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Rodney Square Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The northwest corner of Rodney Square
Location	Buildings fronting Rodney Square at 10th, 11th, Market & King Sts., Wilmington, Delaware
Coordinates	39°44′45″N 75°32′49″W / 39.74583°N 75.54694°W / 39.74583; -75.54694
Architectural style	Beaux-Art, Moderne
NRHP reference No.	11000522
Designated HD	August 10, 2011

Rodney Square is the public square and historic district in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, United States, named after American Revolutionary leader Caesar Rodney. A large equestrian statue of Rodney by James E. Kelly formerly stood in the front of the square until it was removed in 2020. The square was created in the early 20th century by John Jacob Raskob, who worked for Pierre S. du Pont. The City Beautiful movement served as the inspiration for the effort.

In 1917, to make room for the Wilmington Public Library in the square, the 18th-century First Presbyterian Church was moved to Park Drive and the remains in the cemetery were reinterred in Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011, as the Rodney Square Historic District.

Events

• Clifford Brown Jazz Festival
• First Night Wilmington
• Saint Patrick's Day Parade
• Citizens Bank Caesar Rodney Half Marathon

Surrounding architecture

The eight blocks surrounding the square contain a number of downtown buildings:

Corporate headquarters

Current

• Chemours
• Wilmington Trust
• Bank of America Credit Card Division

Former

• American Viscose Company
• Atlas Powder Company
• Barnsdall Oil
• Delaware Trust
• DuPont
• Hercules Inc.
• MBNA

Transportation

Rodney Square serves as a bus stop for several DART First State bus routes including 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 25, and 301. From 1992 to December 2017, Rodney Square served as the main hub for DART First State buses in Wilmington. In December 2017, the state of Delaware under the direction of Governor John Carney eliminated the bus hub at Rodney Square by scattering stops throughout downtown Wilmington, removing 13 routes from stopping at the square. The decision to eliminate the hub was made in order to reduce congestion and overcrowding at Rodney Square. This action resulted in many riders having to walk multiple blocks to make transfers, and many of the new bus stops do not have shelters or benches. The Wilmington Transit Center was built as a new hub for DART First State buses adjacent to the Wilmington Train Station, opening in May 2020.

References

1. "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/09/11 through 8/12/11. National Park Service. August 19, 2011.
2. Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway Rodney Square, DE
3. Milford, Maureen (October 19, 2003). "MBNA's homage to the past". The News Journal. Archived from the original on October 21, 2003. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
4. Milford, Maureen. "Cemetery offers a lasting history". delawareonline.com. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
5. Ferguson, Logan I. (September 30, 2010). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Rodney Square Historic District". National Archives. National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
7. "Routes and Schedules". DART First State. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
8. Jedra, Christina (January 30, 2018). "Wilmington bus riders clash with DART over elimination of Rodney Square stops". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
9. Jedra, Christina (November 19, 2018). "New Wilmington transit center coming December 2019, officials say". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
10. "Join DART for a Community Conversation". DART First State. Retrieved December 28, 2019.

• Location coordinates from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), feature ID 217603; use ID at search interface

External links

• Downtown Wilmington
• Wilmington Visitors Bureau
• Wilmington City Government

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Delaware
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
Lists by county	Kent New Castle (Northern) New Castle (Southern) Sussex
Lists by city	Wilmington (New Castle County)
Other lists	Bridges National Historic Landmarks
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Delaware Portal:National Register of Historic Places

• DART First State
• Historic districts in Wilmington, Delaware
• Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware
• National Register of Historic Places in Wilmington, Delaware
• Neoclassical architecture in Delaware
• Squares in the United States