George Murphy House, Junction of Rockland & Old Murphy Roads, Wilmington, New Castle County, DE

Significance: The George Murphy House was built in the 1840s, with several additions constructed in the later nineteenth century. Although the house has been referred to in past cultural resource reports as the William Murphy House, the house was actually built by William's son, George. William did own and live in the house between 1851 and 1970, however. The significance of the house lies in the fact that it is one of a handful of surviving nineteenth-century farmhouses in the area. It stands as a relatively intact example of Greek Revival vernacular design in northern New Castle County and exhibits the methodology of constructing additions to buildings as practiced in the nineteenth century. Its history is connected with the agricultural traditions of the area as well as the specific history of Alfred I. du Pont's Nemours estate, which is located to the south of the house and for which the Murphy House was once used as employee housing. In fact, the George Murphy House is part of the Nemours Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Survey number: HABS DE-284