Original subtitles

(wind blowing)

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] Our journey begins

in the north of the state at the Winterthur Museum

before heading south towards Wilmington,

the largest city in Delaware.

From there we follow the river to New Castle

and its historic houses.

To the south is Pea Patch Island and Fort Delaware,

protecting the approach to the capital.

Inland at Newark is the University of Delaware.

Continuing south is Dover

and the International Speedway track

as well as a large US Air Force base.

Turning towards the coast, we take a look

at the flocks of migrating birds

heading south for the winter.

At Lewes, the ferries come and go

across Delaware Bay to New Jersey,

and just outside the town is Henlopen State Park

and some military relics from World War II.

Our journey ends at the popular shopping

and seaside resort of Rehoboth.

Delaware is the second smallest state

after Rhode Island,

and was the first one to ratify

the new Constitution in 1787.

Much of Delaware's economic and industrial development

is linked to one family, the du Ponts.

Their success can be seen here at Winterthur,

which was built by Henry Francis du Pont in the early 1900s

in a mixture of 18th and 19th century styles.

He also began collecting American decorative art

and today there are nearly 90,000 objects.

In the 1950s, he opened the house as a museum.

He was also a keen horticulturist

and visitors can stroll

through the 60-acre naturalistic garden.

Henry du Pont wrote towards the end of his life:

I sincerely hope that the museum

will be a continuing source of inspiration

and education for all time,

and that the gardens and grounds

will of themselves be a museum

where visitors may enjoy, as I have,

a country place which has been loved

and taken care of for three generations.

Another member of the family, Alfred du Pont,

built Nemours Mansion in 1910

using a French style from the 18th century.

It was called Nemours after the town in France

from where the first du Pont emigrated

during the French Revolution.

The house has more than 70 rooms

spread over five floors

and was a gift to his second wife, Alicia.

Alfred du Pont also set up the Nemours Foundation

to care for sick children

and a pediatric hospital was built close by the house.

One of the glories of Nemours is the garden,

designed in a formal style, and heavily influenced

by King Louis the XIV's gardens at Versailles in France.

It is the largest of its type in North America

and has a central avenue of nearly half a kilometer.

The garden has fountains, pools, statues,

and a pavilion all surrounded by woodland.

In 2005, the gardens and house underwent

an exhaustive three-year restoration program

at a cost of nearly $40 million.

It was in 1802 that the du Ponts arrived in Delaware

and founded the Eleutherian Mills

which made gunpowder.

At this time, water power was needed

to drive the machinery

and along Brandywine Creek are a series

of now derelict buildings.

Much of the machinery was bought from France

with plans for the buildings

supplied by the French government.

By the end of the second year,

the site had produced 39,000 pounds of gunpowder

and from then on, sales increased.

60 years later during the American Civil War,

it sold four million barrels of powder

to the federal government.

However, making gunpowder was a dangerous job

and in 1818, 33 were killed in an explosion.

This is why the buildings have three stone sides

with the fourth built of wood facing the river.

This meant any blast was directed away

from other nearby buildings.

The site was closed down after the first World War

and is now a museum of industrial history.

Across the river is the DuPont Experimental Station

which was started in 1903.

It was here that gunpowder gave way

to the new age of chemistry

with discoveries such as nylon,

neoprene, Kevlar, and Nomex.

Today, DuPont employs over 2,000 scientists

who seek out new products.

Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware

and the national center for the credit card industry

with many of the world's largest banks

having their US headquarters here.

The city's history goes back to Swedish settlers

who arrived in 1638.

They named the river Christina after their queen.

But by 1664, the British were in control.

They name Wilmington came

from King George the II's prime minister,

Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.

One notable building is the 1907 Wilmington Railway Station.

In 2011, it was renamed the Joseph R. Biden Junior

Railroad Station in honor of Vice President Joe Biden

who comes from the state.

However, it will still be referred to as just Wilmington.

In 1637, a Swedish ship set sail from Gothenburg

with settlers bound for the new world.

They eventually arrived in North America

four months later.

The name of the ship was the Kalmar Nyckel

and this is a replica built on the original site

of New Sweden and launched in 1997.

Each year, the ship takes part

in a number of sailing events

and when possible, takes visitors

on a day's excursion out to sea

where they are encouraged to help the crew out.

The Kalmar Nyckel serves as Delaware's seagoing ambassador

and is a reminder of those early colonial days.

(gentle music)

Crossing the Delaware River at Wilmington

is the Memorial Bridge,

a set of twin suspension bridges

joining New Jersey with Delaware.

The first span opened to traffic in 1951

and replaced a ferry service that had begun in the 1920s.

The second span was opened in 1968

and stands 76 meters to the north.

They basically look the same,

but the new bridge used welded steel plates

rather than the old-fashioned riveted ones

on the first bridge.

The four towers stand 134 meters above the water.

On completion of the second span,

it was decided to dedicate the two bridges

to all those who lost their lives in World War II,

the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Roughly six miles down the Delaware river is a small city,

which during the 17th century,

was founded by the Dutch, taken by the Swedes,

retaken by the Dutch,

who in turn were ousted by the British

who named the city New Castle.

