capitol

of

Delaware

State.

Delaware's

copy

of

the

Declaration

of

Independence

was

read

from

the

second

floor

balcony

of

this

building

on

July

24,

1776.

The

state

capitol

was

moved

to

Dover

in

May

1777,

but

the

New

Castle

Court

House

remained

the

home

of

Federal

and

State

courts

until

1881

when

that

function

was

moved

to

Wilmington,

the

newly

designated

county

seat.

THOMAS

GARRETT

2

Dudley

Cammett

Lunt,

Tales

of

the

Delaware

Bench

and

Bar

(Newark,

DE:

University

of

Delaware

Press,

1963),

72

3

Jeanette

Eckman,

New

Castle

on

the

Delaware

(New

Castle,

DE:

Communications

Printing

Company,

1973),

59.

Extract

from

Minutes

of

the

House

of

Representatives

of

the

Government

of

the Counties

of

New

Castle,

Kent

and

Sussex

Upon

Delaware

at

Sessions

held

at New

Castle,

1776.

NFS

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CASTLE

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United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

Born

in

Upper

Darby,

Pennsylvania

on

August

21,

1789,

Thomas

Garrett

was

brought

up

in

a

devout

Quaker

family.

It

has

been

recounted

that

in

his

20s,

a

free

black

woman

in

the

employ

of

his

family

was

kidnapped,

and

they

feared

she

would

be

sold

into

slavery.

He

pursued

her

captors

and

rescued

her.

During

the

trek

to

find

her

captors,

Thomas

Garrett

saw

the

assistance

of

those

in

need

as

his

calling and

looked

back

upon

this

incident

later

in

life

as

the

moment

his

career

path

was

set

before

him.

By

trade,

Thomas

Garrett

was

an

iron

merchant,

but

the

assistance

of

those

fleeing

bondage

was

his

occupation.

He

married

Mary

Sharpless,

of

a

prominent

Quaker

family

in

1813

at

the

Birmingham

Meeting

in

West

Chester,

Pennsylvania.

The

family

moved

to

Wilmington,

Delaware

in

1822.

The

Garrett

family

lived

on

Shipley

Street

between

Second

and

Third

streets

(non-extant)

and

attended

the

Friends

Meeting

at

Fourth

and

West

streets

in

the area

known

as

Quaker

Hill.

The

area

around

Wilmington,

Delaware,

and

Philadelphia

was

another

one

that

was

relatively

well

organized

for

underground

railroad

work.

Thomas

Garrett

of

Wilmington,

some

antislavery

Quaker farmers

of

Chester

County,

Pennsylvania,

and the

members

of

the

Philadelphia Vigilance

Committee,

were

key

persons

in

the

area.

It

was

the

interest

and

perseverance

of

Garrett

that

provided

essential leadership

for

the

cause.

He

spared

neither

time

nor

expense,

and

threw

himself

into

underground

railroad

work

with

enthusiasm.

In

a

number

of

instances

he

assisted

Harriet

Tubman

in

her

rescue

adventures.

Garrett's

service

was

mostly

a

matter

of

sheltering

fugitives,

making

arrangements

for

their

transportation,

and

paying

necessary

expenses.

5

Garrett

developed

a

national

reputation

because

of

his

efforts

as

an

Underground

Railroad

operator

and

his

abolitionist

work.

While

most

northern

Quakers

were

moderate

in

their

antislavery

views,

emphasizing

primarily

their

own

rejection

of

slavery,

Garrett

went

much

further,

becoming

a

follower

of

Boston

abolitionist

William

Lloyd

Garrison,

who

offended

some

Quakers

with

his

strong

language

and

confrontational

style.

Like

Garrison,

Garrett

advocated

nonviolent

resistance

to

slavery...His

work,

along

with

that

of

Levi Coffin

in

Cincinnati,

contributed

to

the

perception

that

a

well-organized

escape

route

for

slaves

extended

throughout

the

nation.

6

He

was

instrumental

in

the

founding

of

the

Progressive

Meeting

of

the

Society

of

Friends. The

membership

of

the

Longwood

Meeting

at

Longwood,

Pennsylvania

was

composed

of

ardently

anti-slavery

members,

and

many

were

actively

participating

with

Garrett

to

assist

"God's

Poor."

