Court of Chancery comes to New Castle Court House Museum

The New Castle Court House Museum, one of the oldest courthouses in the country, once again played host to court hearings as New Castle native Vice Chancellor Paul Fioravanti Jr. of the Court of Chancery held two public court hearings on Sept. 18, 2024. Delaware Supreme Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz and Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick were in attendance at Wednesday’s hearings as well.

The New Castle Court House Museum has held all levels of Delaware court cases over its life as a courthouse. Use of the current courthouse began in February 1732, on the foundation of the earlier 1680s courthouse. By 1881, the courts had moved to the new county seat in Wilmington and the historic building went on to host various other establishments, including a restaurant, until it became a museum in 1962.

While it is no longer an active courthouse, the museum occasionally still hosts legal proceedings. Most notably, New Castle’s own Richard Cooch Jr., who also was in attendance Sept. 18, held hearings at the historic courthouse before he retired as a judge in 2019. The museum has also held a naturalization ceremony and swearing-in ceremonies, connecting its modern-day existence to its historic function as a place of law and government.