Wilmington rowhouse bathrooms

Wilmington's brick rowhouses run narrow and deep, and a period bathroom in one leans on a tall white tile wainscot, a floor of tiny hexagons or penny rounds and a clawfoot or built-in tub. In the City of Wilmington, 54%¹ of homes are single-family attached houses.

Updated October 12, 2026

Illustration of an upstairs rowhouse bathroom in Wilmington with a tall white tile wainscot, a white hexagon tile floor and a clawfoot tub under a narrow window. — Illustration

What defines the look

Narrow and several rooms deep: The typical brick row house in Wilmington's Quaker Hill district is narrow but several rooms deep: a long side hall, a parlor nearest the street, a dining room behind it and a kitchen beyond.²
A room behind the kitchen: Behind the kitchen, the typical Quaker Hill row house had another room attached to the rear, used as an extra sleeping room, a pantry or a storage shed.²
Brick, two and three stories: Brick construction dominates Wilmington's Quaker Hill Historic District, where two- and three-story row houses were built alongside detached and semi-detached houses.²
Second-floor bays: Rows in Wilmington's Delaware Avenue Historic District include second-floor bays, such as the half-octagonal bays with pilasters on a Shallcross Avenue row and the slate-covered bays on a six-house Hancock Street row where every house has a porch.³

Illustration of white penny-round floor tile meeting a marble threshold at a bathroom door. — Illustration

Illustration of a row of two-story brick houses in Wilmington with half-octagonal bays on the second floor. — Illustration

A tall tile wainscot: A subway-tile wainscot, often 5 feet high, suits an old-house bathroom.⁴
Tiny hexagons or penny rounds: A tiled floor of one- or two-inch hexagons or penny rounds suits an old-house bathroom.⁴
Clawfoot first, built-in later: Tubs of the period were either freestanding with claw feet or, later, built in with rounded Deco lines.⁴

Before the work starts

Inside work is the easier part in a Wilmington historic district. If a Wilmington property is in a city historic district, neighborhood conservation district or urban renewal area, the city may issue permits only for interior work or emergencies without the appropriate review board's approval or recommendation.⁵ A bathroom rebuilt within its own walls can move ahead on a permit, while a new window, a vent through the front wall or a rooftop change waits for review.

Delaware pays back part of the cost of careful work on a certified historic home. Delaware's Historic Preservation Tax Credit is 30% of qualified rehabilitation expenses for homeowners, who may receive up to $30,000 in credits per application.⁶ Owner-occupied projects must spend at least $5,000 on rehabilitation to qualify for Delaware's historic preservation tax credit.⁶ Costs that qualify for Delaware's credit are construction costs for the interior and exterior of the building, including structural and systems work; furnishings, window treatments and appliances don't count.⁶

With these incentives, timing decides everything. Rehabilitation work that is already done doesn't qualify for Delaware's historic preservation tax credit; the application must be approved before the work begins.⁶ The City of Wilmington offers a 10-year property tax abatement, from the date of the increased assessment, for rehabilitating a building on the National Register or in a City Historic District.⁷

Where Wilmington's rows are

Rows dominate housing inside the city line, and the Census counts bear that out. Within Wilmington's limits, 54%¹ of homes are one-unit attached houses and 43%⁸ date from before 1940. Wilmington is home to 17 historic districts and more than 50 individual properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.⁷ Bathroom remodeling in Wilmington

Beyond the city the picture changes. Across New Castle County, 21%¹ of homes are attached single-family houses, a count that takes in newer townhouses as well as old brick rows. Kitchen remodeling in Wilmington

Placed in Delaware because the sources above show these homes there.

Talk through your Wilmington rowhouse bathroom

Call now(833) 517-7015Answered 8am–8pm ET

Calls are recorded. You'll be connected to one independent company that handles bathroom remodels in your area. We never call or text you. Privacy Policy ·Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Sources

Page updated October 12, 2026. How we source our numbers

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25024. Released January 29, 2026. Wilmington city, Delaware, New Castle County, Delaware.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Nomination: Quaker Hill Historic District Amendment, Wilmington, Delaware. Released 1985. View source.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Nomination: Delaware Avenue Historic District Amendment, Wilmington, Delaware. Released 1986. View source.
Old House Journal (published online by Fine Homebuilding), Designing a Vintage Bath (Brian D. Coleman). Released November 4, 2024. View source. Industry source.
City of Wilmington, Department of Land Use and Planning, Application for Building Permit and General Wilmington Building Guidelines, revised 11/04/2025. Released November 4, 2025. View source.
Delaware State Historic Preservation Office, State Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program FAQ. Released July 2025. View source.
City of Wilmington, Department of Land Use and Planning, Historic Wilmington and Rehabilitation Incentives. No publication date. View source.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034. Released January 29, 2026. Wilmington city, Delaware.