LEWES DELAWARE WALKING TOUR
Discovered by Henry Hudson on a voyage up the Delaware River in August, 1609, and first settled by the Dutch in 1631, the historic seaport of Lewes (pronounced Loo-iss), Delaware, can tell some of the richest history of any location in the United States.
The First Town in the First State, Lewes boasts old homes and structures that date back to the late 1600s and early 1700s. It has also been the scene of historic battles and has been visited by infamous pirates such as Captain Kidd.
The town was originally settled by 32 Dutchmen, but all were massacred by a local tribe of Lenni Lenape Indians following a disagreement over a coat of arms that had been stolen by an Indian from the Dutch settlement. The Dutch became more furious when the tribe slayed the Indian who stole the piece and presented his head to them. At the same time, friends of the slain Indian were so upset that he had been killed they massacred the settlement in 1632 in revenge.
The area was permanently settled by the Dutch in 1658 when they set up a new trading post called Sekonnessinck. Another colony was established by a group of Mennonites under Peter Cornelis Plockhoy in 1663. The Plockhoy Colony was destroyed by the English a year later.
The Dutch reclaimed the area in 1673, but just six months later surrendered it back to the English for good. The territory which is now Delaware was conveyed to William Penn in 1682. It was then that the town was named Lewes in honor of a town in Sussex County, England.
Throughout, Lewes has relied on the sea for its existence. Home to an excellent harbor, it remains an East Coast port of call and home to a large fleet of fishing boats. It is the base of the Delaware Bay and River Pilots Association. Members of the association guide cargo vessels to and from the ports of Wilmington, Del., and Philadelphia.
Directions: From Rehoboth and points south, follow Route 1 north to the signs for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. After turning off Route 1, follow the signs to Kings Highway into Lewes. You may begin your tour at the intersection of Kings Highway and Savannah Road, the site of the Zwaanandael Museum and the Fisher Martin House Information Center.