Historic Planning
New Castle County, the first county in the first state, is proud of our heritage as a thriving colonial colony, a center for industry during the industrial revolution and the home to farmers, merchants, and leaders who helped to shape our nation. Wherever possible, we strive to encourage property owners to preserve those sites that help to illustrate our history and to keep it alive.
New Castle County's Historic Planners review all proposed development plans to identify potential historic properties and to work with applicants to encourage preservation of historically significant sites. Plans impacting historic sites and structures are also reviewed by the Historic Review Board, who encourage applicants to preserve structures and to employ strategies such as adaptive reuse and historic overlay.
Historic Marker Program
The Historic Structure Marker Program is an honorary method to recognize New Castle County’s officially designated historic resources, which are located within the bounds of the County’s Historic overlay zoning districts. For more information or to find out if your property is eligible, please review the Historic Marker Program Application.
New Castle County Tax Exemption Program
Properties within New Castle County zoning jurisdiction that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or within the bounds of an Historic overlay zoning district may be eligible for historic tax exemptions on County property tax. For more information on the New Castle County Historic Tax Exemption Program, please see the below New Castle County Tax Exemption Program Booklet and application form. For any additional questions, please contact Betsy Hatch, Preservation Planner.