Along the Kirkwood Highway

By: William Francis

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Synopsis: The Kirkwood Highway is an almost six-mile portion of State Route 2 in New Castle County, Delaware. Built as a bypass of Marshallton after the opening of Delaware Park at Stanton in 1937, it was meant to provide Wilmington-area horse-racing fans a straighter and faster route to the track. It is named after a distinguished officer of the American Revolution, Robert Kirkwood Jr., who was born at his family's farm along Polly Drummond Hill Road in Newark in 1756. Since it opened to automobile traffic, the highway has undergone numerous renovations and the scenery along its route has changed dramatically. Today, it is the fifth-busiest roadway in the state and is lined by shopping centers, national retailers, fast-food and chain restaurants, gas stations, subdivisions, and historic sites. Through vintage photographs, Along the Kirkwood Highway takes a nostalgic look back at the travel corridor, its cross streets, and familiar sites along its path.