Lewes, Delaware facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lewes, Delaware
City
Second Street in downtown Lewes
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  First Town, First State
Motto(s):  "The First Town in The First State"
Location of Lewes in Sussex County, Delaware.
Lewes, Delaware Location in Delaware Show map of Delaware Lewes, Delaware Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Sussex
Founded	June 3, 1631
Incorporated	February 2, 1818
Area
• Total	5.11 sq mi (13.25 km2)
• Land	4.19 sq mi (10.86 km2)
• Water	0.92 sq mi (2.39 km2)
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,303
• Density	787.93/sq mi (304.21/km2)
Demonym(s)	Lewesian
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	19958
Area code(s)	302
FIPS code	10-41830
GNIS feature ID	214214

Lewes (pronounced LOO-əss) is a city located on the Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. In 2020, about 3,303 people lived there. Lewes is a growing city in Delaware's Cape Region, along with nearby Rehoboth Beach. It is part of the larger Salisbury, Maryland–Delaware area. Lewes is proud to be known as "The First Town in The First State."

History of Lewes

Lewes was the very first European settlement in Delaware. It started as a place for whaling and trading. Dutch settlers founded it on June 3, 1631, and called it Zwaanendael, which means Swan Valley. Sadly, this first colony did not last long. A local tribe of Lenape Native Americans wiped out the 32 settlers in 1632.

The Dutch did not pay much attention to the area for a while. But in 1662, the city of Amsterdam gave land near Lewes to a group of Mennonites to settle. This was to stop the English colony of Maryland from taking over the land. About 35 men, led by Pieter Cornelisz Plockhoy, started a settlement in 1663. However, the timing was bad. In 1664, the English took control of New Netherland from the Dutch. They destroyed the new settlement, leaving "not even a nail" behind.

The area was slow to be settled again, but a new town slowly grew. In 1673, when the Dutch briefly held the area again, soldiers from Maryland attacked and burned the settlement once more. In 1680, James Stuart, Duke of York, who had permission from his brother King Charles II, reorganized the village. For two years, it was called New Deale, Deale County, Delaware. A log courthouse was built, and churches were established by 1682.

In 1682, English King Charles II gave the Delaware colonies to William Penn to pay off a family debt. When Penn arrived later that year, he renamed the county Sussex and the settlement Lewes. These names came from places in England. Lewes was the main town of Sussex County until 1791. Then, the county seat moved to Georgetown, which was more in the center of the county.

During the War of 1812, on April 5 and 6, 1813, British ships led by HMS Poictiers briefly attacked the town. They fired cannons at Lewes, but it did not cause much damage. You can still see a cannonball from this attack stuck in the foundation of the Cannonball House. This house is now the town's maritime museum.

Lewes officially became a city on February 2, 1818. The state assembly passed a law that created five commissioners to manage the town.

Lewes Beach was an important stop on the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War. Delaware was a "border state," meaning it was not part of the Confederacy. However, it was still dangerous for enslaved people trying to escape. Many houses in Lewes were "safe houses" for these escaping people. Residents would place a single candle in a top window to show that their house was safe.

In 1941, the United States built Fort Miles on Cape Henlopen, just south of Lewes. This fort was built to protect Delaware Bay and the Delaware River. It also protected the oil refineries, factories, and the city of Philadelphia. Fort Miles was one of the largest and most heavily armed coastal forts ever built.

Fort Miles never saw any major battles. It only fired its guns once between its creation and the end of World War II, other than for practice. Fort Miles stopped operating in 1991 and was given to the State of Delaware.

Lightship Overfalls, a historic ship preserved as a tourist attraction.

City Motto and Name

Lewes calls itself "The First Town in the First State" because it was the earliest settlement in Delaware. And Delaware was the first state to agree to the U.S. Constitution. Lewes is named after a town called Lewes in England. That English town is in a county called Sussex, which is also where Sussex County, Delaware, gets its name. Lewes, England, even has the same town seal!

Geography of Lewes

Lewes is located at 38°46′28″N 75°08′22″W / 38.77444°N 75.13944°W / 38.77444; -75.13944.

The 1655 Ryves Holt House, the oldest building in Delaware.

The city covers about 4.3 square miles (11.1 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.7 square miles (9.6 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.6 square miles (1.6 square kilometers), is water.

Weather in Lewes

Lewes is on the Atlantic coastal plain. Its weather is made milder by the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay. Lewes has a mild subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. In July, the average high temperature is about 87°F (30.6°C), and the low is 70°F (21°C). In January, the average high is 45°F (7°C), and the low is 30°F (-1°C). July usually has the most rain, with about 4.78 inches. February is usually the driest month, with about 3.23 inches of rain.

People of Lewes

According to the 2000 census, there were 2,932 people living in Lewes. About 87.3% of the people were White, and 9.9% were African American. About 13.6% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age was 55 years.

Education in Lewes

The University of Delaware's wind turbine near Canary Creek.

Lewes is part of the Cape Henlopen School District. Students in Lewes attend:

• Richard Shields Elementary School
• Cape Henlopen High School (located just outside the city, but with a Lewes address)

The Sussex Consortium, a school for students with autism, is also located near Lewes.

