Circa 1920s Ashley Plot Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware property rights dispute.

Rare early Wilmington-area legal dispute over recorded land boundaries

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A scarce legal and cartographic document tied to a property rights dispute over the 1909 recorded plot of “Ashley,” Section C, in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware. Issued shortly after the plot’s recording, this ephemeral publication examines the enforceability of visible boundary lines and the designation of streets and alleys for public use.

The large plat map on the bifolium outlines Section C, featuring Hillside Road, Dupont Road, Maryland Avenue, and Rockdale Park. It shows the subdivision’s curved streets and cul-de-sacs, emphasizing planned residential development. Notations on public access and street dedications became central to a legal battle over whether “Ashley Place”—a seemingly enclosed strip of land—was a public street or private property.

A 1918 lawsuit contested the land’s status, leading to a Delaware Supreme Court review of Chancellor Curtis’s 1920 ruling. While the Chancellor upheld the recorded boundaries as evidence of public dedication, the Supreme Court questioned whether user evidence sufficiently supported that conclusion. The case underscored broader concerns about whether recorded property lines in Delaware could be contested when not reinforced by physical use.

Price: $75.00