At first called Mifflin's Crossroads, Camden was established in 1783 and grew rapidly, as attested by the many fine brick houses of Georgian derivation just starting to turn Federal in style. There are so many of these dwellings, one can find motifs that repeat, including stucco scored to resemble ashlar, or rows of glazed bricks in the common-bond of gables. Greek Revival is represented by the Hunn House (1830s; 3 S. Main St.), frame with chamfered blocks to resemble ashlar and with small, third-floor attic windows typical of Delaware practice. With many Quakers in the area, the Underground Railroad is said to have been active here. The actual railroad ran west of town in 1856–1858 through what became the community of Wyoming, but no great boom followed, and Camden remained small. Architect G. Morris Whiteside wrote approvingly (1938) of its “numerous buildings well worth study, as they are only slightly altered.” Camden Historic District consists of sixty-five structures. The town's population was 2,100 in 2000, but explosive growth was underway.
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