Caesar Rodney, the American Revolutionary leader, gave his name to Rodney Square here in downtown Wilmington. The square was created in the early 20th century by John Jacob Raskob, who worked for Pierre S. du Pont, and the City Beautiful movement served as the inspiration for the effort. A large equestrian statue of Rodney by James E. Kelly formerly stood in the front of the square until it was removed in 2020.
In 1917, to make room for the Wilmington Public Library in the square, the 18th‑century First Presbyterian Church was moved to Park Drive and the remains in the cemetery were reinterred in Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery. Rodney Square was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 as the Rodney Square Historic District. The square hosts events you may recognize: the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, First Night Wilmington, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, and the Citizens Bank Caesar Rodney Half Marathon.
The eight blocks surrounding the square contain a number of downtown buildings and the area fronts corporate headquarters current and former, including Chemours, Wilmington Trust, the Bank of America Credit Card Division, and former occupants like American Viscose Company and Atlas Powder. Picture the eight surrounding blocks and the corporate headquarters that define this square.