Court House (%302-323-
4453; 211 Delaware Street;
h10am-3:30pm Wed-Sat,
1:30-4:30pm Sun) dates
back to the 17th century
and is now operated as a
museum by the state.
The New Castle
Historical Society owns
and operates Amstel
House (%302-322-2794;
http://www.newcastlehistory.org;
2 East Fourth Street; adult/
child $5/2; h10am-4pm
Wed-Sat, from noon Sun)
and Dutch House (32
East Third Street; h10am-
4pm Wed-Sat, from noon
Sun), which are usually
visited as part of a joint
tour ($9/3 admission
for adult/child to both
properties). Amstel
House is a surviving
remnant of 1730s colonial
opulence; Dutch House
is a example of a smaller
working residence.
54 p245
The Drive » Follow DE-9
northeast for 7 miles into
downtown Wilmington.8 Wilmington
Delaware’s biggest city
is full of muscular art-
deco architecture and a
vibrant arts scene, plus
a diverse populace that
blends Baltimore charm
with Philly saltiness.
The Delaware Art
Museum (%302-571-9590;
http://www.delart.org; 800 S Madison
St; adult/child $12/6, Sun
free; h10am-4pm Wed-Sat,
from noon Sun) anchors the
local creative community,
and exhibits the work
of the local Brandywine
School, including Edward
Hopper, John Sloan and
three generations of
Wyeths. The Wilmington
Riverfront (www.riverfront
wilm.com) is made upof several blocks of
redeveloped waterfront
shops, restaurants
and cafes; the most
striking building is the
Delaware Center for
the Contemporary Arts
(%302-656-6466; http://www.
thedcca.org; 200 S Madison
St; h10am-5pm Tue & Thu-
Sat, from noon Wed & Sun)
F, which consistently
displays innovative
exhibitions.
In the art-deco
Woolworth’s building,
the Delaware History
Museum (%302-656-
0637; http://www.hsd.org/dhm;
200 S Madison St; adult/child
$6/4; h11am-4pm Wed-Fri,
10am-4pm Sat) proves the
First State’s past includes
loads more than being
head of the line to sign
the Constitution.54 p245
TRIP HIGHLIGHTTHE POTATO HOUSE RULES
The most hyper-regional architectural oddity we encountered on our road trips –
besides Southern Maryland’s tobacco barns (see Tobacco Barns of the Tidewater,
p222) – are the potato houses of Sussex County, Delaware. These tall and narrow
two-story wooden-frame structures were storage facilities for sweet potatoes
(yams), once a cash crop of this region. Potato houses can be spotted throughout
southern Delaware, often on lonely back roads.
The skinny potato houses held crops from October to February; their
proportions allowed them to be heated easily, but also facilitated air circulation.
High windows provided a ventilation counterpoint to the heat – sweet potatoes
require a uniform, constant temperature of 50 0 F (10 0 C).
Eleven potato houses are concentrated near Laurel. They can be a bit tough to
find, though, and most reside on private property. Contact the Laurel Historical
Society (%302-875-1344; http://www.laureldehistoricalsociety.org; 502 E 4th Street; h 1-4pm
Sun Jun-Oct or by appointment) for directions. If you’re driving around, the rather
appropriately dubbed Chipman Potato House is at the intersection of Chipmans
Pond and Christ Church Rds (GPS: 38.561004,-75.537342), 2.5 miles east of
Laurel.WASHINGTON.DC,.MARYLAND.&.DELAWARE.TRIPS.20
.EASTERN SHORE ODYSSEY