History

In 1684, William Penn granted 600 acres south of Duck Creek Crossing to Henry Pearman,  The following year, Pearman built a home on the property.  Around 1736, a separate, free standing kitchen was built on the west side of the original.  After changing hands several times, in 1771, the property was bought by Thomas Collins.  Collins added an impressive dwelling and entryway onto the existing buildings, and Belmont Hall was born. 

Thomas Collins was a Brigadier General in the Delaware Militia and he offered his services to his friend, George Washington.  During the American Revolution, the front parlor was used as a safe meeting place for the Delaware Committee of Safety.  Collins was governor when Delaware was the first state to adopt the constitution,.

In 1828, Thomas Collins’ grandson William sold the property to his cousin John Cloak. In 1867 John left it to his daughter, Caroline Cloak Peterson.  After her husband, John Peterson, died Caroline married Gideon Speakman.  

In the 1870’s Mrs. Caroline Cloak Peterson Speakman modernized the house to reflect the aesthetic of the Victorian era.   After a devastating fire in 1922, Caroline’s son Cummins Speakman and his wife Marjorie oversaw the restoration of the house to its colonial origins.  

Belmont Hall remained a private residence until 1987 when it was purchased by the State of Delaware.  In 2010, an all volunteer group, Friends of Belmont Hall was founded to promote public access and advocate for the preservation, maintenance and operation of Belmont Hall.