About Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory
New Castle. Newark. Delaware City. Middletown. Four opportunities to serve families in New Castle County.
Four locations. One big heart.
Spicer-Mullikin is a family-owned funeral home and since 1906, we have comforted families by creating personalized, meaningful memorial ceremonies that celebrate the life of a loved one.
Every year since 2015, Spicer-Mullikin has received the prestigious Pursuit of Excellence Award recognizing professionalism and integrity in our profession, presented by the National Association of Funeral Directors (NFDA). In 2017, we were nominated as the Best of the Best in America by our NFDA peers. In 2018, we were particularly proud to be named recipients of the inaugural 2018 Richard Myers Pinnacle Award. This was no small honor.
Spicer-Mullikin is one of the few funeral homes in Delaware to employ a dedicated professional grief specialist for post-service care. Our service reflects your love.
History
In 1906, William E. Haines opened his funeral home in Wilmington. It was later purchased by John W. Spicer, and then merged with a funeral home owned by James Mullikin. For many years we maintained three locations: Wilmington, New Castle (Wilmington Manor) and Delaware City. The Wilmington location was then sold and we purchased a facility in Newark.
Harvey Smith, Jr. and Frank Mayer, Jr. purchased Spicer-Mullikin in 1968 and operated the business for more than 40 years. The current owner, Harvey’s son Matthew C. Smith, continues the company’s century-old tradition of compassionate, dignified service.
Learn more about our commitment to the local community.
Our Antique Hearse
Our horse-drawn hearse was built in the 1840s by John D. Edwards, a funeral director and carriage maker in Londonderry Township, PA. Edwards used the hearse at his own funeral home and later passed it on to his son, Charles, who succeeded his father in funeral service.
With the advent of cars, the horse-drawn hearse was no longer used in funeral processions. It was fully restored to its original condition in 1987 by Levi Fisher of Kirkwood, Lancaster County, PA. In 1994, the hearse was entrusted to the care of Harvey C. Smith, Jr. and Frank C. Mayer, Jr., former co-owners of Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes.
The hearse is solidly built of chestnut and oak and weighs over 1,600 pounds. At the time the hearse was manufactured, the painting alone took more than three months to complete to allow for the application of many coats of slow-drying lacquer and the vigorous hand-buffing required to create its lustrous, enduring finish.
In 2012, Matthew C. Smith, Harvey Smith’s son, became the new owner of Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes and Crematory. He’s now the proud custodian of the horse-drawn hearse and looks forward to it staying in the Smith family for many generations to come.
Our Awards
Over the years, Spicer-Mullikin has been fortunate to be recognized by our communities and peers as an outstanding funeral home. To be acknowledged in this way means the world to us. From everyone at Spicer-Mullikin, thank you all for your continued recognition and support – our work is measured not by the awards we win, rather the families we help.
