New Castle Court House Museum

05/29/2026

Can you correctly answer this multiple-choice question?

Chang Hum, the man in this photo from the Delaware Public Archives, is __________
A) a US Army veteran who served in the China-Burma theater of WWII.
B) the father of the main costume designer for the Late Show with David Letterman.
C) the uncle of the owners of the Magic Wok, a popular Chinese restaurant in the Fairfax Shopping Center in the 1980s.
D) a highway engineer who worked for the DuPont Co in the 1940s.

The correct answer is...
all of the above! (Sorry, trick question)

--------------------------------------------------

Chang Lung Hum was born c. 1911 in a farming village in China and immigrated to the US in 1928. By the 1930s, he was living in Wilmington. He graduated from Wilmington High School in 1934 and later graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1938.

Chang Hum was one of residents of Delaware who took immediate action to aid China after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931. Our post yesterday detailed the formation of the Chinese Patriotic Association of Wilmington; Chang Hum was elected vice-president of the organization at this first meeting. When he was in his final year at UD, a local newspaper reported that he planned to "return to China to enlist in the army if he [was] unable to obtain a job after graduation." He did find work as a highway engineer with the DuPont Co, but as soon as the US entered WWII, he served as a captain in the US Army in the China-Burma theater.

When he died on August 18, 1992, he was survived by an extensive family. His wife, Mary, was part of a family that was established in the restaurant business in Wilmington, and her nephews, Richard and David Young, opened the Magic Wok on Concord Pike in 1978. His daughter (one of 4 children), Susan Hum, worked as the main costume designer for the Late Show with David Letterman for decades.

--------------------------------------------------

Image Description: Photo of man wearing glasses and US Army hat and coat.

Sources available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Co-2XJODEtd3asXgFowrh6SfCruwiZbzCUqre1Us-Zk/edit?usp=sharing.

05/28/2026

After the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in September 1931, Chinese American residents of northern Delaware took action to aid China. One of the major events that spearheaded this effort was a meeting at a local Chinese American restaurant.

On November 15, 1931, a group of Chinese American residents of Wilmington and surrounding areas met at the Young Idea Tea Garden, a restaurant on the second floor above the Federal Bake Shop at 717 Market St. (Its original address was 713 Market St, and it later moved to 210 W 7th St.) During this meeting, they formed the Chinese Patriotic Association of Wilmington and planned to start a boycott of Japanese goods and raise money to aid China. Relief money for China was being collected at the Young Idea Tea Garden as late as 1938 (only reported in the local newspapers because the money was stolen that year).

Officers of the Chinese Patriotic Association of Wilmington were elected at this November 15 meeting. One of these elected officers - specifically the Chinese secretary - was Belman Lui, the laundryman who worked at 123 Delaware St in New Castle.

As the United States approached its entry into World War II, actively participated in the war effort, and then grappled with the aftermath of war, Chinese Americans often dealt with another layer of fear and concern. Many of them had family still living in China, and they did what they could to protect them from across the globe. We plan to wrap up this year's AANHPI Heritage Month with stories of Chinese Delawareans and the ways in which they were impacted by the decades of conflict in China and around the world before, during, and after WWII.

--------------------------------------------------

Image Description: Photo of façade of Federal Bake Shop with several newspaper clippings and tea ring stain in front of image.

Sources and transcriptions of newspaper clippings available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZuCksuuU6ptjIbRZ_HN5UpRF53BbhhuB7RlFLFH-_P0/edit?usp=sharing.

05/25/2026

Anthony F. Marcozzi (b. June 30, 1920) grew up in New Castle and was the son of Carlo Marcozzi, who is often credited as the first Italian immigrant to settle in town.

Anthony Marcozzi enlisted in the Delaware National Guard in 1938 and was inducted into active service with the US Army, but he was honorably discharged in May 1941. However, in June 1942 – six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor – he re-enlisted in the armed forces and volunteered to join the rapidly-growing airborne infantry. He attended parachute training school at Fort Benning in Georgia before being assigned to the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company C. His unit was part of the 101st Airborne Division, familiarly known as the “Screaming Eagles.”

