Timber Farms

The Town of Christiana

Early Influence Still Has its Mark on Today

By Vanessa Manges-Spence

On the way to the mall you have to pass through the town of Christiana.  A name that has had many variations to it over the years.  A few homes may catch your eye driving by but many of the homes rich in history no longer exist.  However, the stories linger on.

The dates are not in agreement, some say the town began in the 1690’s some say 1684.  Relatively speaking they are close enough.  The town, Christiana, was named after the Swedish child queen, Christine.  This little girl was a great inspiration for naming places right after the Swedish arrived in the area.  Up the Christina River from Christiana was another town called Christinahamn and its Fort Christina.  Later they collectively became known at Wilmington.

The town of Christiana was not a small town in fact it became the largest town and marketplace in Delaware with over 754 homes recorded in 1770.  It became an economic center because the river allowed barges to transport grain from Christinahamn’s major port.  At this time, the town was known as Christine Bridge, the name also sometimes appears as Christeen Bridge.  The differences came from spellings by the Swedish and the British settlers. The “bridge,” refers to where the barges had to stop and reverse direction.  Ironically, this was the center of town making loading and unloading goods easy because of the access to the “pike”, now Old Baltimore Pike.  The shoreline of the river also became dotted with storehouses and wharfs.

The bridge is still there today on South Main Street heading out towards the park and ride lot.  The beautiful stone home next to that bridge was the home of Co. John Reed and his wife Mary.  Their son, George Reed, later lived in New Castle and became one of the signers to the declaration of Independence and US Constitution.  George and Mary Reed are buried in the cemetery of the Christiana Presbyterian Church.

The church holds a key to a lot of history too.  Started in 1730’s the congregation built their first house of worship about 1738.  It was built on land partially donated and sold by John Reed.  Another founding member was Samuel Patterson, a hero of the Revolutionary War and he was also the first treasure of the State of Delaware.  The first pastor was Charles Pennat, who was the son of William Pennat, founder of Old Log College now known as Princeton University.

The home next to the church is undergoing renovations. There is a News Journal article in preparation and it may appear before out newsletter is distributed. The current owners, the Galloways' are sure to bring history back to the town as they research the homes lost records.  They have found that Joel Lewis built 11 North Old Baltimore Pike.  He is buried on the corner of the property.  Mr. Lewis became a US martial under Thomas Jefferson for two terms.  The Neil family also owned the house approximately from 1924 through 1999. The Neil’s were a black family that gained ownership only through help of a white friend who fronted the money.  In that era, a black family could not own a home along the main road and in the center of town.  One daughter and son still live in the town.  The daughter, Lavina Cole is the momentum and encouragement now being displayed in the refurbishment of the black one-room schoolhouse, she attended and was originally built by the DuPont family.   

The Shannon Hotel is in near ruins and the owner never seems to have enough time, effort or resources to complete it.  It served as a gathering place for the town and did welcome both Gen. Washington and Gen. Lafayette for many overnight stays.

So the next time you go to the mall imagine and reflect on this small town’s contribution to what are Delaware and the strong leadership beginnings of the United States of America.