George Read's former home site in New Castle recalls a statesman whose career bridged the Revolution and the creation of the federal government. Read was born in Maryland in 1733, educated in Pennsylvania, and trained as a lawyer. He settled in New Castle, married Gertrude Ross, and built a legal and political practice in Delaware's colonial capital. The house that stood here was his family residence, distinct from the grand mansion later built nearby for his son, George Read II.

Before independence, Read served as crown attorney general for the Lower Counties and entered the colonial assembly. He opposed Parliament's taxation policies but was cautious about a complete break with Britain. Delaware sent him to the Continental Congress, where on July 2, 1776, he initially voted against independence because he believed reconciliation might still be possible. When Congress adopted the Declaration, however, Read signed it and supported the new nation, placing public duty above his earlier hesitation.

The Revolution brought both government work and danger. Read served in Delaware's constitutional convention and helped draft the state's 1776 constitution. When British forces moved toward Philadelphia in 1777, Delaware president John McKinly was captured. Read, then speaker of the legislative council, became acting president and worked to keep civil government functioning amid invasion, military shortages, and divided loyalties. His New Castle connections placed him near the political center of the small state during a precarious period.

Read later served as judge of the Court of Appeals in admiralty cases, dealing with disputes over ships and captured cargoes in the wartime Atlantic economy. In 1786 he represented Delaware at the Annapolis Convention, which called for broader reform of the Confederation. The next year he joined the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. There he strongly defended equal state representation, a crucial concern for Delaware, and signed the Constitution produced by the delegates.

Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution in December 1787. Read then entered the first United States Senate and later became chief justice of Delaware. His record included signatures on both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, a distinction shared by only a small group. He died in 1798. His career illustrates how independence required not only battlefield victory but also continuous work in legislatures, courts, conventions, and state administration.

The New Castle house was destroyed by fire in April 1824, so the marker preserves a location rather than an intact building. That loss can cause confusion with the surviving Read House and Gardens at 42 The Strand, constructed from 1797 to 1804 for Read's son. The marker's importance lies in anchoring George Read the elder's life within the town where he practiced law, raised a family, and helped guide Delaware from colony to state and from confederation to constitutional union.