Hockessin blazed a trail for freedom.

History lives.

Hockessin lies on the arc of Delaware’s border with Pennsylvania.  On land once part of the lower three counties of Pennsylvania and a land grant to William Penn’s daughter, Hockessin has played a large part in leading Delaware as a state toward justice in matters of human rights, the Civil War and in creating a diverse and more just America.

Memories of many heroes who lived in the Hockessin area and who helped define the America that we know today have eluded many of our schools and teachers.  Some of these heroes left the area voluntarily and some were driven away, but their impacts have been great. Whether it has been Sarah Bulah in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case, Abraham Doras Shadd of Pike Creek or some of the great Quaker industrialists and millers who championed freedom and business, they changed both Delaware and America for the better.

The Hockessin area served an important function in changing Delaware from an antebellum enslavement state to a leading progressive state where competitive businesses flourish.

Accordingly, the Hockessin Heritage Foundation’s vision is to (1) provide education around Hockessin and the Delaware Valley’s national historic sites and landmarks, (2) maintain special collection libraries on important topics relevant to the history of the Hockessin and (3) create educational events which celebrate the courageous people of Hockessin.

The Hockessin Heritage Foundation is a not-for-profit institution whose mission is to promote an understanding of the history of Hockessin and the surrounding area by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting that history and its relationship to the area and the nation to audiences of all ages and interests.

Why We Formed

As one of the most historic areas in the United States, Hockessin and its direct surroundings boasts strong connections to many historic mills, schoolhouses, churches and places including the historic Western Railroad, Mt. Cuba, Ashland Nature Reserve, Mt. Auburn, Kennett Square and scores of prominent colonial homes and pathways on the Underground Railroad. The Hockessin Heritage Foundation’s efforts promise to excite researchers and better educate students on how and why the Hockessin area has made America better.