Cooch’s Bridge homestead tours resume in March 2023
For the second year, the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, location of the only Revolutionary War land battle fought in Delaware, will be conducting monthly tours of the property’s homestead located at 961 Old Baltimore Pike in Newark, Del. The one-hour tours, conducted entirely out-of-doors, explore the individuals who lived on the property, how they shaped the land around them and how the location’s landscape contributed to national history.
2023 tours, which all occur on Saturdays, will take place at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on April 29; and at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on May 27, June 24, July 29, Aug. 26, Sept. 30 and Oct. 28. Admission is free but reservations are required by clicking here, by calling 302-922-7116 or mailto:CBmuseum@delaware.gov. Participation is limited to 20 visitors per tour. NOTE: Tours on March 25, 2023 have been cancelled due to inclement weather.
About the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge …
In late summer 1777, Gen. George Washington dispatched a unit of light infantry to a key choke-point on the main road from Baltimore to Philadelphia: Cooch’s Bridge over the Christina Creek just south of Newark, Del. Intent on scouting the British forces and delaying their advance through Delaware and into Pennsylvania, Washington knew that the men he sent to Cooch’s Bridge would be outnumbered, but he also knew they could put up a substantial fight. On Sept. 3, after several hours of heavy fighting, the Continentals and militia, low on ammunition, were forced to retreat. Some two dozen American soldiers gave their lives in the battle. Their sacrifice affirmed that Washington and the American Army would strongly contest the British advance to Philadelphia.
Owned by the State of Delaware and administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site includes the Cooch Homestead and Cooch-Dayett Mill complex. The homestead, a 10-acre parcel containing the historic Cooch house, circa 1760, was the focal point for the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge. The mill complex includes the circa-1830s mill, miller’s house, outbuildings and the right-of-way access to the mill race and dams along the Christina River. The current mill is the third in a succession of grist mills built by the family in this area, with the first dating to the mid-18th century. This portion of the property spans more than 60 acres and includes preserved land such as floodplain, meadows and a leased agricultural field. Both components of the property help tell the agricultural and industrial story in and around Newark and illuminate the lives of those who worked and lived in the area.