A Walking Tour of Wilmington, Delaware - Downtown (Look Up,

A Walking Tour of Wilmington, Delaware - Downtown (Look Up, America! Series)

There is no better way to see America than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a walking tour. Whether you are preparing for a road trip or just out to look at your own town in a new way, a downloadable walking tour from walkthetown.com is ready to explore when you are.

Each walking tour describes historical and architectural landmarks and provides pictures to help out when those pesky street addresses are missing. Every tour also includes a quick primer on identifying architectural styles seen on American streets.

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 â€˜developerâ€ 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.Â During the Revolution, its milling industries, geographic location, key leaders and resources made Wilmington particularly strategic. Topography and soil conditions affected the residential development pattern in the City.Â Wilmington lies at the fall line that separates the flat coastal plain from the hilly areas to the west.Â East of Market Street, and along both sides of the Christina River, the land is flat, low-lying and marshy in places.Â The west side of Market Street is hilly and rises to a point that marks the watershed between the Brandywine and the Christina Rivers.Â This watershed line runs along Delaware Avenue westward from 10th and Market Streets.Â 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.

During the Industrial Revolution era Wilmington products included ships, railroad cars, gunpowder, shoes, tents, uniforms, blankets and other war-related goods. By 1868, the city 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 modern age of Wilmington began in 1905 when the DuPont Companyâ€™s headquarters came downtown.

As an historically conservative city, Wilmington generally adopted architectural â€œhigh stylesâ€ about a decade after the style was introduced.Â Nonetheless, the city has a fine collection of extant buildings, displaying popular styles from the Revolution through late 20th century.Â 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.Â The vernacular row house makes up many of the stable neighborhoods, augmented by stylistic detailing from the high styles of its period of construction.Â

This walking tour will begin in the heart of the city around Rodney Square...
Country USA
Manufacturer walkthetown.com
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2009-05-19
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	walkthetown.com
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2009-05-19
Format	Kindle eBook

A Walking Tour of Wilmington, Delaware - Downtown (Look Up, America! Series)

Customers who purchased this also purchased....