Old Arsenal – New Castle DE

Description

The “Old Arsenal,” as it is known, was built in 1809, and remodeled by the WPA. From Waymarking.com:

“‘It was repaired and remodeled in 1936, partly as a project of the Works Progress Administration and leased (1937) to the Unemployment Compensation Commission of Delaware’ [citing Federal Writers Project, Delaware: A Guide to the First State (1938), p. 242].

The building was later used by the National Youth Administration.  During World War II the building was used as offices for the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation which was building aircraft for the war effort.  In the late 1940s the building was again used as a school building.  By 1950 the building was owned by the State of Delaware and they made some more modifications to the building.  In 1963 the building was leased for use as a restaurant and served that purpose until 2011 when the restaurant closed.  The State of Delaware then restored the building and it is now a meeting and special event venue.”