W3R-DE is partnering with a local senior center to bring the history of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route to its interior walls. The planned display will share the story of the First Rhode Island Regiment and its connection to Wilmington.
In 1782, 15 Rhode Island soldiers who had participated in Washington’s march to Yorktown died during a smallpox epidemic while returning home. They were originally buried on the outskirts of old Wilmington, near what is now 9th and Market Streets. As the city expanded, their remains were moved during the 1830s to nearby Brandywine Cemetery, where they now rest in an unmarked mass grave.
The City of Wilmington will formally recognize and identify their burial site during a ceremony in September 2026.
W3R-DE will also hold its 5th annual Wreaths Across America ceremony at the senior center on December 19. A National Historic Trail sign has stood in the center’s front yard since 2017, and W3R-DE will assist with the creation of a Veterans Support Center serving veterans within the city.
Photos by Bill Conley.