On the evening of June 5, 1944, Marcozzi and his fellow paratroopers boarded an armada of Douglass C-47s to embark on the airborne invasion of Normandy. Shortly after midnight on June 6, the regiment successfully jumped into enemy-controlled territory, hoping to secure important strategic footholds before amphibious landings began later that morning.

On June 11, the regiment was involved in intense fighting while attempting to secure the crossroads town of Carentan. While fighting along a causeway now known as “Purple Heart Lane” due to the high number of casualties, Anthony Marcozzi was killed.

Today, Anthony F. Marcozzi is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in France, surrounded by over 9,000 of his fellow soldiers and sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting to liberate France. He is also still remembered in his hometown of New Castle, with a memorial in St. Peter the Apostle Cemetery on 5th Street. His story is just one of thousands of Delawareans who served and sacrificed during WWII.

--------------------------------------------------

Image Descriptions:
1: Anthony Marcozzi in uniform in front of water. "Screaming Eagle" patch edited in top right corner.
2: White cross headstone reading "Anthony F. Marcozzi, PFC 502 PRCHT INF 101 ABN DIV, Delaware June 11 1944."
3: White statue of cloaked woman on brick platform in cemetery.

Image Credits:
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12306055/anthony_f-marcozzi: accessed November 12, 2025), memorial page for PFC Anthony F. Marcozzi (30 Jun 1920–11 Jun 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 12306055, citing Saint Peter the Apostle Cemetery, New Castle, New Castle County, Delaware, USA; Maintained by TomKat (contributor 46805778). Photo added by awool824.
RG 1325-003-053 Record of Delawareans Who Died in World War II, 1947, Document, Delaware Public Archives. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://delaware.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15323coll6/id/19783/rec/1.

05/23/2026

Did you know that some of, if not the, first Chinese students in Delaware were enrolled in the Women's College of Delaware (later part of the University of Delaware)?

The Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program - started in 1908 - funded the education of Chinese students in colleges across the US. Sieu Tsz Tsa, one of these students, enrolled at the Women's College in October 1916. She was the daughter of a Methodist minister near Shanghai and was described as a person with "a sweet disposition and quaint, pleasant manners." She left the college after one school year to finish her studies at Vassar College.

Based on the recommendation of Sieu Tsz Tsa, Chindon Yui enrolled at the Women's College in fall 1919. She was from a prominent family in Shanghai and was described as a "jolly, good-natured girl" who was "frequently invited to be a guest in" the homes of other students. She also left the college after one school year, and she planned to finish her studies at Columbia University. She married another Chinese student at Columbia, C. Y. Tang. By 1928, she worked at the State University of Nanking, and by 1950, she returned to Columbia as a UNESCO fellow.

In September 1921, Chindon Yui sent a telegram to the dean of the Women's College about Isien Yi "Dorothy" Wong, who soon became the third Chinese student to enroll at the college. Dorothy Wong was also from a prominent family, and she was very excited about the opportunity to be away from her family to learn new things. While at the college, she participated in hockey, tennis, and basketball and even wanted to join the rifle club.

Edith Wong, who was from either Beijing or Suzhou, became the fourth Chinese student to enroll in February 1922.

--------------------------------------------------

Image Description: Photo of Women's College students with newspaper and yearbook clippings in front, including a photo of Chindon Yui and drawing of college logo.

Sources and further descriptions available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BNOl2lsYqboeO3nNWWZc_fc3KjxEe_2EmPqfqCZnK9o/edit?usp=sharing.

05/22/2026

The New Castle Court House Museum will be open on Memorial Day (Monday, May 25) for guided tours at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.

--------------------------------------------------

Image Description: Close-up picture of courthouse's cupola. Text in front reads "Memorial Day" and "Open for Tours," and there is border of poppy flowers, stem, and leaves around "Memorial Day."

Image Credit: C. W. Kennedy and Company, 1800-1900, Trade Card, University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press. Accessed May 22, 2026. https://digitalcollections.udel.edu/Documents/Detail/c.-w.-kennedy-and-company/139597.

