Red Clay Consolidated School District, New Castle DE County, PA
Forty Acres
Performance Tier
Average
Median Sold
$425,500
Avg. Appreciation
72%
Avg. $ Gain
$179,475
2025 Sales
6
Low Activity
Compared to the Red Clay Consolidated district average, Forty Acres is
outperforming by 6%.
Based on 33 years of public sales records across 2418 neighborhoods in 4 counties.
About
Forty Acres was platted in June 1864 when Joshua Heald and William Tatnall purchased 40 acres of the Lovering family’s 94-acre Hope Farm and began offering building lots, simultaneously developing the first horse-drawn trolley line out of Wilmington along Delaware Avenue. The neighborhood was designated Delaware’s first — and, as of the 2018 state historical marker, still its only — Neighborhood Conservation District in 2004, a classification that subjects exterior alterations and building permits to review by Wilmington’s Design Review and Preservation Commission under Secretary of the Interior standards. Two- and three-story red brick rowhouses and semi-detached twin homes make up the structural core of the neighborhood, with NeighborhoodScout data indicating that 66.7% of residences were built no later than 1939 — a concentration of historic housing stock greater than 98% of all U.S. neighborhoods.
Specifications
Home Stock
Two- and three-story red brick rowhouses and semi-detached twin homes predominate, with construction concentrated in the late 1800s through the early 20th century. Public records-recorded sales include homes built circa 1919–1920. Original hardwood floors and exposed brick are documented interior features in listed properties.
Location & Access
Delaware Avenue (primary commercial corridor and historic trolley route), DuPont Street (eastern boundary, shared with Trolley Square), Lovering Avenue, Union Street, Riddle Avenue. Brandywine Park and Rockford Park are accessible on foot.
Location Anchors
What Makes This Distinct
The Neighborhood Conservation District designation means that window replacements, door changes, and other exterior modifications in Forty Acres require DRPC review and approval before a building permit can be issued, a regulatory layer that prospective buyers should factor into renovation planning and carrying costs.
For Buyers & Sellers
If You’re Buying
Accessible at $426k median. solid appreciation track record. competitive market.
If You’re Selling
Sellers gained $179k on average. solid 72% return on investment. active market (8 day median). median sale price $426k.
Worth Asking
Have you considered what the Neighborhood Conservation District review process means for your renovation timeline — specifically, that exterior changes including window and door replacements require Design Review and Preservation Commission approval before a building permit is issued, which can add steps and time that a standard Wilmington purchase would not?
Common Questions
What is the Forty Acres Neighborhood Conservation District, and how does it affect homeowners?
Forty Acres was designated Delaware’s first Neighborhood Conservation District in 2004. Under this classification, Wilmington’s Design Review and Preservation Commission (DRPC) must review and approve proposed exterior changes — including window and door replacements — before a building permit is issued. The DRPC applies the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s standards for historic properties, focusing on preserving character-defining façade elements. Owners undertaking rehabilitation work may be eligible for state and federal historic preservation tax credits, city tax abatement, and certain private funding programs, which can partially offset the added review requirements.
What types of homes are most common in Forty Acres, and when were they built?
The neighborhood is composed primarily of two- and three-story red brick rowhouses and semi-detached twin homes, reflecting its origins as a late 19th-century streetcar suburb. The majority of residential structures were built no later than 1939, according to NeighborhoodScout analysis. Recent public records sales have documented homes built circa 1919–1920 with interior square footage in the approximately 1,100–1,600 square foot range, original hardwood floors, and exposed brick walls. The public records structure mix skews toward interior row/townhouse and twin/semi-detached configurations, consistent with the neighborhood’s historical development pattern.
Which public elementary school serves Forty Acres, and what district oversees it?
Forty Acres falls within the Red Clay Consolidated School District. Joseph E. Johnson Jr. Elementary School, located at 2100 Gilpin Avenue in Wilmington (ZIP 19806), is the Red Clay elementary school physically situated within or immediately adjacent to the neighborhood. Families should confirm current attendance zone assignments directly with Red Clay Consolidated School District, as boundaries are subject to change.
Items to Verify with Your Agent
A few specifics on this page are sourced from secondary aggregators or older filings. Confirm before relying:
- Approx Homes — No verified home count for the Forty Acres Neighborhood Conservation District boundary was found in any authoritative source. Population of approximately 1,065–1,225 residents is cited by Niche and Nextdoor respectively, but a dwelling-unit count was not published.
- Builder — Forty Acres developed organically from 1864 onward by multiple builders and landowners. No single builder is documented; Joshua Heald and William Tatnall were the original land subdividers, not builders of individual structures.
- Hoa Name — The Forty Acres Civic Association is a civic/neighborhood association registered with the City of Wilmington, not a mandatory HOA with deed-based assessments. Public records HOA status is listed as Unknown. No mandatory HOA with dues or covenants was identified.
- Faq 1 Q (Elementary School Boundary) — The most common elementary school field in public records is blank. Joseph E. Johnson Jr. Elementary at 2100 Gilpin Ave is the Red Clay school physically located within or immediately adjacent to Forty Acres boundaries, but formal attendance zone assignment for Forty Acres addresses was not confirmed via a Red Clay boundary map search. Buyer should verify with district.
- Avg Year Built Anomaly Note — The avg_year_built of 1922 is consistent with the neighborhood’s documented development era (1864–1939 construction concentration) and the public records samples showing 1919–1920 built homes. No anomaly flagged.
School District
Forty Acres is served by the Red Clay Consolidated School District. Buyers should verify current school assignments directly with the district.
View Red Clay Consolidated School District Information
Sources Consulted
Public deed records · New Castle DE County Recorder · wilmingtonde.gov · archives.delaware.gov · hmdb.org · en.wikipedia.org · neighborhoodscout.com · homes.com · neighborhoods.com · nces.ed.gov · delawaretoday.com · amazon.com
Data refreshed: April 25, 2026 (median sold, appreciation, performance tiers, narratives) · Content reviewed: April 25, 2026 (overview, structural insight, FAQs)
The Cyr Team · 2418 neighborhoods · 4 counties · 33 years of public sales records