The University of Delaware has a campus in Lewes called the Hugh R. Sharp Campus. This campus is home to the University's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, where students study the ocean and environment.

Students from Lewes can also choose to go to Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is in nearby Georgetown.

Arts and Culture in Lewes

Museums and Other Fun Places

The Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, built to look like a building in the Netherlands.

Lewes is a popular vacation spot, especially for people from Washington, D.C. Even though most of the city is on the Delaware Bay, it is considered an ocean resort because the ocean is very close at Cape Henlopen. Lewes is one of the towns that does not allow smoking in its public parks.

Lewes is home to the Zwaanendael Museum. This museum has exhibits about Delaware's history. Savannah, Second, and Front Streets are the main streets in town. They have many shops, restaurants, parks, and historical places. Fisherman's Wharf is a dock along the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal. It has restaurants and bait shops, and many boats visit it during the warmer months.

The Lewes Historical Society works to save and share the history of the Lewes area. They do this through museum exhibits, educational programs, and research.

Lewes in Bloom is a group that helps keep Historic Lewes beautiful. They have won national awards for their efforts in making the city look lovely.

Lighthouses

Lighthouse in the National Harbor of Refuge.

The United States Lightship Overfalls (LV-118/WAL-539) is a historic lightship. It is one of only nine such ships preserved in museums in the United States. You can find it docked in Lewes along the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal.

Lewes is also home to several famous lighthouses in the Delaware Bay. Just offshore, you can see the Delaware Breakwater East End Light and the Harbor of Refuge Light.

Parks and Recreation

Lewes Beach on the Delaware Bay.

Lewes Beach in Delaware.

Lewes is right next to Cape Henlopen State Park, which is a great place for outdoor activities. Lewes also has several parks within the city limits:

• Blockhouse Pond Park
• Stango Park
• Zwaanendael Park & Herb Garden
• 1812 Memorial Park (Cannonball Park)
• Mary Vessels Park
• George H.P. Smith Park
• Canalfront Park & Marina
• Lewes Beach
• Great Marsh Park

The DNREC has a boat ramp just outside the city. It is along the Broadkill River, near the Roosevelt Inlet.

City Services and Transportation

Law Enforcement and Emergency Services

The Lewes Police Department and the Delaware State Police keep the city safe. The Lewes Volunteer Fire Department provides emergency medical services (EMS). You might also see Delaware Natural Resource Police officers patrolling the waterways. Lewes also has a United States Coast Guard Marine safety detachment.

Getting Around Lewes

The Lewes terminal of the Cape May–Lewes Ferry.

Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) runs just outside Lewes. This is a major road where several other routes meet. Three main roads connect Lewes to DE 1: New Road, Savannah Road (US 9 Business), and King's Highway (US 9). US 9 goes around the southeast side of downtown. If you park downtown or at Lewes Beach between May and October, you might need to pay at a parking meter.

US 9 westbound approaching US 9 Business in Lewes.

The Cape May–Lewes Ferry starts in Lewes. This ferry carries people and cars across the Delaware Bay to North Cape May, New Jersey. The trip is about 17 miles (27 km) long and takes 85 minutes. Cape Water Tours & Taxi offers a boat taxi service between Lewes and Dewey Beach on Friday evenings in the summer. This lets people easily visit restaurants and nightlife in Dewey Beach.

DART First State runs the Lewes Transit Center park and ride. This is just outside Lewes on DE 1. From here, you can catch local buses that go all over Sussex County. In the summer, there are special Beach Buses that go to the Delaware Beaches. There are also buses that connect Lewes to other parts of Delaware, like Wilmington, Middletown, and Dover.

Lewes used to have a train line that went to Georgetown. There was also a train route from Lewes that went into Maryland. These train services were later replaced by buses.

Today, there are trails for biking and hiking. The Georgetown-Lewes Trail opened in 2016. The Junction and Breakwater Trail is another trail that connects Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. It is about 6 miles (9.7 km) long and mostly follows an old railroad path.

Utilities

The Lewes Town Clock.

The Lewes Board of Public Works (BPW) provides electricity, water, and sewer services to the city. The BPW was created in 1901. Lewes used to have its own power plant, but now it buys electricity from other companies. Trash collection is handled by the city, and recycling is collected by Republic Services. Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas service in Lewes.

Notable People from Lewes

• Eugene Bookhammer, a politician who was the 18th lieutenant governor of Delaware.
• Jay Fleming, a photographer.
• David Hall, a politician who was the 15th governor of Delaware.
• Joseph Maull, a doctor and politician who was the 34th governor of Delaware.
• Pieter Corneliszoon Plockhoy, an early Mennonite reformer who helped settle Lewes in 1663.
• Betsy Rawls, a professional golfer who won many major championships and is in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• Caleb Rodney, a politician who was the 23rd governor of Delaware.
• Daniel Rodney, a politician who was the 19th governor of Delaware.
• Ebe W. Tunnell, a politician who was the 50th governor of Delaware.
• Otto Wolgast, an early settler who helped found Lewes in 1663.

Notable Events

On August 21, 2013, a helicopter reportedly dropped $10,000 in different dollar bills over Lewes Harbor. This was done to fulfill the last wish of a local resident who had passed away.

See also

In Spanish: Lewes (Delaware) para niños