Darley House - Claymont, DE
Posted by: 
johmer79
N 39° 48.294 W 075° 27.255
18S E 461115 N 4406202
The Darley house, located in historic Claymont, DE.
Waymark Code: WM3BTW
Location: Delaware, United States
Date Posted: 03/10/2008
Views: 7
This historical landmark was the former home of F.O.C. Darley, who was America's first full time illustrator, one who was sought after by American publishers when printing works by some of the great masters such as Charles Dickens.
There is debate as to whether Charles Dickens actually visited this location (see secondary website for details), but based on the Delaware historical marker text below, he did. Definitive proof of the Dickens visit is yet to be seen.
The home of world-renowned illustrator Felix O. C. Darley (1822-1888). Built in the late 18th century and enlarged several times during the first half of the 19th century, the house was purchased by Darley in 1863 and renamed “The Wren’s Nest.” During his career, Darley illustrated books for Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, and James Fenimore Cooper. Two of his most notable works were Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. Charles Dickens visited here for two weeks during his triumphant tour of America in 1867. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.