Many

of

the

members

had

been

disowned

from

the

other meetings

in

the area

because

of

their

strident

anti-slavery

views.

Thomas

Garrett

attended

the

Longwood

Meeting

and

spoke

about

his

anti-slavery

work.

William Lloyd

Garrison,

Lucretia

Mott,

John

Greenleaf

Whittier,

Sojoumer

Truth,

Susan

B.

Anthony,

William

Henry

Channing,

and

Frederick

Douglass

also

came

to

speak

at

the

Longwood

Progressive

Meeting.

Thomas

Garrett

was

not

secretive about

his

work

providing

assistance

to

escaping

slaves.

His

actions

to assist

those

fleeing

bondage

are

well

documented.

He

kept

a

list

of

those

escaping

slaves

he

assisted

and

periodically

reported

the

count

at

meetings

of

the

abolitionist

societies

in

Delaware

and

Pennsylvania.

By

his

own

count

he

had

helped

2700

escaping

slaves

by

the

outbreak

of

the

Civil

War.

Letters

he

wrote

regarding

the

transfer

of

5

Thomas

E.

Drake,

"Thomas

Garrett,

Quaker

Abolitionist,"

in

Friends

in

Wilmington,

1738-1938

(Wilmington,

Del.,

n.d.),

75-86

from

Larry

Gara,

The

Liberty

Line

(Lexington,

Kentucky:

The

University

Press

of

Kentucky,

1961),

96.

6

John

A.

Garraty

and

Mark

C.

Carnes,

eds.,

American

National

Biography

vol.

8

(New

York,

NY:

Oxford

University

Press,

1999),

751.

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(Rev. 8-86)

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CASTLE

COURT

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United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

this

human

cargo

were

kept

by

William

Still,

the

African

American

secretary

of

the

Philadelphia

Abolition

Society,

and

several

were

published

in

Still's

book

The

Underground Railroad

in

1872.

Other

letters

to

abolitionists

in

Europe and

in

New

England

remain

in

archival

collections

at

the

Friends

Historical

Library

at

Swarthmore,

Pennsylvania,

the

Historical

Society

of

Delaware,

and

others.

The

Quakers-perhaps

because

of

their very

early

and

consistent

stand

against

slavery-are

often

thought

of

as

underground

railroad

conductors...Some antislavery

workers among

them

became

symbols

by

which

the

entire

generation

of

their

religious

group

has

been

evaluated.

Years

after

the

war,

Thomas

Garrett

was

described

in

a

popular

magazine

as

a

"Quaker

whose

principal object

in

life

was

to

assist

fugitive

slaves."

7

Thomas

Garrett

was

also

well

known

and

well

respected

in

the

African-American

community

of

Wilmington,

Delaware.

Ill

during

the

last

years

of

his

life,

Thomas

Garrett limited his

activities,

although

he

was

asked

to

participate

in

causes

supporting

and

assisting

the

newly

freed

African-American

population

in

Wilmington

and

around

the

country.

Thomas

Garrett

died

on

January

25,

1871.

His

funeral

was

held

at

the

Friends

Meeting

House

in

Wilmington

and

he

was

buried

in

the

cemetery

on

the

grounds

of

the meeting

house.

JOHN

HUNN

Born

on

June

26,

1818

at

the

Kent

County

estate

called

Great

Geneva

near

Lebanon,

Delaware,

John

Hunn

was

the

son

of

Hannah

J.

Alston

and

Ezekiel

Hunn. He

was

the grandson

of

Jonathan

Hunn

of

Forest

Landing,

a

port

at

the

confluence

of

the

St.

Jones

River

and

Tidbury

Creek,

in

the

town

of

Lebanon.

The

Hunn

family

operated

a

large

mill

and

iron

foundry

complex

at

Forest

Landing,

and

leased

several

outlying

farms

to

tenants,

owned

commercial

establishments

in

Camden,

and

owned

sailing

vessels

kept

at

port

at

Forest

Landing.

His

father,

Ezekiel

was

noted

to

have

been

"a

great

abolitionist

and

assisted

many

poor

fugitives

from

the

house

of

bondage."

