Amstel House Museum

The Amstel House contains the style and refinement of the prosperous time the town once had. It is the only early Georgian home that is left. It was built in the 1730's by Dr. John Finney. It includes a unique five bay, gable-end façade. An architect that often preserves old buildings in New Castle, Albert Kruse, said that the Amstel House "is no dream. It is real, thanks to the fairy godmother of good architecture." 

The rich history of the residents in the 18th century reflect the cultural life of the period. While the house was home to the Governor Nicholas Van Dyke, George Washington was a guest at a wedding at the home in 1784. When Van Dyke no longer lived in the house, his daughter, Ann Van Dyke and her husband lived in the home until their new home nearby was built in 1790. Their daughter, Fidelia was born in 1785 in the Amstel House and she married Governor Thomas Stockton. Examples of this family's furniture are stationed in the house today. 

Delaware architect and preservationist, Laussat Rogers, renovated the home before 1915. Now, it is a 1929 historic house museum that is a clear representation of the Colonial Revival. It also illustrates the rich and complex history of town preservation initiatives. The home is mostly still the original home that was built in the early 1700s. The Amstel House now serves as a museum to share the Colonial history and original architecture of the house.