Delaware City was founded in 1826 in anticipation of the opening of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and was incorporated in 1851. Its proximity to the canal brought sustained prosperity and expansion, and by the 1880s a growing population created the need for new educational facilities. In 1883 a new Delaware City Public School was built at this location in the Italianate style popular at the time. The school served the community until it was outgrown and replaced by a larger building on Fifth Street in 1930. St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church purchased the old building in 1933 and remodeled it for use as a parish house. During World War II, it served as a USO Center for soldiers stationed at nearby Fort DuPont and Fort Delaware. In 1969 the City of Delaware City took ownership for municipal offices, and in 1984 the former school building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Delaware City Historic District.