Old First Presbyterian Church (Wilmington, Delaware)
Historic church in Delaware, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Old First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington is a historic Presbyterian church located on West Street on Brandywine Park Drive in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.
Old First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington | |
Old First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, January 2010 | |
  Location within Delaware  Location within the United States | |
| Location | West St. on Brandywine Park Dr., in the Wilmington, Delaware, neighborhood of Midtown Brandywine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39.750772°N 75.547472°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1740 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000295[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 13, 1972 |
Built in 1740, the one-story brick structure measures 30 feet by 40 feet and has a gambrel roof. Originally located on the east side of Wilmington's Market Street between 9th and 10th Streets, the building was used during the American Revolution by British troops as a prison and hospital during the occupation of Wilmington after the Battle of Brandywine, September 12, 1777. It remained a house of worship until 1840.[2] A cemetery on the site was the final resting place of many noted Wilmingtonians which were reinterred to Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery[3] and Riverview Cemetery.[4]
It was moved to its present site in 1916. In order to move it, it was dismantled and rebuilt with its re-dedication in 1918. It was given to the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Delaware to maintain and restore. They currently [when?] use it as their headquarters and have it open to the public on 2nd Sundays, April–October, 2-4pm.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[1] The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America restored the interior to its original condition in 1981.
