Dover

Battell's Tavern Site (Ratification Site)

Tavern · The Green area, Dover, DE 19901

The site of Battell's Tavern, where Delaware's ratification convention assembled December 3, 1787 and voted 30-0 to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7 — making Delaware the first state in the Union. The tavern no longer stands; the site on The Green is marked.

Christ Church, Dover

Church · South State Street, Dover, DE 19901

One of Dover's oldest churches, with Anglican/Episcopal roots predating the Revolution. The church community was divided between Loyalist sympathizers and Patriots. The churchyard contains graves of Revolutionary War-era residents including some connected to Delaware's colonial government.

Delaware Public Archives

Museum · 121 Duke of York St, Dover, DE 19901

Delaware's state archives hold the primary documentary record of the Revolutionary era: Caesar Rodney's correspondence, Delaware Assembly records, militia muster rolls, and the engrossed copy of Delaware's ratification of the Constitution.

Delaware State House (Old State House)

Government · 411 Legislative Ave, Dover, DE 19901

The 1792 State House in Dover is the second-oldest surviving state capitol building still in use in the United States. It stands near earlier colonial structures where Delaware's assembly met during the Revolution. Caesar Rodney's equestrian statue stands nearby on The Green.

The Green, Dover

Landmark · The Green, Dover, DE 19901

The central public square of Dover, laid out in 1717. During the Revolution, The Green served as a mustering ground for Delaware militia and Continental recruits. The Caesar Rodney equestrian statue (1923) commemorates his midnight ride; his image appears on the Delaware quarter.