Postcards circa 1950s
 
New Castle, Delaware -- 113 S DuPont Highway
 
 
 
 
Photographs circa 1947

One of the first two Howard Johnson's restaurants in Delaware, New Castle opened prior to WW II, and remained open until the 1980s. The 41 unit Dutch Village Motor Inn was adjacent to the vintage Restaurant and advertised it as a benefit to potential guests.

The collection of photographs to the left was offered on eBay in 2005. They reportedly show the New Castle HoJo's while it suffered a kitchen fire during 1947. Unfortunately I did not acquire the photos, and am not able to offer better views.
 
 
 
 
Photographs 2003: Courtesy of Phil Edwards
 
 

The Restaurant's adjacent motel remained affiliated as a Quality Inn until the late 1980s. By 1990 it had gone independent and advertised its adjacent former Howard Johnson's as the Village Station Family restaurant.

By 2003, Phil Edwards discovered that the 60+ year old HoJo's building had been converted into a Lone Star Steakhouse. Interestingly the Lone Star had reused the circa 1970s "roof-logo" sign. Lone Star continued to list the location in 2005 as one of its restaurants.

Note that the Dutch Village Motel units were still extant in 2003.