As the oldest state in the nation, having ratified the Constitution in 1787, Delaware’s history goes back…way back. The state has seen its share of buildings come and go, from traditional colonial establishments to agricultural buildings and industrial sites. We found images of these ten abandoned places in Delaware that have been turned over to the Earth itself.
We know that some of these places are up for demolition eventually (if not already), so we figured we should share the photos with you before the places themselves are memories forever. So here, in no particular order, are a handful of photos of abandoned Delaware that have not been forgotten by the photographers who “discovered” them.
- Bancroft Mills, Wilmington
H8Rfish Fotography / Facebook Dating back to the year Delaware became a state, this site has been the location for many mills along the Brandywine River. The buildings officially closed in 1961, but certain portions have been renovated into condominiums. Over the years, multiple fires have damaged the ruins of the mills. Bancroft Mills Road, Bancroft Mills Rd, Wilmington, DE 19806, USA
- Jehu Reed House, Little Heaven
Jessica Nowaki / Facebook Editor’s Note:The beautiful Jehu Reed house was demolished on July 16, 2017, but we wanted to leave this photo up so that those who never got to see it still have a chance to admire its beauty. The main part of the house dated back to 1771, before Delaware was a state. Reed was considered to be a pioneer of Delaware agriculture.
- Reedy Island Range Light, Taylor’s Bridge
Jason Lesham / Facebook This range light is still in use, but was automated many years ago, so the structures around it are in disrepair. Built in the early 1900s, this and other range lights built along the Delaware coast helped with navigation upon the dredging of a new channel for the Delaware Bay. Reedy Island Range Rear Light, 1171 Taylors Bridge Rd, Townsend, DE 19734, USA
- Garnett Snuff Mill, Yorklyn
Carolyn Roland Also known as the George W. Helme Company, this site was operated by the Garnett family for the milling of tobacco dating back to 1846. Much of Yorklyn features remnants of Delaware’s industrial past. Garrett Snuff Mill, Jct. Delaware Route 82 and, Yorklyn Rd, Hockessin, DE 19707, USA
- Gibraltar Mansion, Wilmington
By Michael Caruso - http://www.flickr.com/photos/mason13a/4532609977/, CC BY-SA 2.0 While the Gibraltar Mansion looks oddly beautiful taken over by wisteria, the hope is that it won’t look like this for much longer. Built back in the mid-1840s, the mansion was abandoned years later and in 1997 efforts slowly started to restore the gardens to their original beauty. Today, you can visit the Marion Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar. Gibraltar (Hugh Rodney Sharp Mansion), 2505 Pennsylvania Ave, Wilmington, DE 19806, USA
- Ship John Shoal Lighthouse, Delaware Bay
James Hatcher / Flickr The history of Ship John Shoal Light is long and complex. Marking the north side of the shipping channel of the Delaware Bay off the coast from Bombay Hook, the light is now automated. In 2011, the federal government made it available for free to any organization or person willing to restore it. Ship John Shoal Light, New Jersey, USA
- Caretaker’s House, Delaware Breakwater Rear Range Light
Imgur / rsf0000001 While the actual lighthouse that was at the west end of Lewes was relocated to Florida in 1927 after being disassembled in 1919, some of the supporting buildings still remain.
- Old Granary, Sussex County
Lee Cannon / Flickr Abandoned barns, granaries, and silos dot the state of Delaware, speaking to the state’s deep agricultural roots. If you take a drive through Sussex County, you’ll find plenty of these breathtaking buildings covered in Ivy and rotting away due to a decline in agriculture and a change in the supply chain. Sussex County, NJ, USA
- Old Mill, Millsboro
Greg Elkins / Facebook In the early 19th century, there were over 15 mills within a 4 mile radius of Millsboro, due to its situation at the headwaters of the Indian River. That explains the name of the town! Remnants of these old mills are still found in the area, and if you drive around, you’ll see how they’re slowly starting to blend into their natural surroundings. Old Mill Marketplace, 201 Washington St, Millsboro, DE 19966, USA
- Pier at Battery Park, New Castle
H8RFish Fotography / Facebook Superstorm Sandy put this pier out of commission back in 2012, but it sure looks beautiful in this photograph! Since this picture was taken, a brand new pier was built at the site. The history of this once abandoned landmark still survives in the photographs taken! New Castle Battery Park, 1 Delaware St, New Castle, DE 19720, USA
Have you stumbled upon any of these old, abandoned places in Delaware? We’re now on a mission to take photos of others that we see peeking out from behind trees along the roadways. Be sure to share any abandoned or otherwise creepy places in Delaware that you know of!
H8Rfish Fotography / Facebook
Dating back to the year Delaware became a state, this site has been the location for many mills along the Brandywine River. The buildings officially closed in 1961, but certain portions have been renovated into condominiums. Over the years, multiple fires have damaged the ruins of the mills.
Bancroft Mills Road, Bancroft Mills Rd, Wilmington, DE 19806, USA
Jessica Nowaki / Facebook
Editor’s Note:The beautiful Jehu Reed house was demolished on July 16, 2017, but we wanted to leave this photo up so that those who never got to see it still have a chance to admire its beauty. The main part of the house dated back to 1771, before Delaware was a state. Reed was considered to be a pioneer of Delaware agriculture.
Jason Lesham / Facebook
This range light is still in use, but was automated many years ago, so the structures around it are in disrepair. Built in the early 1900s, this and other range lights built along the Delaware coast helped with navigation upon the dredging of a new channel for the Delaware Bay.
