This marker is somewhat faded, standing quite high on its post. It points out some of the 18th…read morecentury religious history of the area. There is space at the side of the road to stop. It reads, "Organized in 1838, a Methodist Society then called the "Coolspring Methodist Episcopal Meeting House" began holding meetings in a schoolhouse situated on a nearby farm owned by Mrs. Jane Warrington. Trustees were elected and incorporated "to build White's Chapel" named for Reverend Henry White, a presiding Elder who served the preaching circuit continuously until 1842. A quarter acre of land for the church site was donated by Samuel Paynter in 1839, and a meeting house measuring 18 x 24 feet was constructed later that same year. After this first structure was destroyed by fire circa 1871, additional adjacent land was purchased from Alfred C. Warrington in 1872 and a new church measuring 30 x 45 feet was constructed within the present-day church. The present church was constructed and dedicated in 1921 by District Superintendent W.R. Mowbray. Together with Conley's United Methodist Church, Zion United Methodist Church, and three other now-defunct churches, White's Chapel comprised of Nassau Circuit which operated until the early 1930s. As a member of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference, White's Chapel continues to serve the spiritual needs of its surrounding community." With the marker is a beautiful, if small, chapel. Beside it is a cemetery that is in excellent condition. It is marker number SC-235 and it was erected in 2014 by the Delaware Public Archives. [Review 18188 overall - 105 in Delaware - 1710 of 2022.]

After the County Seat was moved from Lewes to Georgetown in 1793, the original Sussex County…read moreCourthouse was built on The Circle. In order to make room for a new, larger brick courthouse to be constructed on the same grounds, that building was relocated from The Circle onto Bedford Street in 1837. In 1976, the original Courthouse underwent restoration, and it is periodically utilized for special events. The original whipping post is still standing on The Circle. The marker reads, "Constructed in 1791 at the direction of the State Legislature, this structure served as the seat of Sussex County government until 1837, when it was sold and moved to this location to make way for the construction of the present County Courthouse. It was later used as a private residence, and also served as a printing shop. On September 20, 1962, the building and lot were conveyed to the State of Delaware. A major renovation project was undertaken in 1974 with funding provided by the State and the National Park Service. The building was dedicated on Return Day in 1976, in honor of the nation's bicentennial." There is parking off the Georgetown Circle, so if you're nearby check this place out. [Review 20304 overall - 131 in Delaware - 1281 of 2023.]

The Harry W. Kelley Memorial Bridge carries US Route 50 over the Sinepuxent Bay and connects Ocean…read moreCity to the mainland of Worcester County. It is the very beginning of US 50 which continues another 3000+ miles to Sacramento. The bridge is named for the former mayor of Ocean City who served from 1970 to 1985. The bridge was built in 1942 and is planned to be replaced in several years. There is no toll to cross the bridge. It has four lanes for cars and there are pedestrian walkways on each side. There is only a curb between the traffic lane and the walkway - there is no other barrier for much of the crossing. It is an active deck plate girder bascule bridge. The deck is 45.9 feet wide. [Review 18153 overall - 667 in Maryland - 1675 of 2022.]

Just off the Georgetown Circle and to the northeast, this bright blue marker points out the history…read moreof women getting the right to vote in the state. The marker is in front of the Superior Court of Delaware and hard to miss. There is street parking available. The marker reads, "On March 16, 1920, Sussex County's members of the Delaware General Assembly held a conference in Georgetown to hear opinions for and against women's suffrage. Suffragists and anti-suffragists organized similar gatherings throughout the state that spring. Governor Townsend called the state legislature into a special session on March 22 to address the ratification of the 19th Amendment and other issues. The Senate ratified the amendment, but in a victory for anti-suffragists, the House adjourned on June 2 without passing it. Women earned the right to vote after Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920." Here in 2022, I look back and wonder why women didn't always have the right to vote. And it's pretty We've come quite some way in the last hundred years, eh? This is marker number SC-284 and was erected in 2020 by the Delaware Public Archives. [Review 18178 overall - 96 in Delaware - round number 1700 of 2022.]

Located a few blocks from Georgetown Circle, this marker points out the history of this important…read morebuilding. It is a two story structure with four tall columns at the front. It could be a courthouse. Big windows on all four sides but it does not look like a very active building today. The marker reads, "In 1827 the Delaware legislature authorized a lottery for the purpose of funding the construction of "an Academy and Masonic Hall." Land was purchased in 1840, and construction commenced the following year. The building was formally dedicated on December 28, 1842. The Georgetown Academy had a prestigious reputation and was attended by students from throughout the county. Classes at this private institution were discontinued in 1885 when a new public school was built in the town. In 1889 the Trustees of the Academy conveyed their interest in the property to Franklin Lodge No. 12. The building was remodeled to its present appearance in 1920." It is marker number SC-95 and it is in excellent condition. [Review 19087 overall - 129 in Delaware - 56 of 2023.]

