Arden, DE

Arden is a village in northeastern New Castle County. Arden has a population of around 500. The village was founded in 1900 by Frank Stephens and Will Price as a Single Tax community. Single Tax economics is a philosophy of Henry George, in which the only tax paid by residents is a tax on the land. Arden is also a community that was founded on William Morris' arts and crafts movement.

Because of the Single Tax philosophy for the village, land cannot be bought. Instead, 99-year leases on land are the only option for residents. Also, Arden residents do not pay county land taxes, as part of the Single Tax philosophy. Instead, the entire village is considered a single piece of land, and is taxed as such. Individual buildings are taxed by the county for school district revenue and other purposes. More than half of Arden is village greens, narrow roadways, and forests that buffer houses from each other.


A house on Green Lane at Cherry Lane.



A house on Walnut Lane.



A house on The Sweep. The house was built in 1909.



A house on Harvey Road, the main road that goes through the Ardens. Due to high vehicle traffic, New Castle County planned on widening Harvey Road to two lanes each way, but Arden, Ardentown, and Ardencroft opposed the idea and convinced the county to keep the road as it was.



A house on Lovers Lane.



A house on Orleans Road.



A house on Millers Road.



A community shed and bench on Harvey Road.



A house on Hillside Road.



A house on Orleans Road, with artwork on a tree in the front.



Gild Hall, which functions as the community center for interest group and gilds (guilds). Gild Hall is located on The Highway.



The Castle, a house on The Highway.



A house on Sherwood Road.