This Delaware Home Played a Significant Role in the American Revolution

You can walk in the footsteps of history at the Hale-Byrnes House.

Jan 15, 2025

Past Lane Pursuits is a weekly newsletter of Past Lane Travels, a history/travel blog that provides inspiration for discovering historical sites, hidden gems and small towns.

Explore Delaware’s Colonial Past

I can’t wait to share this week’s hidden gem with you!

The historic Hale-Byrnes House is an unassuming brick home tucked along a bustling road, but it played a critical role during the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign in the American Revolution.

It was here that George Washington, Lafayette, and other legendary figures held a war council just days before the Battle of Brandywine, deliberating the fate of a young nation. The house’s history, charm, and connection to America’s fight for independence make it a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts and travelers alike.

Beyond its Revolutionary War significance, the house also serves as a southern anchor of the Wild and Scenic White Clay Creek and a key site on the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail, adding layers of intrigue to its story.

A painting on the wall shows the Hale-Byrnes House with Washington’s officers. The Sycamore tree still stands.

Fast Facts:

The Hale-Byrnes House is located at 606 Stanton-Christiana Road, Newark, DE. (Exit 4B of I-95. Take Route 7 North and turn right immediately after the Morgan-Christiana Bank Center.)
Visiting Hours: Open April through December the first Wednesday of each month from noon-3 pm. Closed Jan, Feb, Mar. (Also available for rent for small meetings).
Special Events and Programs
Throughout the year, the Hale-Byrnes House hosts special events such as living history demonstrations and educational workshops.

If you’re going to be in Delaware this year, make sure you put this destination on your bucket list for historical sites to see!

Don’t forget to check out my Travel Resources page on Past Lane Travels!

☛ Old Words

Here are this week’s old words!

Apricity: From the Middle Ages this old noun describes the pleasant emotion from feeling the sun on an otherwise cold day.

With winter and so much darkness having arrived for a prolonged time, apricity is always appreciated.

Bedight: An old verb that means to decorate something plain in the hope of enhancing its appearance.

Let’s bedight the old cabin for grandma’s birthday.

History Trivia

Answer to Last Week’s Trivia Quiz: Congratulations to those who answered St. Augustine to the oldest city, but here are the facts: St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the continental United States.

Other contenders for similar claims include:

Jamestown, Virginia (1607): The first permanent English settlement in America.
Santa Fe, New Mexico (1607): Claims to be the oldest capital city and has long-standing Native American and Spanish history.
Plymouth, Massachusetts (1620): Known for the Pilgrims' arrival and the Mayflower Compact.