Delmarva Back Roads

Rear of Wilson-Warner House Odessa’s history is similar to those of most other towns along the Delaware Bayshore Byway. In the 1700s and 1800s it was a prosperous shipping port (primarily for wheat) on the Appoquinimink River. Then the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal and railroads bypassed Odessa and, like many other Delaware towns with water-based economies, Odessa became a sleepy residential community.  Why, then, does Odessa look so different today from other towns along the Byway? Why do the historic buildings in Odessa look stunning while so many of those in other towns along the Byway are either vacant or in desperate need of rehabilitation? The answer is five pieces of luck that other towns along the Delaware Bayshore Byway simply didn’t have.  The first piece of luck was the commitment of Daniel Corbit, a son of the man who built what is now Corbit-Sharp House, to preserving his family history and the house’s architecture and furnishings. One of the items he p...

Kitts Hummock Beach looking north, with Pickering Beach in the distance Kitts Hummock is one of several waterfront hamlets that edge the Delaware Bay. Like Pickering Beach   a bit to the north, it’s basically a row of waterfront homes. The roads in front of the homes are private and closed to the public. There are a few public parking spaces along Kitts Hummock Road near public access to the beach. Public entrance to Kitts Hummock beach There’s also this sign erected by a private citizen. Sign at the public entrance to Kitts Hummock beach In contrast to the homes on Pickering Beach, which are now very close to the water, the homes on Kitts Hummock are set back a bit, and low dunes provide some protection. Lexie enjoying the great smells on Kitts Hummock beach The beach is very clean, but there’s some mud along the water’s edge. Kitts Hummock beach shoreline Fortunately, there’s a foot-washing and dog-washing station at the public beach entrance. Rinsing station at Kitts H...

One of the many striking historic buildings in Frederica Frederica’s  story goes back to 1681, when William Penn granted this land to Boneny Bishop. A port cropped up on the Murderkill River here, first called Indian Point and then Johnny Cake Landing. The town was surveyed and laid out by Jonathan Emerson in 1772. In 1796, Emerson’s daughter proposed that the town be renamed Frederica Landing, and in 1826, the town of Frederica was formally incorporated by Delaware. The oldest house in town is  Hathorn-Betts House , also known as Hathorn-Lowber House or Peter Lowber House. It’s a beautiful Georgian house built between 1730 and 1750 (sources give varying dates). It sits in the middle of Market Street because it predates the town. Hathorn-Betts House, also known as Hathorn-Lowber House or Peter Lowber House Another very early house is at 123 Front Street, on the outskirts of town and therefore probably once a farmhouse. It was built around 1750.  123 Front Street in Fre...