Pea Patch Island, as it was known to the locals, was a private hunting ground for Dr. Henry Gale which sits in the Delaware River, between Delaware City, Delaware and Fort Mott, New Jersey. In 1794, the French military engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant surveyed the island as an ideal location for a river defense fort. The US military offered Gale $30,000 for the island, but Gale refused. The military then appealed to the Delaware State Legislature, and the island was seized from Dr. Gale on May 27, 1813.
Construction began in 1817, but a fire destroyed the original structure. By 1833, the original structure was torn down, and the fort that stands today began construction between 1848 and 1859. At the time, it was the largest fort in the United States. The fort is surrounded by a deep moat, with revolving cannons on all sides.
In 1862, during the Civil War, the island was used as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war. Originally, the fort was designed to hold 2,000 prisoners, but by 1863, the number had surged to over 10,000. Wooden barracks were built on the parade grounds to house the prisoners, 212 men to each, and 54 barracks. Some 2,900 prisoners died at Fort Delaware as a result of disease.
The State of Delaware acquired the fort in 1947 and opened Fort Delaware State Park. Access to the island is by ferry only, leaving from Delaware City in Delaware or Fort Mott in New Jersey. The only fee to visit this historic park is the cost of the ferry ride ($11 adults, $6 children). The ferry landing on the Delaware City side sits by the Eastern Lock of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, at the end of Battery Park. The ticket booth has a civil war gift shop and information about the island and it's history. There are no vehicles on the island, expect for the tram that takes visitors from the dock to the fort.
Volunteers at the park, dressed in period garb, reenact life at the fort in 1864. Each "character" is based on a real person who was housed or prisoned here. Artillery and 19th century lifestyle demonstrations are conducted throughout the day. Vistors can walk through the fort, including the officers quarters, mess hall, kitchens and cannon turrets.
Every day is a depiction of a day in 1864, at the heart of the fort's history. You will meet Julia Gunning, a laundress who can teach you how to use a scrub baord for your laundery!
Edmund Bryan, the Ordnance Sergeant was the only regular army soldier posted here in 1864 and was in charge of all ammunition. Don't miss the artillery demonstrations conducted by Sergeant Bryan and learn the importance of drilling. His demonstrations are very interesting and informative. During the drill, one will learn the proper handling, loading and firing of a civil war era rifle.
As you can imagine, there is much suspected paranormal activity on the island. Ghost Hunters and even Britain's Most Haunted have done specials on the fort. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Ferries from Delaware City begin at 10 am and the last ferry to the island is at 4 pm, leaving every 1/2 hour (except 10:30 am). The last ferry from Pea Patch Island back to Delaware City leaves at 5:30 pm. For more info on the ferry, visit the website at (
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