the daniel herrmann courthouse



It's not until you reach the center of downtown Wilmington that you discover the true character of the City. Perhaps the most recognizable sight to most residents of, and visitors to Wilmington, is Rodney Square. In addition to a statue of Delaware's constitutional hero, Ceasar Rodney (featured on the back of Delaware's quarter) is a public area that's been home to a very large number of speeches and concerts and public events.

If someone was to describe this block of grass, and benches, and bus stops, and landscaping to you as the Heart of the City, they would be on the mark. When firefighters who rescued people at the World Trade Center came to Delaware last November, to be honored by the State, the ceremony was held in Rodney Square. When Governor Minner signed Delaware's Indoor Clean Air Act recently, it was under the shadow of the statue of Ceasar Rodney.

The buildings that surround the square are also well known.

On one side is the Wilmington Public Library, built in 1924.

On another is Delaware's most famous hotel, and the choice accomodation for owners of more than half of the Fortune 500 companies, when it comes time to have a shareholder's meeting. The Hotel duPont has long been given top honors for the quality of its food, and until recent times, its theatre was often used as a place to preview a play before it opened on Broadway.

On the next side around, if one were to travel clockwise about the square, is what is now the Wilmington Trust Building. Its front facade however, is that of Wilmington's long time federal building and post office. A number of years ago, the federal courts and offices moved down King Street a couple of blocks, but the facade remains as a reminder of the location's former significance.

The last side has often been recognized as the center for justice and democracy in New Castle County, and the State of Delaware. Long known as the "Public Building," it has also been called the Daniel Herrmann Court House the last few years. It holds within its walls Chancery Court, Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and a number of other government offices. The structure's past has seen many other tenants:

The building was symmetrical, with all New Castle County government offices and the courts at the north end, and all city offices, including the board of education, the municipal court and the Wilmington police, at the south end. Each side had its own entrance, with the words "Court House" over the county side entrance and "City Hall" over the city side entrance. Inside, the two were joined by a wide, two-story arcade that was lined with the city and county offices that had the most dealings with the public. Each office had a door and a teller-style window and shelf where citizens could do business.

The mayor had an office on the top floor of the city side with a reception area and fireplace. The City Council and the county government, then called the Levy Court, shared the council chambers on the same floor, a practice that continued when both moved to the Louis L. Redding City-County Building.

Starting next week, Family Court will be the first of many of the courts in New Castle County to begin the move to a new Justice Center, which will officially open for business on September 3. The Wilmington News Journal describes in some detail the history of the Public Building and provides audio links to memories of what the Courthouse meant to some of its inhabitants. We will provide more about the move, and what it means to Delaware and Delawareans in the weeks to come.