Located in the historic district of the City of New Castle is the New Castle Court House Museum.  Administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, it is one of the oldest courthouses in the United States and is a registered National Landmark Site.  The original 1732 court is built over the remains of Delaware’s first courthouse of 1689. The New Castle Court House is also Delaware’s first colonial and state capitol.  On June 15, 1776, the legislature passed a resolution to separate from Pennsylvania and Great Britain, creating the Delaware State. Our signers to the Declaration of Independence, George Read, Thomas McKean, and Caesar Rodney came from this colonial Assembly and were the leaders in the state. Significant events took place at the New Castle Court House involving slavery and the Underground Railroad.  The 1857 abolition trials of Thomas Garrett and John Hunn were held in this court. In 2003, the New Castle Court House was granted inclusion in the National Parks Service Network to Freedom Program. Guided tours, walking tours and changing exhibitions at the museum highlight Delaware’s courts, government, Assembly, social, cultural, and archaeological history.  Also in display are period portraits, furniture, artifacts, and decorative arts. The New Castle Court House is a partner site in the First State National Historical Park. We offer tours of the Court House, special focus tours, and outreach programs. The building is two stories, Court Room and West Wing UGRR and African American Achievements in Delaware exhibit on the first floor and Colonial Assembly Room, William Penn display, Three Forts of New Castle exhibit, More than Just a Line: Delaware 12 Mile Circular Boundary exhibit and a Charles Parks sculpture exhibit on the second floor.