8

John's

mother

died

in

1819,

shortly

after

the

birth

of

his

younger

sister,

Elizabeth

Alston

Hunn.

At

the

death

of

his

grandfather

in

1820,

the

substantial

estate

provided

him

with

sufficient

property

and

income

to

get

an

education.

9

His

father,

Ezekiel

Hunn,

passed

away

in

1821,

leaving

John

in

the care

of

an

aunt,

and

then

with

his

half-sister,

Patience,

after

her

marriage in

1824

in

Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania,

to

George

Washington

Jenkins,

of

Camden,

Delaware.

10

Patience

Hunn

Jenkins

was

very

devout

and

felt

called

to

the

Quaker

ministry

early in

her

life.

Like

other sanctioned

ministers

in

the

faith,

she

traveled

to

other meetings

to

share

her

vision

of

the

gospel.

It

was

her

influence

that

helped

to

bring

young

John back

into

the

religious

community

and

eventually

to

become

a

minister

himself.

7

Lillie

B.

Chace

Wyman,

"Harriet

Tubman,"

New

England

Magazine,

n.s.

14:112

(March

1896)

from

Larry

Gara,

The

Liberty

Line

(Lexington,

Kentucky:

The

University

Press

of

Kentucky,

1961),

5

8

Historical

and

Biographical

Encyclopedia

of

Delaware

(Wilmington,

DE:

Aldine

Publishing

Company,

1882),

511.

9

Along

with

providing

for his

relatives,

Jonathan

Hunn's

will

also

provided

for

additional

land

for

the

Camden

meeting

house

for

the

purposes

of

a

graveyard,

and

income

from

a

rental

property

was

given

to

the

"Camden

School

for

Colored

Children"

for

a

period

often

years.

(Kent

County

Probate

Records,

Will

of

Jonathan

Hunn.)

10

Delaware

Gazette,

August

24,

1824,

3.

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United

States

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of

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Service

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of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

John

was

well

provided

for

by

the large

estates

left

by

his

father

and

grandfather.

He

was

sent

to

a

Quaker

academy

in

Bordentown,

New

Jersey.

Afterwards,

he

joined

his

elder

half-brother

Ezekiel

in

an

apprenticeship

to

Townsend

Sharpless,

a

wealthy

and

very

prominent

Quaker merchant

in

Philadelphia.

In

1835,

at

age

17,

his

Quaker

membership

was

officially

transferred

to

the

Cherry

Street

Meeting

in

Philadelphia.

While

in

Philadelphia

John

met,

and

later

married,

a

non-Quaker,

Mary

Alien

Swallow,

and

was

disowned

by

the

Cherry

Street

Meeting

for

"marrying

out

of

union."

After

the

apprenticeship

was

over,

their

guardian,

Richard

Cowgill,

funded

the

set

up

of

a

business

for

John

and

Ezekiel

as

silk

merchants

in

Philadelphia.

Ezekiel,

the

elder

of

the

two,

thrived

in

this

environment,

but

John

did

not.

In

1837

John

wrote

John

Alston,

his

cousin

whom

he

had

never

met,

about apprenticing

to

him

to

learn

farming.

His

proposal

was

accepted,

and

John Alston

sold

him

a

farm

across

the

road

from

his

home farm

between

Middletown

and

Odessa

in

southern

New

Castle

County.

By

1840,

John

Hunn

was

working

on

his

own

farm.

Alston's

account

books

show

that

he

was

the

source

of

a

variety

of

goods

for

the

Hunn

farm

and

home,

including

seed

corn,

flax

seed,

sheep,

potatoes,

cloth

and

rope.

He also

allowed

Hunn

to

borrow

his

farming

equipment.

11

John

and Mary's first

child

was

born

in

1843

and

named John Alston

Hunn.

Elizabeth

Alston

was

born

on

October

6,

1846

and

Jonathan,

12

on

June

23,

1849.

On

March

20,

1850,

John

Alston

Hunn,

the

oldest

child, died,

and

was

buried

at

the

Appoquinimink

Meeting

Cemetery.

The

judgement

from

the

trial

of

1848

was

paid that

year

too,

and

John

Hunn

moved

his

family

to

the

Camden,

Delaware

area

to

live

with

relatives.

