This summer, I spent eight weeks working on an exhibition script at the
Delaware Historical Society in Wilmington. The Society will soon be
reopening Old Town Hall, a building that served a central role in Wilmington
life from its completion in 1799 until the present. The space will feature an
exhibition about the building’s history and significance to Wilmington’s past.
As part of this effort, I spent my time with the Society researching the space’s
history, both as a physical structure and as a civic, social, cultural, and
even economic center of the city.
My exploration yielded fascinating stories. The building’s roles in city
life went far beyond the functions we associate with a town or city hall today.
The building hosted Presidents, inventors, and entertainers. It became a place
where its residents gathered in discussion, mourning, and celebration. It acted
as a meeting place for several important groups, ranging from local fire
companies to the Red Cross. The interesting stories that I discovered far
exceed the length of a single blog post, but one of the most interesting themes
was the space’s ability to act as both a central place for local activity and a
way for the people of Wilmington to engage in national (and at times,
international) affairs.
Wilmingtonians came to Old Town Hall to consider
regional concerns like the construction of a canal and railroad lines, to
purchase stock in local companies, and to organize on behalf of local politicians. Those who ran afoul of the law were placed in the basement's jail cells. Groups like Wilmington’s
Community Service met there to address local issues, while other organizations held
events like balls and craft expos to raise funds.
At the same time, Old Town Hall became a place where people could look
beyond city limits. Anti-slavery and Temperance societies used the space for
meetings and events, as did groups in favor of American industrial development
and others seeking rights for laborers. People exhibiting the latest
inventions, including a miniature steam locomotive, held demonstrations there,
while scientists and other intellectuals lectured on their studies. National
figures attended receptions, and locals gathered to memorialize the loss of
well-known figures like Henry Clay, whose body lay in state at the Hall after
his death. Recruitment and meetings of soldiers linked the space to various
wars, while Wilmingtonians also gathered to celebrate military triumphs and welcome
returning troops.
In addition to housing the Red Cross during World War I, Old
Town Hall linked locals to international affairs by becoming an occasional
center for discussion about issues affecting other nations, including the
demand for the repeal of the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland.
The building was a place that forged connections between Wilmingtonians and
local, national, and international happenings.
To uncover the stories behind Old Town Hall’s roles, I took advantage of an
array of the Delaware Historical Society’s vast resources. Secondary sources
included an architectural study of the space from the renovation during the
1960s, as well as other books about Delaware history that provided leads for further examination. Some of the most helpful primary resources were the
extensive newspaper holdings at the Society, which helped to confirm what
happened when and document public reactions. The Borough (and later, City) Council Minutes also shed light
on how the space was used and controversies about its use. Broadsides announcing meetings
supplemented the information, as did photographs and even some objects associated
with the space. Occasional letters and other miscellaneous material rounded out
my study. It was only through synthesizing information from all of these
sources that the story of Old Town Hall could come to light.
