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4 MUSEUMS & HISTORIC SITES
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Museums & Historic Sites
Sussex County offers a variety of museums and settings, which document and display the area’s rich culture and history.
ethel Heritage Museum
302-258-5287 or 302-858-3840
312 First St, Bethel
Call for Appointment, Free Admission
The historic village of Bethel was described as a “toy village come to life” by National Geographic magazine. It was once a busy shipbuilding center and home of the Chesapeake Bay Schooner Rams. Stop by the charming general store while in town. The museum has no regular hours so call ahead. It showcases several early maritime/shipbuilding artifacts and ship models.
Bridgeville Historical Society Museum 302-381-7737
102 William St, Bridgeville
Call for Appointment, Free Admission
Originally built as the local firehouse in 1911, it was converted into school classrooms in 1924. Later used as an apartment until the Historical Society created the museum in 1977. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this museum provides local historic displays. Museum open the first Sun of each month (April to Oct) from 12pm–3pm.
Cook House
302-875-1344
502 E 4th St, Laurel
The home of Harold and Thelma Cook was built
in 1933 and is located on the southeast corner of Fourth and Willow Streets. It was gifted to the Laurel Historical Society by their daughter, Haroldine Shaner and their grandson, Patrick Shaner. Tour hours by appointment only.
Governor Ross
Mansion and Plantation 302-628-9828 www.seafordhistoricalsociety.com 23669 Ross Station Rd, Seaford
Explore a Victorian Italianate mansion with barns, sheds, and spacious grounds. See the only surviving slave quarters in the state of Delaware. Enjoy over 20-acres that includes a granary, stable, smokehouse, and corncribs. Explore a “Honeymoon Cottage” bought from a catalog and located on the property.
The Seaford Historical Society has fully restored this rare brick home, which features a three-story tall entry, ornate plaster ceilings, Moroccan ventilation, beautiful furnishings, and a hidden safe. Once the home of Governor Ross, the mansion is a testament to Southern living.
William Henry Harrison Ross was the Democratic governor of Delaware from 1851 to 1855. Extremely popular with the people, he was instrumental in
bringing the railroad into Southern Delaware. Trains running daily to Philadelphia vitalized the economy as farmers switched crops from wheat and corn to higher priced tomatoes, strawberries, peaches, and other perishables. Ross became a local hero.
But Governor Ross was also a slave owner and South- ern sympathizer. When war broke out between the states, Delaware sided with the North. Ross supported the Confederacy, which caused him to flee to England. Today, his mansion stands as a grand reminder of the pre-Civil War life, long gone.
Laurel Heritage Museum and Visitor Center 302-875-9319
215 Mechanic St, Laurel
www.westernsussexcoc.com
Showcasing an extensive collection of historical documents and objects displayed in our restored Train Station. The key element of the Museum is the one-of-a-kind Waller Photograph Collection, recognized as the premier period historical collec- tion by the both the State of Delaware Archives and the University of Delaware. Museum open Mon–Fri 10am–2pm and Sun 1pm–4pm.
Laurel Historic District
302-875-1344
502 E 4th St, Laurel laureldehistoricalsociety.org
Laurel has 800 homes on the National Historic Register, more than any other town in Delaware. Take a tour of Front Street and Indian Trail along scenic Broad Creek.
Mason-Dixon Marker
Rt 54, Mardela Springs, MD
6.5 miles West of Delmar
The Mason-Dixon Line, the world-famous boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, defined the geography of this country’s mid-19th-century political conflict over slavery, culminating in the Civil War. Mason and Dixon undertook their celebrated survey between 1763 and 1768, in order to settle a nearly century-long property dispute between the Penns of Pennsylvania and the Calverts of Maryland.
19th-Century Highball Signal
Bi-State Blvd, Delmar
The Signal was used to indicate the condition of the railroad track by raising and lowering a large white ball. Located next to the Delmar Caboose on Railroad and Main Street, Delmar’s Highball Signal is the last one in the country. The original Highball Signals were thirty ft. high and located about three miles apart.
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MUSEUMS & HISTORIC SITES