Their

fourth

child,

Hannah

Alston,

was

born

there

on

November

17,

1851.

In

1840,

John

had

officially apologized

to

the

Meeting

for

"marrying

out

of

union",

and

asked

to

have

his

membership

transferred

back

home

to

Camden,

Delaware,

which

was granted.

In

1852,

Mary

and

their

three

surviving

children

asked

to

be

joined

in

membership

with

the

Camden

Monthly

Meeting

of

Friends,

and

were

accepted.

Mary

died

on

October

1,

1854

and

was

buried

at

Camden Meeting

Cemetery.

On

November

13,

1855,

John

Hunn

married

his

cousin-by-marriage, Anne

E.

Jenkins,

in

the

home

of

his

sister

and

her

second

husband,

Patience

and Jabez

Jenkins.

It

is

quite

possible

that

his

activities

in

the

Underground

Railroad continued

after

his

return

to

the

Camden

area.

Local

tradition

talks about

the

participation

of

the

Hunn

family assisting

escaping

slaves.

Hunn

family homes

in

the

Forest

Landing

area

include

Great

Geneva

and

Wild

Cat

Manor.

13

It

is

not

known

precisely

where

he

lived

during

this

period.

He

was

very

active

in

the

Camden

Monthly

Meeting,

serving

as

a

delegate

throughout

the

1850s

and

as

clerk

from

1854-1856.

He

maintained

his

ties

to

the

Appoquinimink

Meeting

House,

taking

on

the

repair

of

the

fencing

in

1853.

In June

1852,

he

traveled

to

the

territory

of

the

Northwest

Fork

Monthly

Meeting

with

his

sister,

Patience

H.

Jenkins,

to

preach

about

the

evils

of

slavery and

oppression. In

a

11

Account

Books

and

Journals.

Papers

of

John

Alston,

RG5,

Friends

Historical

Library.

12

John

Hunn

was

governor

of

Delaware

from

1901-1904.

He

was

the

first

Republican

to

hold

that

office

as

well

as

the

first

governor

of

Quaker

faith.

13

Great

Geneva

was

listed

in

the

National

Register

in

1973.

At

the

same

meeting

of

the

Delaware

State

Review

Board,

Wildcat

Manor

was determined

not eligible

because

of

the

number

of

changes

to

the

building.

Still

extant

in

1997,

the

building

has

not been

reevaluated

since

1973.

NFS

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13

United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

reminiscence

published

in

the

Friends

Intelligencer

magazine

in

1898,

one

of

the

members

of

that

monthly

recalled

the

visit,

and

the

appearance and

preaching

of

John

Hunn:

The

two

came

together

and

visited

our

meetings

in

Caroline

[County,

Maryland],

and

though

a

mere

boy,

I

well

remember

that

he

preached,

and

it

then

appeared

to

me

that

he

was

the

most

remarkable

man

I

had ever seen

or

heard.

He

was

handsome,

tall and

in

person

finely

developed,

--

"a

Nature's

nobleman."

His

hair

was

as

black

as

a

raven,

his

manner

the

most

courteous

and

humble,

and

as

gentle

as

a

child.

I

still

remember

his

text;

my

impression

is

that

the

sermon

was

the

first

he

ever

preached:

"The

spirit

of

the

Lord

is

upon

me,

because

he

hath anointed

me

to

preach

the

gospel

to

the

poor,

he

hath

sent

me

to

heal

the

broken

hearted,

to

preach

deliverance

to

the

captive,

recovery

of

sight

to

the

blind,

and

set

at

liberty

them

that

are

bruised;

to

preach

the

acceptable

year

of

the

Lord."

14

On

November

28,

1854,

the

Southern

Quarterly Meeting

of

Ministers

and

Elders

appointed

John

Hunn

a

minister.

15

In

1862,

after

the

successful

assault

on

the

fortification

of

Port

Royal

Harbor

by

the

Union

Navy,

the

slave-

holding

population

fled

the

Sea

Islands

of

the

South

Carolina/Georgia

border.

Approximately

10,000

slaves

were

left

on

the

Sea

Islands. Once

the

source

of

the

most

valuable

cotton

produced

in

the

South,

the

Sea

Islands

were

isolated

from

the mainland.