05/21/2026

Join us THIS SATURDAY, May 23 at 3:00 PM to watch a concert by the students of the Suzuki Academy of the Museum School of Delaware 🎻 (On this day, we will not be offering a 3:00 tour, but our courtroom will be open for the concert)

--------------------------------------------------

Image Description: Graphics around image of musical notes, leaves, and two people playing a cello and violin. Text in center reads "Suzuki Academy of the Music School of Delaware, May 23 @ 3:00 PM, New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St, New Castle, DE 19720."

05/19/2026

Heads up! We will be closed on Thursday, May 21st due to school tours. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

05/15/2026

A Day in Old New Castle, the oldest private home and garden tour in the US, is TOMORROW! If you attend the event, we encourage you to consider the people who lived in these historic homes and the ways in which they shaped the town. New Castle has a long and diverse history marked by trade, transportation, industry, politics, and both justice and injustice, and the human stories within its buildings are central to this history.

Some of these human stories fit into the Chinese American history that we are sharing this month. Did you know that one of the buildings in Historic New Castle served as the home and place of business for various Chinese American residents for 60 years?

In 1884, a local newspaper reported that "New Castle wants a Chinese laundry" because the residents sent enough laundry to Wilmington to support a laundry in their own town. By 1889, they got their wish. A man named Wah Sing and his assistant opened a laundry at 123 Delaware St. For the next 60 years, a few different Chinese men operated the laundry and lived in this building. Some of the names of these men reported in local newspapers are Lee Dep Gee, Charlie Lee, Lee Wah, Lou Sam, and Belman Lui (previous post from December 2025 provides more history about Lui).

Very little is written about the Chinese laundrymen of 123 Delaware St in the history of New Castle, but their contributions to the community are important. They cared for a central part of everyone's lives - laundry - and they were well-respected businessmen in town. They were also part of the broader northern Delaware Chinese American community that had close ties to Philadelphia and New York.

--------------------------------------------------

Image Description: Photo of row of 3-story brick houses. A laundry sign by one door is highlighted and enlarged.

Image Credit: New Castle Historical Society

Sources (sorted by date):
The News Journal, February 13, 1884.
The Evening Journal, March 27, 1889.
The Evening Journal, December 19, 1892.
The Evening Journal, March 15, 1893.
New Castle County Gazette, January 9, 1942.
New Castle Gazette, July 2, 1948.

05/12/2026

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day! Today, we are sharing a unique story of motherhood in Delaware history.

In November 1902, a one-week-old baby was discovered on the doorstep of a Presbyterian mission in China. While we will never know who left the baby at the mission, it is clear that they wanted the best for the child because they left them where someone would discover and care for them. That person was Carrie J. Dreibelbies, a missionary from Lehighton, PA.

Carrie took care of the baby, who was named Mary and Tai Mei U (meaning "Wearer of Precious Gems"). When she returned to the US in 1906, Carrie brought Mary with her, and according to local newspapers, Mary was the youngest Chinese person to ever be admitted to the US at the time. Carrie resigned from her current mission because she decided to officially adopt Mary, which was against the rules of the organization.

By 1910, Mary lived with Carrie's sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Thomas Catell, at 2217 Tatnall St in Wilmington, DE, while Carrie worked in Allentown, PA. Mary attended No. 24 School in Wilmington.

Unfortunately, Mary became ill with tuberculosis in March 1918 and died only a couple months later on June 22, 1918. She was remembered by her mother in this way:
"She was an exceptionally bright child — never had to take exams in school, was always exempt — she always took great interest in Foreign Mission work and drew splendid posters to announce the meetings; would have been a Senior in Wilmington High School this winter; we were planning for her going to college in another year […] She was a dear child, loved by all who knew her; always loyal and kind; strong in her faith that Jesus was going to take her to His home — never a fear, only she wished she could take me along, for, as she said, ‘We always go together everywhere.’”

--------------------------------------------------

Image Description: Black-and-white photo of teenage Chinese girl wearing a pleated dress and large hair bow in front of colored image of school building with towers.

Source list can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pU1xejgRQp8zpZqbFegBQBgzjGXHmlucFCoAKlkvUdQ/edit?usp=sharing