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2 AREA HISTORY
2020
Area History
Founded in 1631, as the Dutch settlement Lewes, Sussex County is the oldest and largest County in the first State of the Nation!
Sussex County, DE
Hudson discovered the River in 1609, and in 1610, the English explorer Samuel Argall was blown off course and landed in the bay. He named it after the Governor of Virginia, Thomas West, Lord De La Warr. For nearly 400 years the County has been home to rugged, industrious people who built the foundation of Delaware’s modern culture. From its early agricultural beginning, through the arrival of the railroads and the Golden Age, Sussex has had a rich heritage. www.sussexcountyde.gov
as the “Strawberry Capital of the Nation,” due to the abundance of strawberries grown and shipped from this area. Erected in 1768, the Mason-Dixon marker is six and a half miles west of Delmar and represents the middle point of the Mason-Dixon Survey. www.townofdelmar.us
Greenwood
The small town of Greenwood was founded in 1856, chartered in 1858, and incorporated in 1901. Shortly after the Civil War, Greenwood consisted of only eight houses, two stores, and a hotel. It has grown since then, but still maintains a delightful small village atmosphere, except for the busy summer months when beach traffic comes through. The town was named for the lush holly forest surrounding it. greenwood.delaware.gov
Laurel
Founded in 1683 and incorporated in 1883, Laurel has 800 homes on the National Historic Register—more historic buildings than any other town in Delaware. Laurel was plotted in 1802 after the sale of an Indian reservation along the Broad Creek and named for
the laurel trees growing along its banks. In 1885 Laurel was considered the wealthiest town in the State with 2,500 inhabitants, 11 general stores, 7 grocery stores, 5 clothing and furniture stores, a
stave factory, carriage factory, sawmill, and more. The agriculture industry boomed producing strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and white potatoes. Local lumbermen ran a barrel stave basket factory to carry the produce to other markets. Today this beautiful vintage community continues a healthy agricultural economy with the addition of several other industries. www.townoflaurel.net
Seaford
Seaford was founded in 1726 and incorporated
in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. Originally an agricultural center using the river to transport produce inland; William Henry Roos developed
many innovative agricultural techniques. He became Governor of Delaware in 1850 and his stunning Italian Renaissance Plantation is north of town. The Hearns and Rawlins Mill founded in the mid-1800s, produced Dove brand flour, pancake mix, and meal.
In 1925 the poultry industry became important
as new methods of housing and feeding were introduced. The nature of farming changed from truck crops to grains and corn for chicken feed as Sussex County became the largest chicken-producing area in the world. In 1939 Seaford became known
as the “Nylon Capital of the World.” It is the home
of the DuPont Company’s first nylon plant. In 1995 Seaford was voted one of the Best 100 Small Towns in America. The downtown business district is growing and several national chains and shopping plazas are on busy U.S. 13. Located on the Nanticoke River about a half-hour from the beach and the Chesapeake Bay, Seaford offers a wealth of recreational opportunities including the Nanticoke River Walk. www.seafordde.com
Bethel
The entire charming Victorian town of Bethel is on the National Historic Register. Founded in the late 1700s and incorporated in the 1880s, it’s located on the north bank of Broad Creek near Laurel. Originally a prosperous shipbuilding community in the 1800s, many of the homes were built by ship carpenters
for sea captains of that period. It’s well-known as the birthplace of the flat-bottomed Chesapeake Bay Sailing Ram, and was aptly named for the Bible’s “Bethel,” which is referred to as a “sailor’s retreat.” bethel.delaware.gov
Blades
Blades dates back to the 1700s, but remained one
of the last of Sussex County areas to incorporate. It was named after the James Blades family that once farmed the land upon which it sits. Once a farming and shipbuilding community, today Blades is mostly residential.
blades.delaware.gov
Bridgeville
Bridgeville is one of the oldest and fastest growing communities in western Sussex County. It began developing in the 1680s along the small waterway known as Bridge Branch. In 1730 a bridge was built across the stream and it served as the center of the community. The name Bridgeville was adopted around 1810 and the town was incorporated in 1871. Today it’s a pleasant agricultural-oriented community known for fine homes, picturesque tree-lined streets, and the delightful annual Apple-Scrapple Festival. bridgeville.delaware.gov
Delmar, MD and
Delmar, DE
Delmar, “The Little Town Too Big For One State,” was built at the end of a railroad line and overlays the Maryland/Delaware state line. Thus its name is a compound of the first syllables of both States. They continue their railroad tradition, with the Delmarva Model Railroad Club hosting several annual events. In 1859 when Delmar was founded, it was a pine forest. In the early 20th-Century Delmar became known
AREA HISTORY