The Latimer’s Wilmington was a small yet lively city. In 1800, sixty one years after the 1739 signing of a town charter, Wilmington’s population exceeded 4066 people. Because the Latimer family had acquired great success and wealth in Wilmington, it is likely that their presence was known to the majority of the population.
Historians classify Wilmington as a walking city. The citiy’s residents would meet each other while shopping at the cities markets or socializing at one of the myriad of taverns that were located along the roads. Wilmington, located along the water front, distinguished itself internationally as one of the premier port cities along the east coast as it frequently engaged in commerce with China and a copious amount of European countries.
Mr. Latimer’s two sons and brother acquired financial gain as a result of their involvement with the China trade. The port also granted access to the immigrants who began entering Wilmington in 1790. In addition, paper, grain, and powder mills were constructed near the port , creating job opportunities for the city’s residents.
The Latimers owned a town house on Market Street, however it is speculated that they lived there on a semiannual basis. Although a board of health was established in 1798, and a water system was installed in 1804 in order to ameliorate the cities abysmal sanitation standard, yellow fever epidemics frequently plagued the city; this may serve as an explanation as to the reason the Latimer family appeared to spend a great portion of their time at their house in Newport, DE. None the less, the home the Latimer’s occupied in Wilmington appears to be their choice location to entertain their friends.
Take a walk with us through the Latimer’s Wilmington. The virtual exhibition provided on this site will present the places where the Latimer’s shopped, socialized, and worshipped. Come, experience city life, as it was two hundred years ago.