Historic Sites
Sussex County is an area that features building upon building filled with generations of history, of tall tales and of the baby steps of an emerging powerhouse in the New World. Dozens of these structures exist within the boundaries of Delaware’s southernmost county, many of which pre-date the forming of the United States.
It’s impossible to fully describe each one of these historic locations, but a sampling is listed below:
Fenwick Island Lighthouse
There have been many lighthouses that have protected the coastal waters of Sussex County over the years, including the still standing Fenwick Island Lighthouse in the very southeast quadrant of the county.
Built in 1858, the 89-foot lighthouse for years warned ships away from the Fenwick Shoal utilizing a lens that was imported from France.
Operated through the years by whale oil and kerosene, the light today runs solely on electricity. It is owned by the state of Delaware and is maintained by the New Friends of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse.
Zwaanendael Museum
Take a drive along King’s Highway in Lewes today and you can’t miss it: a towering structure built to resemble the fabled stadthuis (Town Hall) in Hoorn, the Netherlands. Constructed in 1931, the Zwaanendael Museum gives residents and visitors alike a glimpse into the history of Lewes, the “First Town in the First State.”
In the museum are exhibits on Lewes’ role in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and lots of memorabilia commemorating the first Dutch settlement in the New World, an ill-fated whaling colony that lasted less than a year.
The museum is one of eight museums statewide administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs.
Ross Mansion
The former mansion of Gov. William Henry Harrison Ross was once situated on a plantation that spanned 1,398 acres just outside of what is now the city limits of Seaford.
Today, the Italian villa-style mansion continues to stand as a glimpse into the past of Seaford , and Sussex County. It is owned by the Seaford Historical Society, which has completely renovated the historic structure.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mansion has been furnished with period antiques and its grounds play host to many of Seaford’s town-wide events.
But today it sits on just 20 acres of land, or a little more than 1 percent of the family’s original property. Also on the grounds are a completely restored slave quarters, a granary, a smokehouse, stables and a so-called “honeymoon cottage,” built for the governor’s son to live in while a mansion was built for him across town.
Old Christ Church
Old Christ Church near Laurel remains almost entirely as it was when it was built more than 235 years ago ― to this day, there is no plumbing, no electricity and no heating in the historic structure.
Stepping through the doors of the 18th century chapel is like stepping back into time, or as Colonial Williamsburg architectural historian Carl Lounsberry once said, “like walking into 18th century England.” Made almost entirely from heart of pine, the chapel continues to stand majestically as it has for generations in western Sussex County.
Originally built as a chapel of ease for Stepney Parish in Maryland, Old Christ Church was constructed in 1772 and is believed to be one of only a dozen or so churches along the eastern seaboard to survive unaltered from pre-Revolutionary War days.
After being closed for services for many years, Old Christ Church now plays host to church services every Sunday from Whit Sunday ― a festival of the Church of England celebrated on May 15 ― to the first Sunday in October.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Prince George’s Chapel
Prince George’s Chapel was built in 1755 on the south side of Pepper Creek in present-day Dagsboro. Constructed for a total cost of 40,000 pounds of local tobacco, it still stands today in that very same location.
Built with tax revenue collected in Worcester Parish, Md., Prince George’s Chapel was erected as a so-called “chapel of ease” for St. Martin’s Church, which still stands in Showell, Md., about 11 miles south of Dagsboro. Prince George’s Chapel provided a place of worship for people who couldn’t regularly travel to the mother church.
Named for the English prince who would later become King George III, the chapel has been completely restored to resemble its original 18th-century appearance. It is owned by the state of Delaware and maintained by a committed group of volunteers.
Old Christ Church serves primarily as a museum today, though a handful of events, including an Easter sunrise service and an “Olde Christmas Day” celebration, are still held within its walls each year.
The Circle
Many visitors these days think of The Circle in Georgetown as a sort of crossroads to the area’s beach resorts, a mere hiccup a few miles from the sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean. But “James Pettyjohn’s Old Field,” as it was referred to in court documents of 1791, is so much more than a mere traffic circle.
In 1791, the act of removing the Seat of Justice from Lewes to a more central part of Sussex County was passed by the Delaware General Assembly after 20 petitions signed by more than 900 county residents were presented.
The county government hired 10 commissioners to purchase land in the area known as “James Pettyjohn’s old field or about a mile from where Ebenezer Pettyjohn now lives,” as the original order states.
On May 9, 1791, the commissioners purchased 76 acres of land. The county courthouse and jail were built in the southeastern section of the town square ― later named The Circle ― and the Seat of Justice was officially moved to Georgetown in October.
Today, most of Sussex County’s government office buildings still ring The Circle. The Sussex County Courthouse, the Sussex County Administration Building, Georgetown Town Hall and the Court of Chancery are all centered around The Circle.
Most of Georgetown’s larger events are still held in the middle of The Circle amid the trees and the flowers and in the shadow of a large, picturesque fountain. The Circle was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Fort Miles
Named after Nelson Appleton Miles, the last commander in chief of the United States Army, the massive coastal fortification known as Fort Miles was built in 1941 to defend Philadelphia, as well as oil refineries and other assets along the Delaware River and Bay.
The sprawling fort and its armament were designed to fight the strongest elements of the Germany Navy, though that particular threat never reared its ugly head during the World War II.
After the war came to an end, Fort Miles stood down and the fort’s heavy guns were eventually dismantled. The men went home and the fort was largely abandoned, standing as a deteriorating reminder of the fort’s importance during World War II. Eventually, the fort became part of Cape Henlopen State Park and is today overseen by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation, which has helped restore and maintain the fort with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers.
The Fort Miles Historical Association, formed in the summer of 2003 and now several hundred members strong, is working with the state of Delaware to turn the fort into a museum dedicated to the World War II history of Delaware.
Cannonball House
Many visitors to Lewes today seek out the home with the cannonball stuck in it foundation. A short trip to the town’s historic district is all it takes for a look.
Home to the Lewes Historical Society’s maritime museum, the Cannonball House features many important pieces of memorabilia highlighting the town’s maritime past. Built before 1797, this house was known as the David Rowland Home before it was struck by a cannonball during a two-day British bombardment in April 1813 as part of the War of 1812.
The Cannonball House was purchased by the Lewes Historical Society in 1963. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Historic Bethel
The village of Bethel in western Sussex County, with its white clapboard houses lining a street made of crushed oyster shells, remains much as it looked in the late 1700s when it was founded. Here, one can easily envision an early American shipbuilding community where some of the best ship designers and riggers in the Chesapeake region lived and worked.
Proud of its small size and tiny population, Bethel, with its Victorian and Italianate architecture, is listed in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only Sussex County town to hold such a distinction.
A historical marker detailing the town’s place in maritime history stands tall in the heart of town along with a former schoolhouse known today as the Bethel Heritage Museum.
Besides the artifacts the museum curates, the shipbuilding industry is evident throughout the town. The Historic Bethel Store, which sells sandwiches and some grocery items, uses salvaged masts from old sailing ships as pillars.
