Newport is among the oldest communities in Delaware, tracing its roots to the early colonial days of the Country. Since its inception, Newport has been a crossroad of commerce for the State. The “Old Kings Road”, which traveled from Philadelphia to Baltimore, ran through the lands where Newport now stands. In 1735, John Justis (Justis Street) purchased 100 acres of land from a Maryland Landholder in order to build a town for business purposes. Justis saw the potential for trade in this area, which bordered on the Christiana Creek and thus was already already in use for shipping grains and other materials.

In 1735, Samuel Marshall purchased 18 acres from Justis and laid out lots for sale. This first “town plan” marks the founding what was to become Newport. Many of the street names created during the early development are still in use today, including Ayre Street, Augustine Street, John Street and James Street…[more]