A

Philadelphia

philanthropic

organization,

the

Port

Royal

Relief

Association,

under

the

direction

of

Reverend

J.

Miller

McKim

16

of

Philadelphia

organized

volunteers

to

work

among

the

newly

freed

slaves.

John

Hunn

traveled

there,

leaving

Philadelphia

on

October

21,

1862,

accompanying

his

daughter

Elizabeth, and

Charlotte

Forten,

a

teacher,

Philadelphian,

and

the daughter

of

a

wealthy

and

prominent,

free

African-American

family.

17

Life

on

St.

Helena

Island changed

dramatically

after

the

Federal

occupation.

By

1863,

a

garrison

of

five

thousand

soldiers

was

stationed

on

one

end

of

the

island.

After

word

spread

that

St.

Helena

was

free,

escaping

slaves

from

nearby

islands

arrived

in great numbers.

18

John

Hunn

initially

ran

a

store

for

the

Port

Royal

Relief

Association,

and

worked

on

setting

up

the

Seaside

Plantation

on

St.

Helena

to

produce

crops

again.

By

1870,

Hunn's

son

Jonathan, along

with

his wife,

Sallie

Emerson

Hunn

joined

him

on

St.

Helena.

19

His

daughter

Elizabeth

(Lizzie)

was

a

teacher among

the

freed

slaves,

and

was

mentioned

in

the

diaries

kept

by

other teachers

14

Wilbur

Siebert,

The

Underground

Railroad

in

Pennsylvania,

vol.

1

(Materials

Collected

by

Professor

Wilbur

H.

Siebert,

Ohio

State

University,

Columbus).

Located

in

the

Houghton

Library

at

Harvard

University, Cambridge,

Mass.

15

"Historically,

men

and

women

who

were

recognized

as

being

unusually

inspired by

the

Spirit

of

God

provided

most

of

the

vocal messages

in

meeting

for

worship.

Ministers

were

formally

designated

or

"recorded"

by

the

monthly

meeting,

and

regular

meetings

of

ministers

and

elders,

called

Preparative

Meetings

of

Ministers

and

Elders

or

Select

Meeting

were

held

to

consider

the

spiritual

life

of

the

meeting."

Guide

to

Genealogical

Resources

at Friends

Historical

Library

of

Swarthmore

College,

Glossary;

Friends

Historical

Library,

Swarthmore

College,

Swarthmore,

PA.

p.

D-l

-

D-ll.

16

Reverend

J.

Miller

McKim

was also

president

of

the

Philadelphia

Abolition

Society.

17

Billington,

Journal

of

Charlotte

L.

Forten,

117.

Charlotte

Forten

Grimke's

home

in

Washington,

DC

was designated

an

NHL

in

1976.

18

Theodore

Rosengarten,

Tombee:

Portrait

of

a

Cotton

Planter

(New

York:

William

Morrow

and

Company,

Inc.,

1986)

257.

19

William Lee

Rose,

Rehearsal

for

Reconstruction:

The

Port

Royal Experiment

(New

York:

Bobbs-Merrill

Company,

1964),

78.

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United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

on

St.

Helena,

including

Laura

Towne

and

Charlotte

Forten.

John

Hunn,

Jr.,

invested

in

limestone

as

a

fertilizer,

and

his

time

in

South

Carolina

provided

him

with

a

substantial

fortune.

Neither

the

store

nor

the

plantation

under

the

management

of

the

elder

John

Hunn

fared

well

financially.

Some

who

came

to

the

Sea

Islands

during

Reconstruction

came

to

help

and

were

very

religious people

who

felt

there

was

good

work

to

be

done

there.

However,

some came

who

were

motivated

by

other

factors.

Historians

of

this

topic

tend

to

emphasize

the

corruption

of

those

put

in

power

in

this

vulnerable

situation.

In

the

midst

of

the

influx

of

unscrupulous

"carpetbaggers"

to

the

Sea

Islands

to

take

advantage

of

the

land

give-away

and

the

slave

population,

John

Hunn

stood

out

as

one

of

the

"local

officers

who

managed

badly

but

were

apparently

honest."

