Centerville, Delaware
Encyclopedia
Centreville is an unincorporated town in New Castle County
, Delaware
, United States
. Centreville is now known primarily for being the location of Du Pont family
estates, as well as several other wealthy business families from nearby Wilmington
, and the home of Governor Jack Markell.
The village developed along the Kennett and Wilmington Pike which was chartered by the Delaware Legislature in 1811. The road, now known as Delaware Route 52
or the Kennett Pike, is part of the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway
, a National Scenic Byway
. A group of fifteen houses, most of the village, was listed as a historic district by the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982. About the same time, three other properties near the village, the Joseph Chandler House, the Carpenter-Lippincott House, and Mt. Airy No. 27 School, were separately listed by the NRHP.
The hamlet of Fairville, Pennsylvania
, about three miles north on Kennett Pike (Pennsylvania Route 52
) developed about the same time as Centreville, and is also listed on the National Register.
state line, 5 mi/8 km NNW of Wilmington.
Elev. 387 ft/118 m.
is located just to the SE of the village center.
Delaware Museum of Natural History
and the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Winterthur, Delaware
are located just to the south of Centreville, on Delaware State Highway 52.
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Centreville is now known primarily for being the location of Du Pont family
Du Pont family
The Du Pont family is an American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours . The son of a Paris watchmaker and a member of a Burgundian noble family, he and his sons, Victor Marie du Pont and Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, emigrated to the United States in 1800 and used the resources of...
estates, as well as several other wealthy business families from nearby Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, and the home of Governor Jack Markell.
The village developed along the Kennett and Wilmington Pike which was chartered by the Delaware Legislature in 1811. The road, now known as Delaware Route 52
Delaware Route 52
Delaware Route 52 is a state highway in New Castle County, Delaware. The route runs from U.S. Route 13 Business in Wilmington, Delaware north to Pennsylvania Route 52 at the Pennsylvania border near Centerville, Delaware. Even though the southern terminus is at US 13 Business, DelDOT has DE 52...
or the Kennett Pike, is part of the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway
Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway
The Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in New Castle County, Delaware in the Brandywine valley. The route of the byway is along Delaware Route 52 from Wilmington north to the Pennsylvania border, and Delaware Route 100 from its intersection with Route 52, north to the...
, a National Scenic Byway
National Scenic Byway
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for its archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and/or scenic qualities. The program was established by Congress in 1991 to preserve and protect the nation's scenic but often...
. A group of fifteen houses, most of the village, was listed as a historic district by the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982. About the same time, three other properties near the village, the Joseph Chandler House, the Carpenter-Lippincott House, and Mt. Airy No. 27 School, were separately listed by the NRHP.
The hamlet of Fairville, Pennsylvania
Fairville, Pennsylvania
Fairville, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated area in southern Chester County which developed in the early nineteenth century about a mile north of the Pennsylvania-Delaware border. It is a linear village along the Kennett Pike that runs between Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware...
, about three miles north on Kennett Pike (Pennsylvania Route 52
Pennsylvania Route 52
Pennsylvania Route 52 is a long state highway located in southeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line near Kennett Square, where PA 52 continues as Delaware Route 52. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 322 Business in West Chester. Near...
) developed about the same time as Centreville, and is also listed on the National Register.
Geography
Centreville is located at 39°48′43"N 75°37′23"W (39.8119000, -75.6230000) on the PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
state line, 5 mi/8 km NNW of Wilmington.
Elev. 387 ft/118 m.
Area Attractions
Brandywine Creek State ParkBrandywine Creek State Park
Brandywine Creek State Park is a state park, located north of Wilmington, Delaware along the Brandywine Creek. Open year-round, it is in area and, before becoming a state park in 1965, was a dairy farm owned by the Du Pont family. It contains the first two nature preserves in Delaware. These...
is located just to the SE of the village center.
Delaware Museum of Natural History
Delaware Museum of Natural History
The Delaware Museum of Natural History was founded in 1957 by John Eleuthere du Pont near Greenville, Delaware and opened in 1972. It is known for its extensive collections of seashells, birds, and bird eggs. It is the oldest natural history museum in Delaware....
and the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Winterthur, Delaware
Winterthur, Delaware
Winterthur is an unincorporated community in northern New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It lies at the intersection of Delaware Routes 92 and 100, north of the city of Wilmington, the county seat of New Castle County. Its elevation is 269 feet...
are located just to the south of Centreville, on Delaware State Highway 52.