Reedy Island Range Rear Light, 1171 Taylors Bridge Rd, Townsend, DE 19734, USA
Carolyn Roland
Also known as the George W. Helme Company, this site was operated by the Garnett family for the milling of tobacco dating back to 1846. Much of Yorklyn features remnants of Delaware’s industrial past.
Garrett Snuff Mill, Jct. Delaware Route 82 and, Yorklyn Rd, Hockessin, DE 19707, USA
By Michael Caruso - http://www.flickr.com/photos/mason13a/4532609977/, CC BY-SA 2.0
While the Gibraltar Mansion looks oddly beautiful taken over by wisteria, the hope is that it won’t look like this for much longer. Built back in the mid-1840s, the mansion was abandoned years later and in 1997 efforts slowly started to restore the gardens to their original beauty. Today, you can visit the Marion Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar.
Gibraltar (Hugh Rodney Sharp Mansion), 2505 Pennsylvania Ave, Wilmington, DE 19806, USA
James Hatcher / Flickr
The history of Ship John Shoal Light is long and complex. Marking the north side of the shipping channel of the Delaware Bay off the coast from Bombay Hook, the light is now automated. In 2011, the federal government made it available for free to any organization or person willing to restore it.
Ship John Shoal Light, New Jersey, USA
Imgur / rsf0000001
While the actual lighthouse that was at the west end of Lewes was relocated to Florida in 1927 after being disassembled in 1919, some of the supporting buildings still remain.
Lee Cannon / Flickr
Abandoned barns, granaries, and silos dot the state of Delaware, speaking to the state’s deep agricultural roots. If you take a drive through Sussex County, you’ll find plenty of these breathtaking buildings covered in Ivy and rotting away due to a decline in agriculture and a change in the supply chain.
Sussex County, NJ, USA
Greg Elkins / Facebook
In the early 19th century, there were over 15 mills within a 4 mile radius of Millsboro, due to its situation at the headwaters of the Indian River. That explains the name of the town! Remnants of these old mills are still found in the area, and if you drive around, you’ll see how they’re slowly starting to blend into their natural surroundings.
Old Mill Marketplace, 201 Washington St, Millsboro, DE 19966, USA
H8RFish Fotography / Facebook
Superstorm Sandy put this pier out of commission back in 2012, but it sure looks beautiful in this photograph! Since this picture was taken, a brand new pier was built at the site. The history of this once abandoned landmark still survives in the photographs taken!
New Castle Battery Park, 1 Delaware St, New Castle, DE 19720, USA
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Abandoned Places in Delaware March 11, 2020 Kim Magaraci What is the most famous abandoned place in Delaware? The most famous abandoned place in Delaware might be the enormous Gibraltar Mansion. This abandoned DuPont home sits empty, but the gardens out in the back yard are still kept up! You can visit the Marion Coffin Gardens to see the beauty for yourself. This is truly an oasis in the heart of Wilmington. What is the most accessible abandoned place in Delaware? Fort Miles Historic Area is one of the most accessible abandoned places in Delaware. This former fort housed soldiers during World War II and was a vital part of American coastal defenses. Today, you can visit the Fort in Cape Henlopen State Park, and you can even schedule a tour of one of the abandoned batteries. The Fort is rumored to be haunted, and you can camp in the state park just a short walk away from the bunkers, batteries, and lookout towers. Are there any hikes to abandoned places in Delaware? You can hike around Bancroft Mills, an abandoned factory that has been destroyed by fire several times now. There are still some ruins standing and you can check them out when you hike the Alapocas Woods Trail in Alapocas Run State Park.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Abandoned Places in Delaware
March 11, 2020
Kim Magaraci
What is the most famous abandoned place in Delaware? The most famous abandoned place in Delaware might be the enormous Gibraltar Mansion. This abandoned DuPont home sits empty, but the gardens out in the back yard are still kept up! You can visit the Marion Coffin Gardens to see the beauty for yourself. This is truly an oasis in the heart of Wilmington. What is the most accessible abandoned place in Delaware? Fort Miles Historic Area is one of the most accessible abandoned places in Delaware. This former fort housed soldiers during World War II and was a vital part of American coastal defenses. Today, you can visit the Fort in Cape Henlopen State Park, and you can even schedule a tour of one of the abandoned batteries. The Fort is rumored to be haunted, and you can camp in the state park just a short walk away from the bunkers, batteries, and lookout towers. Are there any hikes to abandoned places in Delaware? You can hike around Bancroft Mills, an abandoned factory that has been destroyed by fire several times now. There are still some ruins standing and you can check them out when you hike the Alapocas Woods Trail in Alapocas Run State Park.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
The most famous abandoned place in Delaware might be the enormous Gibraltar Mansion. This abandoned DuPont home sits empty, but the gardens out in the back yard are still kept up! You can visit the Marion Coffin Gardens to see the beauty for yourself. This is truly an oasis in the heart of Wilmington.
What is the most accessible abandoned place in Delaware?
Fort Miles Historic Area is one of the most accessible abandoned places in Delaware. This former fort housed soldiers during World War II and was a vital part of American coastal defenses. Today, you can visit the Fort in Cape Henlopen State Park, and you can even schedule a tour of one of the abandoned batteries. The Fort is rumored to be haunted, and you can camp in the state park just a short walk away from the bunkers, batteries, and lookout towers.
Are there any hikes to abandoned places in Delaware?
You can hike around Bancroft Mills, an abandoned factory that has been destroyed by fire several times now. There are still some ruins standing and you can check them out when you hike the Alapocas Woods Trail in Alapocas Run State Park.
