John Dickinson Plantation

John Dickinson Plantation or House is also called the Poplar Hall. It is owned by the state of Delaware and located in Dover. It is a museum run by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. John Dickinson was an American revolutionary leader, who spent his younger years at the plantation.

The main house or Poplar Hall is a Georgian mansion built in 1739. The actual plantation land covers 13,000 acres. The home belonged to Samuel Dickinson. By 1752 the home needed to be expanded so wings were completed by 1754.

The house was set on the St. Jones River. However, the state desired the river to run a different course, so through a lot of hard work the river was redirected and no longer belongs to the plantation, even as scenery.

In 1804, John Dickinson Plantation and house was almost destroyed by a fire. In 1952, the National Society of Colonial Dames of American inherited the house and by 1961 it was declared a National Historic Landmark.

The plantation is at 310 Kitts Hummock road, which is actually five miles from Dover Delaware off of Route 1. A tour of the house and plantation explains the history of John Dickinson.