This marker is next to the Lewes Life-Saving Station & Museum and points out a spectacular weather…read moreevent. The marker is in need of some attention but is still quite legible. It reads, "Known as the "Great White Hurricane," the Blizzard of 1888 was one of the most devastating weather events in recorded history. Affecting coastal states from Virginia to Maine, this paralyzing storm resulted in widespread death and destruction. With its large stone Breakwater providing a buffer from heavy seas, the harbor at Lewes was considered to be one of the safest on the Atlantic seaboard at the time. For the ships that sought shelter here during the blizzard, it would be the scene of an unprecedented disaster. As signs of an approaching storm increased, approximately 50 vessels had come to anchor behind the seawall by the evening of March 11, 1888. A brief calm descended just before midnight, followed quickly by rapidly growing winds and decreasing temperatures. Soon a raging storm descended upon the harbor, bearing with it "flying hail and snow that cut like a lash...and salt spray that froze into a glassy coating the instant the water touched decks, spars, or rigging." By the morning of March 12, nearly every vessel in the harbor was sunken, sinking, or drifting powerless, crashing one upon another. Some sailors clung to the masts of ice-bound ships, where they endured the continuing effects of the storm. The crews of the Lewes and Cape Henlopen Life-Saving stations, aided by the citizens of Lewes, immediately launched efforts to save those in peril. As a result of their heroic deeds, many lucky souls were saved during the days that followed. The fact that only eight deaths were reported here was considered nothing less than miraculous for those who experienced the terrible fury of the Blizzard of 1888." The storm struck then entire East Coast from Chesapeake Bay to Maine. Recording snow falls range to as much as 58 inches in Saratoga Springs, New York. The storm began in earnest shortly after midnight on March 12 and continued unabated for a full day and a half. Drifts across the New York-New Haven rail line at Westport, Connecticut, took eight days to clear. Transportation gridlock as a result of the storm was partially responsible for the creation of the first underground subway system in the United States, which opened nine years later in Boston. This is marker SC-221 and it was erected in 2008 by the Delaware Public Archives. [Review 18206 overall - 120 in Delaware - 1728 of 2022.]

I know very little about organizations like the Masons and such, so it was interesting to read up…read moreon the Independent Order of Odd Fellows thanks to this historical marker that is located in front of their building that is around the corner from Dogfish https://www.yelp.com/biz/dogfish-head-craft-brewery-milton?hrid=X-MiPl97jcYPhE-1WEEPOg. The marker reads, "The origins of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows can be traced to the creation of beneficial trade societies in England. Composed of craftsmen who practiced a variety of different or "odd" occupations, the purpose of these organizations was to support the needs of members and improve the communities in which they lived. The I.O.O.F. was formally established in this country in 1819. In 1834, the Odd Fellows of North America separated from the English Order. Some years later a group of Milton residents organized for the purpose of establishing a local lodge. On September 15, 1848, a charter was granted for Golden Rule Lodge #17. In 1853, members voted to buy a suitable piece of land on which to erect a Lodge Hall. The first meeting was held here on January 3, 1855. In later years the Odd Fellows' women's organization, the Rebekahs, also met here. Like many such facilities, this structure was designed to include space for business and community use on the first floor, with a lodge room above. From 1920 until 1980 this was the location of the town's library. Since its organization, Golden Rule Lodge #17 has continued to emphasize the principals of "Friendship, Love, and Truth" through its services to the citizens of Milton." The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a non-political and non-sectarian organization. Notable Odd Fellows include jurist Hugo Black, Senator Robert C. Byrd, actor Charlie Chaplin, cattle Baron John Simpson Chisum https://www.yelp.com/biz/john-simpson-chisum-equestrian-statue-roswell?hrid=yVrjloSOxJbYIMq_B3VMfQ, United States Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Warren Harding and Rutherford Hayes and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Earn Warren. This is marker number SC-216 and was erected in 2007 by the Delaware Public Archives. [Review 18185 overall - 102 in Delaware - 1707 of 2022.]

There are a couple of lighthouses here in the Delaware Bay and this one is very definitely the…read moreHarbor of Refuge light. It is a cast-iron structure that was built in 1926 and is designed to handle even the most intense Atlantic weather. It is 76 feet tall and has a black base, a white conical tower and a black lantern level at the top. The light on the tower has been replaced a few times but it currently operated by solar power and includes a fog signal that is also powered by solar. I saw the lighthouse today from the Lewes-Cape May Ferry https://www.yelp.com/biz/cape-may-lewes-ferry-north-cape-may-4?hrid=eqhIEWJmJAJ_9Ndxpt223w but it can also be seen from the tip of Cape Henlopen State Park https://www.yelp.com/biz/cape-henlopen-state-park-lewes. The lighthouse is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation. While the lighthouse is not accessible from land, there are boat tours that bring you to the lighthouse, if that's something that appeals to you. See https://www.yelp.com/biz/cape-water-tours-and-taxi-lewes-2. [Review 18215 overall - 127 in Delaware - 1737 of 2022.]