First Town in the First State

This week we are in Lewes, Delaware. We have never been here before, so I thought it would be fun to write a blog post about Lewes’s history. The town was originally Dutch before being taken by the British. For most of its early days it was a busy major shipping town, but as rails became more popular it began to slow down, but remains a popular tourist destination.

The first colony, in what is now Lewes, was started by the Dutch and called Zwaanendael. Founded in 1631, the colony lasted less than a year before it was destroyed by Native Americans. For years it was neglected by the Dutch, until a land grant was given to a group of Mennonites. This colony was also short lived, lasting a year before it was destroyed in 1664 by the British.

After the British forced the Dutch out, they moved in. For a few years the land was known as New Deale, until 1682 when the land was given by Charles II to William Penn, who renamed the county Sussex and the town Lewes, after a place in England. Due to it’s strategic importance, it was the seat of the county until 1791, when it was moved to the more west central Georgetown.

Lewes was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. It was a border state, and was not part of the South, but still very dangerous for escaped slaves. Because of this, many houses in Lewes were safe houses and identified themselves with a single candle in the highest window of the house.

Lewes’s greatest days may be behind it, but that does not mean it is a boring place to visit. There are many places to go and learn about the history of this small town, such as the museum of maritime history, which still has a cannonball from an ineffectual bombardment during the War of 1812. It has been very fun learning about the history of Lewes in the short time we’ve been here, and I look forward to learning more about the First Town in the First State.