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Lewes Historic District in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Lewes

1631

 
 
Lewes Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 28, 2022
1. Lewes Marker
Inscription. Lewes began as a colony established by the Dutch West India Company in the spring of 1631. Twenty-eight men were sent to establish a whaling station, grow tobacco and engage in fur trade with Native Americans. It was the first European settlement in Delaware, originally named "Swaanendael" or "Valley of the Swans". That colony lasted less than three years and the Dutch resettled it in 1658. The British took possession of the area in 1664. It remained under British colonial rule until Independence. William Penn named the town Lewes in 1682.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: AgricultureColonial EraIndigenous Peoples and CommunitiesIndustry & CommerceSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1631.
 
Location. 38° 46.435′ N, 75° 8.341′ W. Marker is in Lewes, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in the Lewes Historic District. It is on Kingshighway (U.S. 9) just south of 3rd Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lewes DE 19958, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,
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this marker is on Delaware’s Beaches. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Zwaanendael Museum (here, next to this marker); H.M. Brig DeBraak (here, next to this marker); Zwaanendael House (a few steps from this marker); David Hall House (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Lewes (within shouting distance of this marker); World Wars I and II Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Zwaanendael Club (within shouting distance of this marker); The Fisher-Martin House (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lewes.
 
Lewes Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 28, 2022
2. Lewes Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 311 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on May 29, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
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Aug. 2, 2026