Bethany Beach Loop Canal
SC-158: Completed July 8, 1910, the Loop Canal marked the end of a long journey for vacationers traveling to Bethany Beach in the town’s early days. Arriving in Rehoboth by railroad, travelers would continue their voyage by boat, crossing Rehoboth and Indian River Bays to the U. S. Government (Assawoman) Canal. For a time, the […]
Civil Air Patrol – Coastal Patrol Base Two
SC-205: Established in the opening days of World War II, the Civil Air Patrol was organized to provide civilian assistance with a variety of military activities including Coastal Defense. Utilizing privately-owned light aircraft, these citizen volunteers patrolled Atlantic waters in search of German submarines and their victims. Some of these planes were subsequently armed. A […]
Former Site of ILC Dover
KC-86: Makers of the Apollo Moonsuit In 1947 the International Latex Corporation established a specialty products division and chose this site for its location. The company’s rise to prominence as a supplier of aeronautic and aerospace equipment began in 1952 when it was contracted to produce high altitude pressure helmets for the military. By the […]
Smyrna Opera House and Town Hall
KC-77: In the spring of 1869, the Commissioners of Smyrna approved a plan to erect a Town Hall. Responding to the long-held desire of the citizens for a venue for public gatherings, architect Richard Mitchell designed the building to include a “hall” on the second floor. Ground was broken on July 15, 1869, and the […]
New Castle Common
NCC-13: This land is part of a tract of one thousand acres set apart by William Penn in 1701 for the inhabitants of the town of New Castle. Trustees were appointed and incorporated by Penn’s heirs in 1764, whose successors still hold and manage the land. Installed in 1932. Reinstalled in 1968. Sponsors: Historic Markers […]
Transit of Venus Observatory
SC-252: In 1769, an international scientific effort was organized to observe a transit of Venus in order to determine the size of the solar system. This rare event, when Venus passes in the front of the Sun’s disk, makes such calculations possible when measured from widely separated sites. The American Philosophical Society sent Owen Biddle […]
History of Lake Comegys and Silver Lake
SC-238: Lake Comegys and Silver Lake are natural freshwater remnants of receding glaciers from the last Ice Age and are notable for their close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, The Nanticoke Tribe held summer encampments around Silver Lake to gather shellfish from the ocean, and various Native American artifacts have been found along the lake’s […]
Menhaden Fishing Industry
SC-214: The Atlantic Menhaden is a small herring-like fish found in the coastal waters of the Eastern United States. Used by Native Americans to fertilize crops, these oily fish were also used by European settlers to produce fuel for lamps. In the mid-19th century, technological improvements resulted in more-efficient processing methods and the menhaden fishing […]
Pilot Town
SC-66: Pilot Town is the section of the Hamlet of Concord where many free African-American families have lived in harmony with the white families since around 1765. It was so named for the many black pilots who lived in the area and piloted vessels down the Nanticoke River to Chesapeake Bay. Two of the best […]
Booker T. Washington School
KC-88: On November 13, 1922, 210 children and 6 teachers marched from two old school buildings located on Slaughter Street and Division Street to a new school for African-American students in Dover. Funding for the building was provided by the Delaware School Auxiliary Association, through the generosity of P. S. duPont. The school was named […]