The original Dutch grid plan layout largely remains

as does the green, unchanged for over 350 years.

The center of the city is now an historic district

with about 500 buildings going back to the 17th century.

The statue is of William Penn,

who was granted what is now Delaware and Pennsylvania

by King Charles II of Britain.

After arrived at New Castle,

he traveled inland to found the city of Philadelphia.

However, his strict Quaker government

was not to the liking of the settlers

in the county of Delaware,

who in 1704 successfully broke away

to become the colony of Lower Delaware.

Their capital was New Castle

and the courthouse was briefly the State House of Delaware.

An occasional trial is still held here

to keep alive the claim that it is the oldest

continuous used chamber of justice in the United States.

During the 19th century,

New Castle went into a economic decline,

which meant many house owners

could not afford to update them.

This has meant a number of 18th century houses

have remained intact, such as the Amstel House.

It was built in 1730

for a prosperous land owner, Dr. Finney.

In the 1920s, the New Castle Historical Society

saved Amstel House, restored it,

created an 18th century style garden,

and opened it all to the public in 1929.

(stately music)

In 1801, the Reed House was built

and is one of the finest examples

of the transition between the Georgian style of Britain

and the federal style of America.

The garden was created in 1847,

and remains one of the best examples

of its type in the country.

Before the Delaware River widens into a bay,

Pea Patch Island stands in the middle

and on it is Fort Delaware.

It has had a checkered past.

This is the second fort on the site

after the first burnt down during building works.

What we see today was largely built in the 1850s.

It is pentagonal in shape

and was one of the largest military forts at the time.

Deep foundations were needed

and over 5,000 wooden piles

were driven 30 meters into the ground.

Building had not been completed

when the Civil War broke out in 1861,

so it was turned into a military prison

for Confederate soldiers.

It was quickly adapted with barracks and a hospital.

Within two years, there were more than 11,000 prisoners.

Unlike other prisoner of war camps,

Fort Delaware had fairly decent conditions

but the rations were meager

and Lieutenant Dawson wrote:

For breakfast, we had a cup of coffee without milk or sugar

and two small pieces of bad bread.

For dinner, we had a cup of greasy water misnamed soup,

a piece of beef two inches square and half an inch thick,

and two slides of bread.

At supper, the fare was the same as breakfast.

Inland from the river is the city of Newark

and the University of Delaware,

which hosts 16,000 undergraduates

and over 3,000 graduate students.

It has been described as a public Ivy,

meaning that as a public college,

it has academic qualities comparable

to an Ivy League institution.

The University traces its founding to 1743

when it opened in New London, Pennsylvania,

making it one of the oldest universities

in the United States.

A newspaper at the time carried a notice that said:

We are informed that there is a free school

opened at the house of Mr. Alison

for the promotion of learning

where all persons may be instructed in the languages

and some other parts of polite literature

without expenses for their education.

This new school that moved from Pennsylvania to Newark

but was denied a charter as a college

because at that time, Delaware was part of Pennsylvania.

It was not until 1833 that Newark College was established.

10 years later, the name was changed to Delaware College

and in 1921, it became a university.

Throughout the state,

there are reminders of Delaware's past

in the number of historic houses in many of its towns.

This is Odessa, which back in the 18th century

was called Cantwell's Bridge.

Once an important grain shipping port,

many of the 18th and 19th century houses

reflect the wealth the trade brought to the town.

Fine Georgian houses line the streets

and in 1972, the center of the town

was declared a national historic landmark,

and then further increased in size in 1984

to include more houses.

It was in the 19th century

that the town was renamed Odessa

after the Ukrainian city on the Black Sea in Eastern Europe.

Just outside the city of Dover

is the International NASCAR Speedway track

which fans have called the Monster Mile.

It opened in 1969.

Outside the circuit is Miles the Monster

which is one of the largest fiberglass structures

in the country.

Plaques around the base are dedicated to legendary drivers.

The one-mile track is banked nine degrees

on the two straights and 24 degrees on the turns.

This means cars can achieve speeds

in excess of 175 miles per hour

and it's tough on both the vehicles and their drivers.

Fans of NASCAR, the National Association

for Stock Car Auto Racing,

have a chance to drive around the circuit

in the Monster Racing School.

They can experience firsthand

what it is like to be a real racing driver

on one of the premier tracks in the country.

To the south of Dover is a large Air Force base

which is home to the 436th Airlift Wing

known as Eagle Wing.

On the flight line are the massive C-5 Galaxy aircraft

which can transport everything needed

to maintain troops on foreign duty.

A much sadder duty is to transport back

to Dover Air Force Base all US service personnel

killed or wounded on active service abroad.

Continuing south, and we come to Killens Pond State Park,

which was opened in 1965.

(gentle music)

At the center of the 66-acre park

is a large pond along the Murderkill River.

It is a popular place for fishing,

boating, hiking, and birdwatching.

(birds squawking)

The rather dramatic name of the river

refers to an incident in 1648

when a number of Dutch settlers

were attacked and killed by local Indians

after the settlers thought they had come to trade.

