Milford chronicle., 1960-05-27
European Influences
As Evidenced In
TOday's Delaware


Delaware, only ninety-six miles
long and thirty-five miles across at
it's widest point, is in many ways
the United States in miniature. In
every respect it is Middle State,
centrally located on the Atlantic
coast-line, blended of north and
south, new and old, farm and fac
tory. It's people from the beginning
were of diverse nationality and
tradition. AS il has matured, much
of its past has been wholly absorb
ed. But at other points the separate
strands of it's history, running back
into the Europe Of the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries, are clear
ly visible in existing buildings,
history, bloodlines and institutions.
The Dutch were the earliest ar
rivals. Under their auspices Della
ware Bay was discovered in 1903;
their nationals attempted the earl
Test European settlement within
the States present borders in 1881.
While their period of active pol1ti-
cal control was short, 1855 to 1864,
they have left permanent memen-
toes. Since Hollands colonists, for
the most part, remained here after
the settlement was ceded to Great
Britain, there are many surnames
of Dutch origin among the long
resident families of Delaware, es-
pecially in the vicinity of New
Castle, the principal Dutch settle
ment. A little house of Dutch colon
ial architecture, probably built in
the late seventeenth century, still
stands on The Green at New Castle.
1t is now a museum, furnished care
fully in the style current when It
was new. Another building reminis-
cent of Dutch influence is the Old
Presbyterian Church a New Castle.
Although the structure now in use
dates only from 1907, the Presby-
terian congregation in the village
4, originated in the Dutch Reformed
services held in 1861, when the site
was first fortified by Peter Stuy-
vesant to assert his country's claim
to the Delaware against the en-
croaching Swedes. The first Dutch
settlement on the River, Zwaanen-
dael, established in 1881, left no
physical remains on the surface:
It's colonists were massacred, it's
stockade burned and it's communal
house levelled before David PETER
son deVries arrived with the first
intended reinforcements But be-
cause a settlement "of Christian
people" was there when the Royal
Charter for Maryland was drawn
up, British courts in later days af-
firmed that the western shore of
Delaware River and Bay was not
part of the domain of the Lords
Baltimore. For the three hundreth
anniversary of the settlement in
1881, the State of Delaware erected
q building at Lewes in the Dutch
style in memory of it's aearliest
pioneers. It is a replica of a por-
tion of the Town Hall of Hoorn, de-
Vries' home, and is maintained as
the Zwaanendael Museum, devoted
to the history of the immediate vi
cinity. The actual site of Zwaaen-
dael is approximately a mile from
central Lewes, marked by a monu-
ment placed early in the twentieth
century. Within the past few years
archaeological nVes ig ton has
identified the spot more precisely.
The Swedish settlers, arriving in
1888, proved to be the actual found
ers of the permanent European
community on the shores of the
Delaware. Like those from Holland,
they have left tangible evidence OF
their presence in the characteris-
tic family names of the area, in q
few structures they built, and in
memorials their work ELECTED from
our own contemporaries.
Their landing place, a curious
formation of granite jutting into
Christina Creek as natural
wharf, remains as they found it
In 1888, as part of the tercentennial
observance of the successful set.
tlement of the Delaware Valley, the
State of Delaware constructed q
memorial park at the site of For
Christina. To suitably mark the
spot the people of Sweden present.
ed a memorial monument as a gift
to the people of the United States
1t is a granite shaft, created by the
noted Swedish-American sculptor
Carl Miles. 1t was unveiled in the
presence of the Crown Prince OF
Sweden, the President of the United
States, other dignitaries of both
naions, and of the States Of Della
ware, Pennsylvania and New Jer-
sey which all share the heritage OF
New Sweden. Within a few hund-
red yards of Fort Christina Park is
Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church
erected in 1698.'It is believed to b,
the oldest Protestant church build
ing in fha TTnifod Cfafoc IN, x.co az