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The City of Wilmington
The City of Wilmington, like most eastern cities, has been evolving
for over 350 years. After periods of Swedish (1638), then
Dutch (1655), then British (1664) colonization, the area stabilized
under British rule (with Quaker influence) and was granted a borough
charter in 1739 by the King of England which changed the name from
Willington (after Thomas Willing, the first 'developer" of
the land who organized the area in a grid pattern like Philadelphia)
to Wilmington, presumably after Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington,
a favorite of the King.
From the granting of the charter until the Revolution, the town
developed steadily into a prosperous business and residential community.
During the Revolution, its milling industries, geographic location,
key leaders and resources made Wilmington particularly strategic.
Physical Influences on Development
Topography and soil conditions affected the residential development
pattern in the City. Wilmington lies at the fall line that
separates the flat coastal plain from the hilly areas to the west.
East of Market Street, and along both sides of the Christina River,
the land is flat, low-lying and marshy in places. The west
side of Market Street is hilly and rises to a point that marks the
watershed between the Brandywine and the Christina Rivers.
This watershed line runs along Delaware Avenue westward from 10th
and Market Streets. The hilly and therefore healthier west
side, was more attractive for the original residential areas such
as Quaker Hill, developed beginning in the mid 18th century.
Industrial Growth
The borough of Wilmington officially became a city in 1832, when
a charter was granted by the State legislature. The Industrial
Revolution era was reflected in Wilmington with events such as the
1837 completion of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore
Railroad which made the City accessible by water, road and rail
on the main north-south transportation route providing easy reach
of most mall or markets. The area's economy flourished as
shrewd businessmen and a skilled labor force provided the resources
for the growing industries.
The Civil War
The Civil War had a profound effect on the economy of the City.
Delaware, though officially a Union State, was divided in its support
of both the Confederate and the Union soldiers. Wilmington
was the center of the northern partisans in Delaware. The
outbreak of the Civil War found Wilmington with a strong industrial
base which responded to meet the great demands of waging war. Older
establishments expanded, and many new industries were attracted
to the City. Wilmington products included ships, railroad cars,
gunpowder, shoes, tents, uniforms, blankets and other war-related
goods. The City entered from the war with a greatly diversified
economy. By 1868, Wilmington was producing more iron ships than
the rest of the country combined and it rated first in the production
of gunpowder and second in carriages and leather. The post-war prosperity
allowed the construction of many elaborate new homes and businesses,
which induced residential development to the west of the existing
City, creating the beginning of "suburban development".
Suburban Development
In 1864, the first horsecar line was initiated, assisting development
of residential areas outside the City boundaries. The first
"suburban" area to be developed was centered around today's
Delaware Avenue. Wealthy industrialists and businessmen built
ornate mansions on this street making it the city's most fashionable
address.
The late nineteenth century saw the development of a comprehensive
park system, "Godfathered" by William Bancroft, a successful
Wilmington businessman with a concern for the preservation of open
parkland in Wilmington who was influenced by the work of Frederick
Law Olmsted. Rockford Park and Brandywine Park owe their creation
to his generous donation of land and efforts.
Between the Civil War and World War 1, more new industries developed
and the greatest increases in population occurred. In 1860
there were 21,250 people living in the City. By 1920 that
number had risen to 110,168.
Modern Wilmington
Both World Wars stimulated the City's industries. Industries
vital to the war effort - shipyards, steel foundries, machinery
and chemical producers - operated on a 24-hour basis. Other
industries produced such goods as automobiles, leather products
and clothing.
While many corporations sought the benefits of Delaware's liberal
tax structure and located themselves in or near Wilmington, firmly
establishing the City as a "Corporate Capital" even after
the decline of large-scale manufacturing in Wilmington, the burgeoning
number of automobiles and roadways in the 1950s made living in the
suburbs and commuting into the City to work possible and contributed
to significant population losses in Wilmington. Projects such
as urban renewal in the 1960s and 70s, which cleared many blocks
of housing, and the construction of 1-95 which cut a swath through
several of Wilmington's most stable neighborhoods, also left their
mark on the City.
Numerous banks and financial institutions relocated to the area
after the Financial Center Development Act of 1981 substantially
liberalized the laws governing banks operating within the state.
In 1986, the state adopted legislation targeted at attracting international
finance and insurance companies. More recently, the "Back
to the Cities' movement has provided Wilmington with renewed vigor;
multiple redevelopment projects have proved that the City is on
the upswing again.
Wilmington Architecture
As an historically conservative city, Wilmington generally adopted
architectural "high styles" about a decade after the style
was introduced. Nonetheless, the city has a fine collection
of extant buildings, displaying popular styles from the Revolution
through late 20th century. Federal, Queen Anne, American Four
Square are found in quantity; examples of Second Empire, Richardson
Romanesque, Italian Villa, Greek Revival, Georgian, Art Deco and
International Style punctuate the urban landscape. The vernacular
row house makes up many of the stable neighborhoods, augmented by
stylistic detailing from the high styles of its period of construction.
Today, the City uses overlay zoning in the form of ten (10) City
Historic Districts to regulate and protect our architectural heritage.
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