Claymont, Delaware | |
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 The Darley House | |
 Location of Claymont inNew Castle County, Delaware (left) and of New Castle County inDelaware (right) | |
  Claymont Claymont (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:39°48′02″N75°27′35″W / 39.80056°N 75.45972°W /39.80056; -75.45972 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Delaware |
| County | New Castle |
| First settled | Before 1200 |
| Renamed | 1856 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Claymont Renaissance (de facto) |
| • Renaissance President | Basil Kollias, Esq. |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.15 sq mi (5.57 km2) |
| • Land | 2.15 sq mi (5.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,895 |
| • Density | 4,601.2/sq mi (1,776.54/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 19703 |
| Area code | 302 |
| FIPS code | 10-15310 |
| GNIS feature ID | 213804[2] |
| Website | www |
Claymont is acensus-designated place (CDP) inNew Castle County, Delaware, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Claymont was 9,895.
The community now known as Claymont started on the banks ofNaamans Creek where it empties into theDelaware River. This once rich ecosystem has been occupied steadily since before 1200 A.D. and has undergone numerous cultural and economic changes, most of which are still evident in the architecture and living patterns of the community today. The first residents were aboriginal Indians of theMiddle Woodland period (1100-1600 B.C.). Evidence of these early dwellers has been found along both sides of Naamans Creek.
The Dutch colonists named the creek and settlement after the Chief of theLenape Indians who occupied the region.[3] The settlement grew rapidly from the 17th century through the 20th century, first with gristmills, farms, and related ancillary industries, and later with lumber mills, a steel mill, and a chemical plant.
In 1681,John Grubb purchased a one-third interest in a 600-acre (240 ha) tract of theBrandywine Hundred, which came to be known as Grubb's Landing.[4]Sitting strategically along the Delaware River, Claymont has been a two-way thoroughfare for travel to and fromPhiladelphia andWashington, D.C., since colonial days.
During the colonial period, the town served as a stop along theKing's Highway or Philadelphia Pike. The town became a site for intersections and connections withInterstate 95,Interstate 495,US 13 (Governor Printz Boulevard), andUS 13 Bus. Philadelphia Pike has long been a thoroughfare for travel between Philadelphia (20 miles to the north) and Washington, D.C. (100 miles to the south).
In 1838, the newly constructedPhiladelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad built a station in Claymont. The area developed from a primarily agricultural community to a suburban resort area for wealthy Philadelphia families. In the early 20th century, it developed as an industrial working community.[5] It has included the suburban subdivisions of Claymont Addition, Brookview, Worthland, and Woodstream Gardens.
Naamans was renamed as Claymont in 1856 after the Reverend John B. Clemson, pastor of the Episcopal church, relocated here with his family from their plantation, Claymont Court, inCharles Town, West Virginia.[6]
Claymont, with its diverse population, has continued to maintain a strong sense of community. The community's religious, civic, historic, and social organizations play a major role in supporting its unique character.
Since the mid-1990s, several major revitalization efforts have been completed, including renovations of such historical sites as theClaymont Stone School, theDarley House and theRobinson House. The Claymont Renaissance Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization working to stimulate economic growth and residential improvement in Claymont, received a Sustainable Communities Award from the National Association of Counties.[7][8]
In what has been called "the single largest redevelopment project in Brandywine Hundred in the last 40 years", the 633-unit, 66-acre (270,000 m2) community of Brookview was razed beginning in 2007 to make way for the new urbanist, mixed-use Darley Green development.[9] In 2017, plans were announced for the redevelopment of the former 450-acre Claymont Steel site.[10] In 2019 construction began on the $71M Claymont Regional Transportation Center, which will replace the current small commuter rail stop one half mile to the south.[11]
Claymont is located at39°48′02″N75°27′35″W / 39.80056°N 75.45972°W /39.80056; -75.45972 (39.8006685, -75.4596404),[12] in northeasternBrandywine Hundred, on the ridge line between thecoastal floodplain of the Delaware River and theupland piedmont area of northwestern New Castle County.
