Ashton Tract of Augustine Wildlife Area: Nature and History Converge

View of Thousand Acre Marsh from the Ashton Tract of Augustine Wildlife Area

Between the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal and Odessa are several tracts of land that make up Augustine Wildlife Area. Many of Delaware’s wildlife areas are either undeveloped or have been developed primarily to meet the needs of those interested in hunting, fishing, and boating. A lot don't yet have restrooms, signage, developed trails, or other features of interest to other visitors.

One of the exceptions is the Ashton Tract of Augustine Wildlife Area, just south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. It’s worth a stop for two reasons. 

 


First, features have been added for wildlife enthusiasts and photographers. There’s a parking area, rest rooms, a kiosk with helpful information, and a wayfaring sign with information on the kinds of wildlife that live here. 

 

Ashton Tract wayfinding sign

There’s also a new wildlife viewing/photography platform with great views looking north over Thousand Acre Marsh. 

View of Thousand Acre Marsh and Reedy Point Bridge from the Ashton Tract

And there’s a bonus: the Ashton Tract is home of Ashton Historic District, with two important early homes. In 1686, William Penn granted this land to Robert Ashton. (Remember that in those days Delaware was part of Pennsylvania.) Robert Ashton may have been a cousin of William Penn. 


Robert Ashton developed this land into a farm and built a home here in the late 1600s. Yes, beneath that modern siding in the photo below is one of oldest houses in Delaware. This was a relatively large house for the times, showing that Robert Ashton prospered here.

Robert Ashton House, built in the late 1600s

When Robert Ashton died, his land was divided between his sons Joseph and John, with the dividing line roughly where Thornton Road is today. Both built their own houses on their own land in the early 1700s. The Joseph Ashton House was on the south side of Thornton Road. After sitting abandoned for many years, it burned in the 1980s, and on our visit we saw no trace of it from Thornton Road.

The John Ashton House still sits on the north side of Thornton Road. It’s brick, now painted white, with a frame wing on the left side. This is another substantial house showing that the Ashtons continued to prosper into their second generation here. 

John Ashton House, built in the early 1700s

You’ll need a Conservation Access Pass to park in the Ashton Tract. Buy it online in advance, then display it on your dashboard while visiting.

The Port Penn Historical Society has a great article on the Ashton Tract in one of its newsletters. For a map of Augustine Wildlife Area, visit here. 




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