20

Called

"Father

Hunn",

"Friend

Hunn",

and "Brother

Hunn"

and

even

"Friend

Harris"

in

various

accounts,

John

Hunn's

work

on

the

Underground

Railroad

and

his

prosecution

for

that

activity

were

known

to

at

least

some

of

those

he

met

on

St.

Helena.

One

account

of

Hunn's

activities

was

described

by

Edward

L.

Pierce

in

his

book

Enfranchisement

and

Citizenship

(Boston

1896).

As

quoted

by

Theodore

Rosengarten:

"Friend Harris

[sic],"

once

was

"fined

in

Delaware three

thousand

dollars

for

harboring

and

assisting

fugitive

slaves,"

wrote

Edward

L.

Pierce,

paying

Harris

lighthearted

respect,

"but

now

he

harbors

and

assists

them

at

a

much cheaper

rate."

21

John

Hunn's

correspondence

with

William

Still

for his

book

on

the

Underground Railroad

was

sent

from

Beaufort,

South

Carolina

in

1871.

22

He

returned

to

the

Camden

area

by

1884,

when

he

is

noted

again in

the

minutes

of

the

Camden

Monthly

Meeting.

John

Hunn

and

his

wife

Annie lived in

Wyoming,

Delaware

with

relatives.

In

1893,

he

responded

to

a

letter

from

Wilbur

Siebert,

a

professor

at

Ohio

State

University

and

historian

of

the

Underground

Railroad. Siebert

was

contacting

those

who

participated

in

the

Underground

Railroad. He

told

Siebert

that

he

was

"Supt.

of

the

U.G.R.R., from

Wilmington

down

the

Peninsula."

23

John

Hunn

died

on

July

6,

1894

at

age

76.

Annie

E.

Hunn

died

on

September

1,

1894.

They

were

buried

side

by

side

in

the

Camden Meeting

Cemetery.

John

Hunn

kept

a

journal

of

his

activities

with

the

Underground

Railroad

and

noted

to

William

Still

that

he

had

helped

hundreds

on

their

way

north,

but,

for

reasons

unknown,

he

had

his

son

destroy

it

in

front

of

him

when

he

was

on

his

death

bed.

His

son,

John

Hunn

Jr.

recounted

the

event

in

Conrad's

History

of

Delaware

(1908)

which

states:

"...

but

the

senior

Hunn

said,

the

issue

was

closed,

and

inasmuch

as

some

of

the

actors

in

the

affair

were

yet

alive,

and

might

be

compromised

thereby,

he

thought

it

best

to

cover

the

whole

episode

with

oblivion..."

ASSISTING

FUGITIVES

20

Ibid.,

p.

396.

21

Rosengarten,

Tombee,

256.

John

Hunn

and

Thomas

Garrett

were

the

only

Delawareans

prosecuted

in

this

manner.

Other

references

state

similar

familiarity

with

Hunn

and

the

Underground

Railroad;

See

Rose,

Rehearsal

for

Reconstruction,

366-367.

22

William

Still,

The

Underground

Railroad

(Chicago:

Johnson

Publishing

Company,

1970),

713.

23

Wilbur

Siebert,

The

Underground

Railroad

in

the

Southern

States,

Materials

Collected

by

Professor

Wilbur

H.

Siebert,

Ohio

State

University,

Columbus.

Located

in

the

Houghton

Library

at

Harvard

University,

Cambridge,

Mass.

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United

States

Department

of

the

Interior,

National

Park

Service

National

Register

of

Historic

Places

Registration

Form

On

a

cold

evening

in

late

November

1845

Samuel

Hawkins,

a

free

black

man,

left

Queen

Anne's

County,

Maryland

with

his

wife

Emeline,

and

their

six

children

who

ranged

in

age

between

16

years

and

18

months.

Emeline

and

her

children

were

slaves,

the

property

of

Charles

W.

Glanding and

Elizabeth

Turner,

farmers

on

the

eastern

shore

of

Maryland.

Along

the route, the

Hawkins

family

secured

the

assistance

of

Samuel

D.

Burris,

a

conductor

on

the

Underground

Railroad.

On

December

5th,

1844,

at

about

7:00

o'clock

in

the

morning,

the

party

arrived

at

the

home

of

John

Hunn.

