Dover, Delaware

       The drive from Annapolis wound through country hills in the misty grey afternoon. Before long, we arrived in town, made dinner, and relaxed for the evening. The next day was to be my 33rd Capitol visit, the last one on this segment of the trip. I already felt a combination of pride and nostalgia welling up inside of me at the thought of being 3/5 done with the 50 Capitals Project. Heaven knows that we were exhausted, and we couldn’t wait to be stationary for a while.

The following morning we awoke and packed our belongings for the final time in 2013, and left the hotel in the late morning. The December day proved to be beautiful and sunny, but cold. By the time we reached our lunch stop, the sun was already tinged with that winter’s glow. Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop was in the back of a strip mall in the suburbs of Dover. It was a bit hard to find, but once we got there, we discovered that we had made the right choice. We ordered our sandwiches in the front before sitting in the ample dining area. Two TVs were going at once with the sound on, and the echo was a bit maddening. I am more noise-sensitive than the average human being, so this was more of a drawback for me than it may be for others. One of the staff members brought over our food when it was ready. The sandwiches were great! My only complaint would be that the meat was sliced thick, when I prefer my deli meat sliced thin. Other than that, the ingredients were high-quality, the service was excellent, and the price was right!

After being unable to finish the entire 9” sandwich, we left the restaurant feeling satisfied and prepared to tackle the Capitol visit. It was just a short drive over to the Capitol, which is known as “Legislative Hall.” The building, which is modest and made of brick, faced a large green lawn that was surrounded by other government structures. One of them was the Old State Capitol, which I planned on visiting after exploring the historic edifice of Legislative Hall.

An extremely friendly security guard greeted us and gave us a map of the building. Upstairs we visited the gallery of each chamber, which were very similar to each other. Most Capitols choose differing color schemes in each of their chambers to keep things interesting, but these two chambers were the same except their different murals depicting scenes from Delaware’s history, including scenes from colonial America and the Revolution.

In the rear hallways, I noticed several relief works that showed scenes from American history, including Columbus arriving in the New World, and Washington crossing the Delaware River. They were by far the most interesting works of art in the building, and the most unique works when compared to the murals and reliefs of other Capitols. Before leaving, we ran into one of the maintenance workers, who spoke with us for several minutes about the building. He told us that he wished he could show us the inside of the cupola, because there were all sorts of antique graffiti up there. Apparently, the men who built the structure decided to mark their place in history, usually with a name and date, some dating back to the Great Depression. Although I was sorry that I couldn’t see them, I was glad that I had run into this gentleman and learned about them.

After a short exploration of the present Legislative Hall, we were eager to see the Old Capitol and were hoping that there would be more substance to learn about. This building was even smaller than the last, and also made of brick, with a sign in front declaring it open. After taking a few photos, we went inside and met the docent, Tom, who was a fellow history lover. He told us many things about Delaware, but most of the conversation pertained to an unsung hero of the Revolution, Allen McLane, who served General Washington in many ways, including as a spy.

Allen McLane was born August 8th, 1746 in Philadelphia where he spent his childhood and the beginning of his adult life. At age 21, he moved to Central Delaware, and his father became a wealthy merchant in Philadelphia. McLane served in General George Washington’s Army during the Revolution, and he played a critical part in many of the battles. He was particularly skilled at scouting out the enemy and warning Washington of their movements, which ultimately enabled Washington to gain the upper hand in the war. McLane was also one of the first people to warn Washington of Benedict Arnold’s behavior almost a year prior to his treason. McLane had become wary of Arnold’s loyalties after discovering some profiteering that he had been involved in, but Washington reprimanded McLane for doubting the character of a fellow soldier without proof. A year later, Arnold’s treason was discovered, and McLane’s skepticism was proven correct.

McLane played a major part in outsmarting the British, and often does not get enough credit for his actions. If it wasn’t for McLane’s tracking of enemy movements during the Army’s encampment in Valley Forge, Washington’s troops would not have been able to adequately defend their camp. He also inhibited the British by blocking their expeditions and stealing their cattle, weakening the opponent’s will. One could argue that Valley Forge was where the American Revolution was won, because it was then that the British began to realize that we could out-sustain them in the harsh conditions of our homeland. Their morale continued to weaken as soldiers got sick, the air got colder, and the snow got deeper, and McLane’s intimidations added to their problems.  

After the war, McLane returned to Delaware, where he continued to be politically active. He was a marshal of Delaware, and he was a collector for the port of Delaware until his death in 1829. During the War of 1812, at the age of 68, he commanded the defenses of Wilmington. Only 3 of his 14 children lived past infancy.

I thanked Tom for teaching me so much about this Revolutionary hero, and I pledged to honor Allen McLane by including his story in this post. He showed us the remaining rooms of the Old Capitol, which reminded me of the Old Capitol in Florida, but it was much older and smaller. There were a few portraits and other antiques, but aside from that the building wasn’t particularly spectacular. Meeting and speaking with Tom about Allen McLane was the highlight of the visit and taught me the most about Delaware, its role in American history, and one of its most important historical figures.

Now it was time to get back on the road, heading to New Jersey to spend the winter at home before the next part of our trip in the spring. We learned many things about our country, and we’d seen a lot of things, but there was still so much ahead.