Fleatown, DE was one of those towns whose only reason to exist was that it was a convenient halfway stopping point between two popular destinations. The distance as the crow flies from the heart of Milford, DE to the heart of Georgetown, DE is about 16 miles. Traveling between these two places today wouldn’t even…
To my mind, it’s the perfect American Civil War border state story. Take a look at this 1970 aerial photo of Georgetown, DE’s Public Square and Circle. The two circled buildings are the Brick Hotel (bottom) and the site of the Eagle Hotel (right side). “One local folk tale concerning the [Brick],” says its National…
Sussex County, Delaware boasts a unique political tradition surrounding election time. It’s called Return Day, and it features parades, partying, and much festivity. But that day, the Thursday after an election, wasn’t always so lighthearted. It was in fact born in political strife, a solution to the violence that broke out between the Tories and…
Rhoad built the roads. Rhoad Shankland, a trained lawyer and surveyor, is mainly remembered for laying out Georgetown, DE. It’s one of the best designed towns in Sussex County, with a lovely circular park at town center “for publick use.” Shown here is the compass he used for the task. But there’s another side to…
