Sussex County, Delaware, is packed with history. Since the region was not as overrun with industrialization as northern Delaware, there are so many places where you can peek back in time! One such spot tells the tale of a governor chased from Delaware during the Civil War.

One such spot is the Ross Mansion, in Seaford. Located not far from the Nanticoke River, the entire plantation was built by William H.H. Ross, governor of Delaware from 1851-1855.
Flickr / Lee Cannon
Though the mansion itself is gorgeous Italianate architecture, the history here is not as bright and cheerful as the grounds.
Wikimedia Commons / Seaford Society

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Governor William Ross was one of the few Delaware politicians who owned slaves and sympathized with the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Wikimedia Commons / Jack Boucher
He was so disliked by Delawareans that he fled to England shortly after the beginning of the Civil War, and remained there until the end of the war. When he returned, he tried his best to keep his head down, but his reputation was so soiled at that point that he lost nearly all of his investments and assets.
Today, the Governor Ross Plantation sits as a memorial not to Ross himself, but to educate about pre-Civil War life in southern Delaware, and to tell the tale of those enslaved by a politician who represented much of the southern interests of Delaware.
Wikimedia Commons / Seaford Society
The mansion and plantation are owned and managed by the Seaford Historical Society, and the home makes for an interesting educational day trip. The architecture of the home has been restored to its former glory.
Google Local / Ankit Patel

To schedule a tour of the Ross Home, call 302-628-9828 or email admin@seafordhistoricalsociety.com.

For a look at one more of Delware’s most historic homes, read about how Delaware’s Creepiest House, Woodburn Mansion, Is Said To Be Full Of Hauntings.

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Governor Ross Mansion, 23669 Ross Station Rd, Seaford, DE 19973, USA