He

later

recounted:

...as

I

was

washing

my

hands

at

the

yard

pump

of

my

residence,...

I

looked

down

the

lane,

and

saw

a

covered

wagon

slowly

approaching

my

house.

The

sun

had

just

risen,

and

was

shining

brightly

(after

a

stormy

night)

on

the

snow

which

covered

the

ground

six

inches.

...On

closer

inspection

I

noticed

several

men

walking

beside the

wagon.

This

seemed

rather

an

early hour

for

visitors,

and

I

could

not

account

for

the

circumstance.

When

they

reached

the

yard

fence

I

met

them,

and

a

colored

man

handed

me

a

letter

addressed

to

Daniel

Corbit,

John

Alston

or

John

Hunn;

...

The

letter

was

from

my

cousin,

Ezekiel

Jenkins,

of

Camden,

Delaware,

and

stated

that

the

travelers

were

fugitive

slaves,

under

the

direction

of

Samuel

D.

Burris

(who

handed

me

the

note).

The

party

consisted

of

a

man

and

his

wife,

with

their

six

children,

and

four

fine-looking

colored

men,

without

counting

the

pilot,

S.D.

Burris,

who

was

a

free

man,

from

Kent

County,

Delaware.

This

was

the

...

first

time

I

had ever

been

called upon

to

assist

fugitives

from

the

hell

of

American

Slavery.

The

wanderers

were

gladly

welcomed,

and

made

as

comfortable

as

possible

until

breakfast

was

ready

for

them.

...

They were all

very

weary,

as

they

had

traveled

from

Camden

(twenty-seven

miles),

through

a

snowstorm.

...

In

Camden

they

were

sheltered

in

the

houses

of

their

colored

friends.

Although

this

was

my

first

acquaintance

with

S.D.

Burris,

it

was

not

my

last,

as

he

afterwards

piloted

them

himself,

or

was

instrumental

in

directing

hundreds

of

fugitives

to

me

for

shelter.

24

William

Chestnut

and

Robert

Hardcastle,

of

Queen

Anne

County,

Maryland, had

already

reached

Middletown

along

with

an

announcement

offering

a

reward

for

the

capture

of

the

wife and

children

of

Samuel

Hawkins.

Hardcastle

was

a

neighbor

of

Charles

Glanding,

owner

of

Emeline's

two

oldest

sons.

Hunn's neighbor,

Thomas

Merritt,

noticed

the

unfamiliar

group

and

contacted

the

magistrate

in

Middletown,

William

Streets.

When

the

family

was

taken

before

the

magistrate,

Robert

Hardcastle

identified

Emeline's

two

sons

as

being

the

escaped

slaves

of

Charles

Glanding.

25

Samuel

Hawkins

produced

papers

supporting

his

claim

of

being

free.

A

will

was

also

produced

indicating

his

wife

was

also

free.

Streets

drew

up

commitment

papers

for

the

Hawkins

family

and

they

were

taken

to

the

New

Castle

jail

to

sort

out

the

issue

in

front

of

a

judge. John

Hunn

wrote

a

letter

to

Thomas

Garrett

which

was

delivered

by

Samuel

D.

Burris who

traveled

on

to

Wilmington

with

the

other

four

men

in

his party.

On

December

6,

1845,

the

Hawkins family

arrived

in

New

Castle

where

they

were

remanded

to

the

custody

of

Jacob

Caulk,

the

sheriff

of

New

Castle.

Apparently, the

commitment papers

were

not

completely

and

sufficiently

filled

out

and duly

notarized,

but

Sheriff

Caulk

agreed

to

hold

the

Hawkins

family

until

new

commitment

papers

could

be

obtained

in

Middletown

and

brought

to

New

Castle.

26

Thomas

Garrett

met

the

Hawkins

family

in

New

Castle

on

Sunday,

December

7,

1845.

He

obtained

a

copy

of

their

commitment papers

and

returned

to

Wilmington

where

he

consulted

with

Senator

John

Wales,

Garrett's

friend

and

attorney. The

following

day,

Garrett

returned

to

New

Castle

with

Senator

Wales,

with

the

intention

24

Still,

Underground

Railroad,

715-719.

25

National