Penns Grove River Walk

Today’s Penns Grove River Walk traces the Delaware River shoreline where residents and visitors have gathered for centuries to watch ships, enjoy river breezes, and take in sunsets across from Wilmington. In the Revolutionary era, this stretch of river—then part of Upper Penns Neck—lay just inland from Helm’s Cove, site of one of the first naval engagements on the Delaware in May 1776. Here, British warships Roebuck and Liverpool exchanged intense cannon fire with Pennsylvania row galleys; local tradition holds that a British shot from Roebuck struck nearby Helms Cove Tavern, less than a quarter-mile from the water. The grounded Roebuck spent a tense night off the cove before escaping downriver, but the stand by the American galleys boosted patriot confidence and showed that Royal Navy power could be challenged. Walking the riverfront today, visitors follow a peaceful promenade along a shoreline once patrolled by warships, privateers, and militia boats guarding the approaches to Philadelphia.