Lewes Historic District in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Hiram Rodney Burton House
The land upon which this house now stands was acquired in 1675 by Helmanus Wiltbank, a prominent early resident and property owner of Lewes. The oldest portion of the present structure is believed to have been constructed by Cornelius Wiltbank circa 1720. Ownership of the property was retained by the Wiltbank family until 1814, when the house and lot were conveyed to Thomas Rodney. In later years this became the residence of his grandson, Hiram Rodney Burton (1841-1927). An 1868 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, Doctor Burton served the medical needs of the residents of Lewes and surrounding area for over fifty years. Active in the civic affairs of his community and state, he served as Commissioner of Lewes and was appointed to the positions of Deputy Collector of Customs and Assistant Surgeon at the Delaware Breakwater Quarantine Station. An influential member of Delaware’s Republican Party for many years, he was twice elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1905 until 1909. A major supporter of the development of our nation’s inland waterways, Doctor Burton was chiefly responsible for securing funding for the construction of the Lewes-Rehoboth and Assawoman Canals.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Hiram Rodney Burton House was purchased by the Lewes Historical Society in 1989.
Erected 2004 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number SC-180.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1675.
Location. 38° 46.603′ N, 75° 8.568′ W. Marker is in Lewes, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in the Lewes Historic District. Marker is on Shipcarpenter Street near 2nd Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 112 Shipcarpenter Street, Lewes DE 19958, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Votes for Women (a few steps from this marker); Milk House (within shouting distance of this marker); Burton-Ingram House (within shouting distance of this marker); Frederick E. Hudson (within shouting distance of this marker); Burton-Ingram House Addition (within shouting distance of this marker); Thompson Country Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Harbeson Railroad Station Privy (within shouting distance of this marker); 326 West Third Street (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lewes.
Also see . . . Hiram Rodney Burton. was an American physician and politician from Lewes, in Sussex County, Delaware. (Submitted on October 29, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 785 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 10, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4. submitted on November 11, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.