Unveiling of New State Historical Marker Honoring Brinkley Hill

For generations, Brinkley Hill was a little-known yet remarkable free Black community in Delaware, playing a vital role as a stop on the Underground Railroad and making significant contributions to the local community. That legacy will be recognized with the unveiling of a new State of Delaware Historical Marker at the site of the historic Brinkley Hill settlement on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

Brinkley Hill was home to brothers William and Nathaniel Brinkley, who aided Harriet Tubman and countless freedom seekers on their journey to liberty. As community leaders, the Brinkleys helped establish a schoolhouse in 1867, and William Brinkley was a founder of Zion AME Church. Their leadership and dedication continue to have a lasting impact on the community today.

The unveiling ceremony will bring together local and state leaders, historians, descendants of the Brinkley family, and representatives from the Delaware Public Archives, which administers the Historical Markers Program.

The new marker commemorates the history of Brinkley Hill and highlights the importance of ongoing research in exploring Delaware’s rich and unique histories.

The unveiling will take place at Caesar Rodney High School, 239 Old North Road, Camden, DE 19934, in front of the tennis courts.

About the State of Delaware Historical Markers Program:

The State of Delaware Historical Markers Program traces its origins to 1929, when Governor C. Douglass Buck appointed a committee to review Delaware’s notable historic sites and develop a way to identify them. In 1931, the General Assembly of Delaware passed an act establishing a commission to erect historical markers throughout the state. The markers in each county were numbered sequentially as they were proposed, preceded by NC (New Castle), K (Kent), and S (Sussex) to note the county in which they were located. Since the 1930s, the State of Delaware has erected over 700 markers. The Delaware Public Archives has administered the Historical Markers Program since 1990.

For more information about the Delaware Public Archives or to learn more about events and other items of interest at the Archives, visit the website at archives.delaware.gov, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.