Saint Georges, Delaware Explained

Saint Georges, Delaware
Settlement Type:Unincorporated town
Pushpin Map:USA Delaware#USA
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within the state of Delaware
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Delaware
Subdivision Type2:County
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:3.76
Area Land Km2:3.57
Area Water Km2:0.18
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:1957
Population Density Km2:547.96
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation Ft:16
Coordinates:39.555°N -75.6503°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:19733
Area Code:302
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:10-63800
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:214574[2]
Area Total Sq Mi:1.45
Area Land Sq Mi:1.38
Area Water Sq Mi:0.07
Population Density Sq Mi:1419.14

Saint Georges is an unincorporated town and former municipality situated on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in New Castle County, Delaware, United States, approximately midway between the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay.

History

St. Georges was settled before 1730 at the head of the St. Georges Creek. A tavern was built in 1735 and King's Highway was constructed through the settlement in 1762. St. Georges was incorporated as a town in 1825.[3] After being divided by the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and then bypassed by a newer bridge, the town asked to have their charter revoked by the state in 1940.[4] The community has at least one civic association, the North Saint Georges Civic Association which represents the community to the New Castle County Council.[5]

The Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge (Delaware Route 1) passes just west of the community. It is the only cable-stayed bridge in the Delaware Valley and one of the first in the nation. It opened in 1995 as a replacement to the still standing St. Georges Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 13 over the community of St. Georges and the canal. The St. Georges Bridge is in turn a replacement for a former lift bridge that sat in the middle of town. That bridge—built in 1923—was knocked down on January 10, 1939, by the 6,000-ton freighter Waukegan. The freighter lost control, hit the north tower of the bridge, and caused it to collapse. Two people died: the bridge tender and the bridge electrician.[6] One other bridge spanned the C & D Canal before the lift bridge. It was a small pedestrian swing bridge that crossed over the former Saint Georges Locks. It was destroyed when the locks were dismantled during the first widening and deepening (to sea level) of the canal.

Bloomfield, the W. Casperson House, Linden Hill, Ethel S. Roy House, St. Georges Cemetery Caretaker's House, St. Georges Presbyterian Church, Starl House, Sutton House (St. Georges, Delaware), and the North Saint Georges Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The community is located in New Castle County District 12 and is represented to the county council by Councilman James W. (Bill) Bell.[7] [8] [9]

Education

Saint Georges is in the Colonial School District.[10] It operates William Penn High School.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. October 31, 2021.
  2. 214574. Saint Georges.
  3. Book: Federal Writers' Project . Federal Writers' Project . The ocean highway: New Brunswick, New Jersey to Jacksonville, Florida. 2009-04-10 . 1938 . Modern Age Books . New York. American Guide Series. 9780403022144 .
  4. Web site: Mt. Adams Sun - Google News Archive Search. news.google.com.
  5. Web site: Archived copy . 2009-11-01 . 2009-10-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091011194327/http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/SiteCollectionDocuments/CIAC/Meeting%20Notes%2004-17-07.pdf . dead .
  6. Schmitt. F.E.. January 12, 1939. Freight Wrecks Canal Bridge. Engineering News-Record. 122. 3. 35 (73). McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Inc.. New York. Google books. 2008-12-28.
  7. Web site: Archived copy . 2009-11-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110608033934/http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/countycouncil/home/fileuploads/images/District%20Maps/NCC_DIST_12.pdf . 2011-06-08 .
  8. Web site: 2005 County Council Districts . 2009-11-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070818171433/http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/Council/2005Districts.htm . 2007-08-18 .
  9. Web site: New Castle County . 2009-11-01 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090819004532/http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/countyCouncil/Home/webpage16.asp . 2009-08-19 .
  10. Web site: 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: New Castle County, DE. U.S. Census Bureau. 2021-06-18.