To one side of Route 1 is Barratt's Chapel,

which is the oldest Methodist chapel in America

dating back to 1780.

And it was here in 1784 that two important preachers

met and began the process of founding

the Methodist Episcopal Church.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism,

had sent Thomas Coke from Britain to the new America

to find the Methodist preacher Francis Asbury,

who had remained during the Revolution.

It was while Cook was preaching that Asbury appeared.

They were to become the first Methodist bishops in America.

Back on the coast, the St. Jones River

empties into Delaware Bay.

Much of the lower course is surrounded

by brackish marshes and salt marshes.

It is a perfect habitat for duck shooting.

Hunting clubs lease the land

and then maintain it by planting,

building the blinds, and preparing decoys.

However, a noisy helicopter appearing overhead

is perhaps not what the hunters want

as they sit in their hides.

Off the coast away from the guns,

thousands of migrating birds flock and rest

before continuing on their journey south for the winter.

(birds chattering)

The city of Lewes was the earliest city in Delaware

and because the state was the first

to ratify the new US Constitution,

the town refers to itself as First Town in the First State.

The town has many fine buildings

and one stands out in particular,

the Zwaanendael House.

It may look like an old Dutch building,

but in fact, it was constructed in 1831

to honor the first Dutch settlement

called Zwaanendael in 1631.

The design of the house is based

on the former City Hall at Hoorn in the Netherlands.

The statue on top is of David Pietersen de Vries,

the leader of the expedition that founded the colony.

Lewes Harbor is situated where Delaware Bay

meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Three centuries ago, this port would have been full

of whalers and trading ships from the Netherlands.

Protecting the harbor are two long breakwaters,

which allowed shipping a haven in bad weather

as there were few safe harbors

along this stretch of coastline.

Construction began on the inner breakwater in 1826

and was one of the first of its kind in the world.

Over 835,000 tons of stone was used in the project.

But in 1896, a new and larger outer breakwater was needed,

as the earlier one had been damaged in storms.

The Harbor of Refuge Light was built on the end.

The new breakwater used much larger stones,

often up to 13 tons each, and was completed in 1901.

Both breakwaters are now on

the National Register of Historic Places.

Out at sea is the ferry New Jersey,

one of five that ply the 27-kilometer route

across Delaware Bay from Lewes

to Cape May Point in New Jersey.

The service began in 1964, when ferries became available

from the Chesapeake Bay Crossing in Virginia

as a result of a new bridge being built.

The operator soon realized that even though

the service was growing in popularity

for those needing to cross between the two states,

it was also becoming popular

as a tourist attraction in itself.

Accordingly, in the 1990s, the fleet

was substantially overhauled, adding several amenities

including restaurants, bars, and lounges,

to draw in passengers who could enjoy a return trip

lasting around three hours.

Close to Lewes is Cape Henlopen and Fort Miles,

one of the largest and most heavily armed

coastal fortifications ever built.

It was constructed in 1941,

just before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

At its height in World War II,

over 2,000 soldiers were stationed here.

Its task was to protect the coast from an enemy attack

and dug into the sand dunes

were large gunning placements.

However, Fort Miles never saw any action

and only fired its guns once during the war.

It ceased being a military base in 1991

and is now incorporated into Henlopen State Park.

An interesting feature in the old military area

is the fire control towers.

These are five stories high

with an observation deck on the top.

They were set up as baselines

to triangulate and work out the position

of any suspicious ships or submarines

and then relay the coordinates

to the gunning placements in the sand dunes.

Five towers still exist within the state park

and one of them has visitor access.

It was back in 1682 that William Penn

made the beaches of Cape Henlopen

one of the first public lands established

in what has become the United States.

He declared that the cape should be

for the usage of the citizens of Lewes and Sussex County.

Today, the locals still enjoy those rights,

including the fishermen who line the beach most days.

This is one of the best places to fish

along the shoreline of the Mid-Atlantic states,

with the added bonus that you can drive onto the beach

with all your equipment.

Our final location is a few miles down the coast

at Rehoboth Beach, which is a popular seaside resort.

The name comes from the Old Testament

and means a place for all.

And it was here in 1873 that the Rehoboth Beach

Camp Meeting Association was established

by the Methodist Episcopal Church of Wilmington.

It was disbanded 10 years later

and the town of Rehoboth Beach came into existence.

It is often referred to as the nation's summer capital

due to its popularity with not only local residents

from Delaware, but also neighboring states as well,

including Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,

and Washington DC.

(upbeat music)

This popularity is also due to Rehoboth's liberal openness

as it is well-known for its number

of gay-owned and operated businesses,

including a gay frequented stretch of beach

known locally as Poodle Beach.

Perhaps the most popular part of the town

is the mile-long boardwalk beside the seafront.

It was originally built in 1873

between the beach and what was then a road.

Over the years, storms have changed the configuration

but the boardwalk survived.

Today, it joins together Rehoboth's attractions,

including shops, arcades, and restaurants.

Boardwalks have been an important part

of American resorts since the 1870s

and can be found on both the east and west coasts.

Many are no longer wooden, but still carry the name.

They are an American institution

and a good place to end this journey.

(stately music)

(logo whooshing)