Wawaset Park (Wilmington)
Wawaset Park is a residential neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware, situated along Greenhill Avenue on the city's west side. Characterized by early twentieth-century architecture and tree-lined streets, the neighborhood has served as a home to notable figures in business, aviation history, and civic life. Its housing stock, much of which dates to the years immediately following World War I, reflects the architectural sensibilities and suburban planning ideals common to prosperous American neighborhoods of that era. Wawaset Park has maintained a distinct identity within Wilmington for more than a century, drawing attention both for its residential character and for the historical markers and landmarks found within its borders.
Location and Character
Wawaset Park is located in the western section of Wilmington, Delaware, with Greenhill Avenue serving as one of its principal corridors. The neighborhood's position within the broader city places it among Wilmington's established residential districts, and it is recognized locally as an area with a coherent architectural and historical identity. The streets of Wawaset Park are defined largely by homes constructed in the early decades of the twentieth century, a period of significant residential development across many American cities as populations expanded and prosperity encouraged the growth of planned suburban communities adjacent to urban cores.
The neighborhood's name has appeared in historical records, newspaper archives, and public commemorations for well over a century, indicating a sustained community presence that distinguishes Wawaset Park from more transient or recently developed sections of the city. Residents and local historians have noted the architectural consistency of the area, where homes built in the late 1910s and 1920s continue to define the streetscape.
Housing Stock and Architecture
A notable feature of Wawaset Park is the age and character of its residential buildings. Records and community accounts confirm that houses in the neighborhood date back at least to 1919, placing their construction in the years during and immediately after World War I. This period saw a surge in residential development across American cities, as returning veterans, growing families, and an expanding professional class sought homes in neighborhoods that offered both accessibility to urban employment centers and the quieter character of planned residential communities.[1]
Members of online communities committed to historic homes have highlighted properties in Wawaset Park as examples of this era's residential construction. Photographs shared among enthusiasts of vintage and historic houses show the neighborhood's homes maintaining much of their original character, with architectural details consistent with the styles favored in the years following World War I.[2]
The preservation of early twentieth-century architecture in Wawaset Park contributes to the neighborhood's appeal for residents interested in historic homes and for historians studying the development of Wilmington's residential landscape. The continued occupation and maintenance of these older structures over multiple decades speaks to the neighborhood's stability as a residential community.
Historical Markers and Aviation Heritage
Among the distinguishing features of Wawaset Park is the presence of at least one historical marker situated along Greenhill Avenue within the neighborhood's boundaries. This marker, documented by the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame, commemorates a figure of significance in Delaware's aviation history and stands as a tangible reminder of the neighborhood's connection to broader state and national narratives.[3]
The Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame has recorded the existence and location of this marker, providing photographic documentation of its placement along Greenhill Avenue. The marker's presence within Wawaset Park positions the neighborhood not merely as a residential enclave but as a site of historical commemoration connected to Delaware's role in the broader history of American aviation. Such markers serve an educational function, informing residents and visitors of significant historical associations that might otherwise be overlooked in the course of daily life.
The specific placement of the marker along Greenhill Avenue, one of the neighborhood's main thoroughfares, ensures that it remains visible and accessible to those passing through or residing in Wawaset Park. Documentation by the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame underscores the institutional recognition of the neighborhood's historical significance in relation to Delaware's aviation heritage.
Notable Residents
Over the course of its history, Wawaset Park has been home to a number of individuals whose lives intersected with significant chapters in American business, transportation, and civic life.
Mrs. Howard Maxfield
Among the notable individuals associated with Wawaset Park was Mrs. Howard Maxfield, whose death in 1947 was reported by The New York Times. According to that account, Mrs. Maxfield, who was a retired executive of the Pennsylvania Railroad, died at her home in Wawaset Park, Wilmington, Delaware, following a long illness.[4]
The Pennsylvania Railroad was among the largest and most consequential railroad enterprises in American history, and an executive connection to that institution represented significant professional standing. Mrs. Maxfield's residence in Wawaset Park at the time of her death places the neighborhood in connection with the world of American corporate leadership during the early and mid-twentieth century. Her presence in the neighborhood, noted in a publication of national reach, reflects the social standing of Wawaset Park as an address of some distinction within Wilmington during that era.
The New York Times report on Mrs. Maxfield's death confirms both her professional background and her residence in Wawaset Park, providing a documented historical link between the neighborhood and the broader currents of American business history in the first half of the twentieth century.
William Timothy Cashman II
A more recent resident of Wawaset Park was William Timothy "Tim" Cashman II, who was associated with a home in the neighborhood. An obituary published in connection with his death in February 2025 referenced his Wawaset Park home, noting that another party had acquired the property from him in the previous summer.[5]
The reference to Cashman's Wawaset Park home in his obituary reflects the neighborhood's continued relevance as a residential address of note within the Wilmington area well into the twenty-first century. The transfer of the property prior to his passing, and the subsequent mention of it in obituary records, illustrates the ongoing life of historic properties in Wawaset Park as they pass between generations of owners and occupants.
Cashman's association with the neighborhood adds to the documented record of individuals whose lives were connected to Wawaset Park across different periods of the neighborhood's history, reinforcing the continuity of the community from its early twentieth-century origins through the present day.
Community Identity and Continuity
Wawaset Park has sustained a coherent community identity across more than a century of residential life in Wilmington. The neighborhood's homes, historical markers, and the records of its notable residents collectively contribute to a layered history that spans the years from the neighborhood's initial development in the 1910s through the early decades of the twenty-first century.
The presence of homes dating to 1919 and the documentation of residents from the 1940s through 2025 demonstrates a continuity of occupation that has allowed the neighborhood to maintain its architectural and social character over time. Unlike areas that experienced dramatic redevelopment or demographic upheaval, Wawaset Park appears to have preserved much of its original residential fabric, making it of interest to those studying the evolution of Wilmington's neighborhoods.
Community members who are interested in historic preservation have taken note of Wawaset Park's older homes, sharing images and records through networks committed to the appreciation and stewardship of historic residential architecture. This engagement from residents and enthusiasts reflects an awareness of the neighborhood's historical value and a commitment to understanding its place within Wilmington's urban history.
The intersection of historical markers, early twentieth-century architecture, and connections to figures in business and civic life positions Wawaset Park as a neighborhood with a documented past that extends well beyond its role as a contemporary residential community. Its streets, homes, and commemorative markers together constitute a record of life in Wilmington across more than a hundred years.