Seal of New Castle
One of the things I enjoy while visiting historic communities is paying attention to the symbols, they choose to represent themselves. This is the official seal of New Castle, and like so much of the town, it reflects centuries of history.
The seal celebrates the everyday life that allowed the community to flourish. A farmer guides his plow while an ox patiently works beside him, reminding us that New Castle’s prosperity depended not only on its harbor and commerce but also on the fertile farmland that surrounded the town. The wheat, corn, and other agricultural symbols acknowledge the importance of the Delaware Valley as one of colonial America’s richest farming regions.
Encircling the seal is the Latin motto, Nova Inclyta Ning Crescit, meaning “The renowned New Castle continues to grow.” It is a fitting description of a town that has continually reinvented itself. From a Dutch settlement to an English colonial capital, from William Penn’s first landing in America to Delaware’s first statehouse, from a busy port to one of the nation’s earliest railroad terminals, New Castle has adapted while carefully preserving its remarkable past.
Read More From Nancy
William Penn Statue
If you happened to miss the historic marker commemorating William Penn’s landing in New Castle, this statue would quickly remind you of the important role he played in the history of both Delaware and Pennsylvania. Standing on the New Castle Common, it honors the man whose arrival here in 1682 forever changed the future of […]
New Castle Harbor
As I walked along the waterfront in New Castle, it was difficult to imagine that this quiet shoreline was once one of the busiest harbors on the Delaware River. Today the river appears peaceful, but for nearly two centuries this waterfront welcomed sailing vessels carrying people, goods, and ideas between the American colonies and Europe. […]
Frenchtown Railroad
One of the most fascinating stories I discovered in New Castle was that this small colonial town became the eastern terminus of one of America’s earliest railroads. Completed in 1832, the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad stretched just sixteen miles across the Delmarva Peninsula, linking the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay. Although the railroad […]
