Christiana: Churches, History and Riverside Paths

Christiana is a village on the north bank of the Christina River. The town’s history brings together churches and homes with the river landscape and sites commemorating the American Revolution. Its history spans from the founding of a church congregation in the 1730s to a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Churches and Local History

The Christiana Presbyterian Church congregation was founded in the 1730s and was known in its early years as the “Presbyterian Church at Christiana Bridge.” The present-day church building has its own, later place in time: its cornerstone was laid on September 8, 1857. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Christiana Historic District. The founding of the congregation and the laying of the cornerstone mark different chapters: one dates the religious community, while the other marks the start of construction on the present-day building.

The Christiana Methodist Episcopal Church adds another church building from 1857 to the story of the town: its present-day building was constructed that year. As early as March 1771, Joseph Pilmore, one of the first Methodist missionaries from England, preached outdoors in Christiana. The outdoor sermon and the later church building represent two different points in the town’s religious history.

Homes and Historical Context

The John Lewden House broadens the picture from religious to residential architecture. It was built in the third quarter of the 18th century as a two-story brick house, one room deep, with a central hall. “One room deep” describes a floor plan with a single row of rooms between the front and back; the central hall is in the middle of that row. In Delaware’s architectural history, the house is considered a good example of the residential architecture built by wealthy Quaker merchants during the American Revolution. It stands at the edge of the meandering floodplain of Christiana Creek. Here, architectural form, historical context and landscape setting can be considered together.

Christiana Public School #111-C is also part of the town’s history: it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 1979. Together with the Presbyterian Church, which is listed as part of the Christiana Historic District, it represents different institutions in the historic townscape.

Christiana Bridge and the Revolutionary Era

After the end of the American Revolution, the Delaware Regiment was officially mustered out at or near Christiana Bridge on November 3, 1783. The marker “The Last Mustering of the Delaware Continentals” is at the entrance to Lewden Green Park, north of 107 E. Main St. Christiana Bridge was also at the upstream limit of tide-dependent navigation. This historical connection adds the bridge’s former importance to shipping to the story of the Revolution.

Christina River Path and Cleanup

A 1.75-mile paved path runs along the Christina River from Main Street in the Town of Christiana to James T. Corcoran Jr. Memorial Park, also called Coventry Ridge Park. Its length, starting point and destination clearly distinguish this riverside route from the town’s historical themes. If you plan to use the path, check current conditions in advance.

The Annual Christina River Cleanup is held every year and uses the DART Park & Ride lot at Routes 273 and 7 in Christiana, DE 19702 (Road 18B), as its meeting point. For planning, it’s best to check the specific event date. During the cleanup, access is via the sidewalk along Route 7 (Main Street), past the John Lewden House to the entrance of Lewden Green Park. For this event, the focus is on the meeting point and access, while the river path is described by its length and endpoints.

Discover more destinations: Bear, Hockessin, Delaware City, Brandywine, New Castle, Newark, Brookside, Claymont

For the broader travel overview: New Castle County.