The area generally considered to be Claymont encompasses the entire 19703ZIP code,[5] which is bounded by the Pennsylvania border to the north, the Delaware River to the east, theCSX railroad line to the west, andPerkins Run creek to the south.[13]
The New Castle County Government operates under an executive-council form of municipal government. The county is headed by a County Executive, who is elected to a maximum of two consecutive, four-year terms. The Chief Administrative Officer, who is the county's second-in-command, is appointed by the County Executive and serves at his or her pleasure. The current County Executive is Matt Meyer, and the current Chief Administrative Officer is Vanessa Phillips.
The county's legislative body is a thirteen-member County Council, consisting of twelve members elected by district and one Council President elected at large. Claymont falls within New Castle County District 8, which is represented by Councilman John Cartier.
Claymont is in the 7th District of theDelaware House of Representatives, and is in the 1st District of theDelaware Senate. Both members of the Democratic Party, Larry Lambert represents Delaware House District 7, andSarah McBride represents Senate District 1.
Democratic CongresswomanSarah McBride represents the State of Delaware in its entirety.
Claymont is represented in theUnited States Senate by DemocratsLisa Blunt Rochester andChris Coons.
TheUnited States Postal Service has an office on Philadelphia Pike in Claymont.
The Claymont Fire Co. has two locations, one of which is located in Claymont on Philadelphia Pike.
The New Castle County Division of Police has jurisdiction over all unincorporated areas in New Castle County, Delaware. The department has about 400 law enforcement officers. The current Chief of Police is Vaughn Bond. Claymont is also under the jurisdiction of theDelaware State Police.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9,895 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] | |||
The ZIP Code Tabulation Area for 19703 includes communities such as Ashbourne Hills, the Greentree section, the Society Hill Section, and parts of Rolling Park, which are neighborhoods located within Claymont. The area had a population of 14,471 with a total of 5,984 households at the 2010 Census.[15] The racial makeup of the area was 61.83% White, 31.41% African American, 7.72% Hispanic, 0.89% Native American, 4.75% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, and 3.48% from other races. As of 2010, the median household income for the 19703 ZIP code was $58,304 with an average of 2.42 persons per household.
Claymont is in theBrandywine School District.[16] Zoned schools are as follows:[17]
Archmere Academy, a private school, is in Claymont.
The current Claymont Library, operated by New Castle County Libraries, opened in 2013.[21]
Previously Claymont was in the Claymont School District.[22] TheDelaware General Assembly established the Claymont Special School District on June 24, 1920, and that district was reorganized into the Claymont School District on July 1, 1969.[23] That district merged into theNew Castle County School District in 1978. That district was divided into four districts, among them the Brandywine district, in 1981.[24]
Prior to educational desegregation in the mid-20th century, African-American children in Claymont went toHoward High School in Wilmington.[25]
Major roads that serve Claymont includeInterstate 95,Interstate 495,US 13 (Governor Printz Boulevard),US 13 Bus. (Philadelphia Pike), andDE 92 (Naamans Road).[26]Claymont Station is aSEPTA Regional Rail train station on theWilmington/Newark Line, providing service north toCenter City Philadelphia and south toWilmington andNewark.[27] Trains alongAmtrak'sNortheast Corridor pass through Claymont but do not stop; the nearest Amtrak station isWilmington Station.[26]DART First State provides bus service to Claymont along Route 13, which runs from the Claymont Station south along Philadelphia Pike to Wilmington; and Route 61, which runs from the Claymont Station west along Naamans Road to the Brandywine Town Center.[28]SEPTA Suburban BusRoute 113 runs from the Claymont Station north intoDelaware County, Pennsylvania, providing service to theChester Transit Center inChester, theDarby Transportation Center inDarby, and the69th Street Transportation Center inUpper Darby.[29]
Claymont is home to several historic places, including theClaymont Stone School, est. 1805, which may have been the state's first racially integrated public school;Archmere Academy, est. 1916, in the former home of industrialistJohn J. Raskob; theDarley House, est. 1859, former home of illustratorF. O. C. Darley; the Grubb/Worth Mansion, erected in 1783; and theRobinson House, with aBlock House believed to be the only structure remaining of the original Naaman's Creek settlement.
400 Lenape Way Claymont, DE 19703
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