As the First Town in the First State and one of the oldest settlements in America, Lewes has a long and colorful history. Following are a few facts and figures to help you become quickly acquainted with the area.
Sikomess or Sikeoyness, after the Indians who lived there
Swanendael, by Dutch settlers in 1631
Hoorn, during the second David DeVries expedition
Whorekill, by the English in 1664
Deale, by the English
Lewes, in 1682, by the English in honor of the town Lewes in Sussex County, England
Earliest Known Permanent Settler
The earliest permanent settler in Lewes was probably Helmanus Fredrick Wiltbanck. Born in Sweden in 1641, Wiltbanck settled in the area around 1658-59.
A County Seat
Lewes served as the county seat of Sussex County until the seat was moved to Georgetown in 1791. The county courthouse stood on a corner of the present graveyard of St. Peter's Episcopal Church at Second and Market streets.
Pirates
Lewes had a checkered association with pirates along the Atlantic seaboard in the late 1600s. Pirates raided the town in 1690 and 1698. Finally, a law was passed requiring all citizens to own a musket and ammunition for protection from future raids. Legend also has it that the famous pirate, Captain Kidd, buried a chest of gold in the Cape Henlopen sand dunes during a visit in 1700 on his trip to the West Indies. And the pirate Blueskin was Levi West, the step-son of a respected miller who lived in Lewes in 1750.
A Town of Governors
Because of its importance in the early life of Delaware, the town produced six of the state's governors in the 19th century.
Colonel David Hall -- A Revolutionary War patriot and lawyer, Hall was the state's 15th governor, from 1802-1805.
Daniel Rodney -- The state's 15th governor, from 1814-1817. He also served as a judge, a Congressman and as a U.S. Senator.
Caleb Rodney -- The state's 23rd governor, from 1822-23. Speaker of the Senate when he became governor due to the death of Gov. John Collins in April 1822.
Samuel Paynter -- The state's 26th governor, from 1824-27, Paynter was a successful merchant who also served as a judge and in the House of Representatives.
Joseph Maull -- The state's 34th governor, for just nine weeks before dying on May 3, 1846. He succeeded Gov. Thomas Stockton on his death nine weeks earlier. He was a physician and a member of the General Assembly.
Ebe W. Tunnell -- The state's 50th governor, from 1897-1901, Tunnell joined his brother-in-law in the drug business in Lewes. He also served in the state House of Representatives in 1870.
Street Names Restored
Local residents upset with the destruction of historical landmarks identifying the town's colonial past, in 1937 charged a three-man committee from the Lewes Rotary Club to start a movement to have the town's old street names restored. Thus, on March 1, 1937, Lewes' most historic streets were renamed by their colonial names of Shipcarpenter Street, King's Highway, Savannah Road, Pilottown Road and Knitting Street.
1629-31 -- The Dutch Expedition, captained by Peter Heyes, commander of the ship Walvis, sails from Holland to Delaware Bay and settles at Swanendael on Hoorn Kill (Lewes Creek), land purchased by the Dutch from local Indians. The settlement is soon destroyed by friends of an Indian who had been slain by his Tribe for stealing a metal sheet depicting the painted arms of Holland.
1659 -- A second Dutch fort and trading station are established near Lewes by Alexander d'Hinoyossa and called Sikeomess or Sekonnessink.
1663 -- The Dutch Mennonite Colony of forty one lands at Swanendael under the command of Pieter Cornelius Plockhoy. In 1664, as the English took control of the entire Delaware River, Sir Robert Carr destroyed the colony.
1673-1674 -- In 1673, the Dutch retake New York and Delaware and a court is established at Hoorn Kill. In 1674, the Treaty of Westminster returns New York and Delaware to the English and ends Dutch rule on the river.
1709 -- Lewes is ravaged by 100 men sent on shore from a French Privateer. Two men-of-war finally moved the ships out of the bay.
1767 -- The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse is completed.
1791 -- The Sussex County seat is moved from Lewes to Georgetown.
1812 -- British warships in the War of 1812 demand supplies at Lewes and are refused. In 1813, a British frigate bombards Lewes but does little damage.
1818 -- Lewes incorporated on Feb. 2.
1888-1889 -- Two storms wreak havoc on ships in the area. In March, 1888, 35 of the 50 vessels in Lewes harbor are destroyed during the Blizzard of '88. And in September, 1889, a storm wrecks more than 50 ships at Lewes Beach.
1924 -- On Sept. 30, the Cape Henlopen Light was lit for the last time. The Lighthouse fell into the sea in 1926.
1941 -- Fort Miles built on the current site of Cape Henlopen State Park to prevent the Germans from reaching major cities along the Delaware River during World War II.
1964 -- The Cape May-Lewes Ferry begins operations on July 1.
