Claymont brings together several themes for a stay: the history of its schools, historic architecture, and a section of the East Coast Greenway. The places and details highlight different aspects—from the architectural development of a schoolhouse and the history of school desegregation to specifically quantified Greenway features.

School History and Remembrance in Claymont

The Claymont Stone School is a two-room schoolhouse whose two main sections were built around 1805 and 1905, respectively. This means the focus is not on two schools, but on two building phases of the same structure. Anyone exploring the town’s school history will find an architectural timeline here that clearly differs from the events at the historic Claymont High School.

In September 1952, twelve African American students were legally permitted to attend a school previously reserved exclusively for white students. The Claymont Community Center is located in the historic Claymont High School. Because of its role in ending school segregation in Delaware, it is an affiliated site of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park. The Brown Gallery at the Community Center documents the history of school desegregation in Claymont through photographs, documents, and exhibits. You can arrange tours of the gallery through the front desk.

The WPA murals are also part of the Community Center. Created between 1937 and 1939, they depict Claymont’s history, industry, and natural landscapes. The murals have been preserved and are on public display. This brings two distinct historical perspectives side by side: the subjects of the murals from the late 1930s and the history of school desegregation documented in the Brown Gallery.

Historic Architecture and Its Dates

For other historic buildings, it is also worth distinguishing the time of construction from later recognition. Robinson House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The Patio is a mansion in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, built from 1916 to 1918; it was added to the National Register in 1992. So these dates do not refer to the same event: for The Patio, a construction period is followed by a later register listing, while for Robinson House, 1971 is the year it was added to the register. Together with the school buildings, these different dates offer a sense of the many historical periods that shape Claymont’s local history, without merging the buildings into a single construction story.

Putting the East Coast Greenway in Context

For a different focus, the East Coast Greenway in Claymont includes the 0.9-mile Claymont State Trail & US 13 sidepath section and a 0.2-mile pedestrian bridge over I-495. The lengths refer to different features: the longer figure applies to the named trail and sidepath section, and the shorter to the bridge. Comparing the details makes it possible to understand the trail section and bridge as different parts of the Greenway, rather than reading the figures as two similar walking routes. Alongside the historical focus, this offers a clearly identified outdoor component to explore in Claymont.

Discover more destinations: Newark, Christiana, Delaware City, Hockessin, Brandywine, Bear, New Castle, Wilmington

For the broader travel overview: New Castle County.