Delmarva Power and Light Building
About this property
The Delmarva Power & Light Building, also known as the DCAD Building, is a historic office building in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. The former headquarters of Delmarva Power & Light (DP&L) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. DP&L decided to build the headquarters in 1931 which was completed the subsequent year. While the original building was four stories, it was engineered with a fifth floor in mind which was eventually added in 1954. In 1972, the company moved their headquarters to 8th & King and the building sat vacant for a decade before Chase Manhattan Bank leased the space. In 1997, the newly created Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) took over the building from the bank to use as their main academic building with classrooms, studio space, and offices. In 2021, DCAD sold their adjacent resident hall and used some of the proceeds to refurbish the interior. In 2024, the school announced that they would permanently close down. The Buccini Pollin Group, a major Wilmington developer, later purchased the building for $3.5 million. The Art Deco building faces Market Street with an Indiana limestone facade consisting of six bays. Granite piers frame the main entrance which is below a transom containing a lightning bolt motif. The first floor sits on a black granite base. The second through fourth floors have four triangular fluted limestone pilasters with floral capitals. The fourth-floor has a parapet featuring stylized cresting in limestone. The fifth floor is a plain brick penthouse. The 6th Street side of the building is less ornate, consisting largely of painted brick. National Register of Historic Places listings in Wilmington, Delaware
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Delmarva Power and Light Building
This page lists Delmarva Power and Light Building. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Delmarva Power and Light Building listed on the National Register?
Delmarva Power and Light Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 30, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Delmarva Power and Light Building?
Delmarva Power and Light Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Delmarva Power and Light Building?
The period of significance for Delmarva Power and Light Building is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Delmarva Power and Light Building?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Delmarva Power and Light Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in New Castle County
Historic places, battles, and census history across New Castle County.
Explore New CastleCounty ›More historic places in Delaware
Browse all historic places in Delaware.
View Delawarehistoric sites ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Delmarva Power and Light Building will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.