New Castle County Potters Field Cemetery

AKA NCC Potters Field Cemetery by Baylor

Location: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
Herman Holloway Campus
Baylor Blvd.
New Castle, DE 19720

First burial 1978.
Currently, there are active burials.

In 2013, DHSS, Department of Agriculture employees and AmeriCorps Delaware members beautified Baylor Potter's Field during the Delaware Week of Service.

Situated on the DHSS "Herman Holloway Campus", the cemetery serves as a burial location for indigent people from DHSS facilities and also from New Castle County, Delaware.

The "Friends of Potter's Field" volunteer group is working to keep up the cemetery and make it more welcoming to those who wish to visit.

Cemetery is fenced and locked. To schedule a visit, call DHSS Facilities Manager Dana Chant at (302)255-9539.

A Facbook page dedicated to this cemetery is located at:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.512525012118799.1073741862.154971387874165&type=1
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Potter's Fields for New Castle County, Delaware: Timeline

mid-1880s
Prior to the building of the new Almshouse at Farnhurst in 1884, there was a "Poor Ground" or Potter's Field for the New Castle County Poorhouse/Almshouse when it was located in downtown Wilmington on Broome Street. The cemetery was on the site currently occupied by the courthouse. The graves were supposedly moved to an unspecified location outside the city.

Mid-1880s to mid-1934
The Potter's Field for New Castle County was part of the New Castle County Almshouse/Hospital Cemetery ["Cemetery in the Woods at Farnhurst"]. It was used both for residents who died at the Almshouse/Hospital who had no where else to be buried, as well as the NCC Potter's Field from the mid 1880s to mid-1934. Most of it was covered by the I-295 embankment in the 1960s.

Mid-1934 to 1962
The Potter's Field for New Castle County during this time period was located at the top of the mostly no-longer-existing "Castle Hill" on the Moore's Farm off of Moore's Lane. In 1962, the burials were supposedly all moved to the Boulden Blvd. site so the hill could be excavated for use in the building of I-95.

1962-1978
The Potter's Field for New Castle County during this time period was located at the Boulden Blvd. site, which was also the repository for the bodies moved from the Moore's Lane site. It was used from 1962 until 1978, when it was closed.

1978-present
The current Potter's Field for New Castle County is located adjacent to the Baylor Women's Correctional Facility behind the Herman Holloway Campus of DHSS. Since the last burial in the DSH Spiral Cemetery in 1983, patients who die indigent at DSH are buried in the Baylor Potter's Field.

The NCC Potter's field timeline is provided by Katherine Dettwyler. For detailed information please refer to her research page at;

http://farnhurst.weebly.com/