The New Castle Court House Museum is the center of a circle with a 12-mile radius that defines most of the border between the states of Delaware and Pennsylvania and parts of the borders between Delaware and New Jersey and Maryland.

George Read Jr. was an American lawyer who served as the first U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. The son of one of the nation's founding fathers, Read made numerous attempts at higher political office but was ultimately unsuccessful each time. Despite this, his substantial wealth acquired through his family and law career allowed him to build one of the largest homes in Delaware, which is today maintained as a museum.