 Among
New Castle’s few surviving early colonial buildings is the
elegant brick, early Georgian mansion, the Amstel House. Built in
the 1730s by the town’s wealthiest landowner, Dr. John Finney,
the house is graced with original woodwork, fine architectural details
and open hearth. Its early fanlight and central hallway were among
the first uses of these features in the town.
The house’s history is linked to many of the town’s
prominent colonial families. A governor lived here; Delaware Signers
of the Declaration of Independence stopped in here to meet with
friends; George Washington attended a wedding in the parlor. Investigate
the appealing decorative arts objects
of 18th century residents. View the fabled Green
Umbrella from the beloved children’s book.
In the first third of the 20th century, preservation saved the house
from an uncertain fate, opening it in 1929 as a historic house.
Among important aspects of this Colonial Revival story at the house
is the interpretation of a Georgian town
garden designed by noted landscape architect, Charles Gillette,
in the 1930s.
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