Trap Pond State Park near Laurel in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Jason Beach

Photographed by Roslyn Carter, June 29, 2022

1. Jason Beach Marker

Inscription. Named after William C. Jason, the second President of State College for Colored Students (now Delaware State University), Jason Beach was a recreational destination for people of color from the 1930s through the early 1970s. Along with use as a swimming area, this location situated in Trap Pond State Park was also used for a variety of entertainment and religious purposes. In 1951, Trap Pond became Delaware’s first State Park and though there was no legalized segregation in Delaware State Parks, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 eventually led to the end of Jason Beach as a segregated area. Known as Cypress Point since the 1960s, the name of Jason Beach was restored in 2022.

Erected 2022 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number SC-287.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1951.

Location. 38° 31.51′ N, 75° 28.285′ W. Marker is near Laurel, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in Trap Pond State Park. It can be

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reached from Cypress Point 0.7 miles Goose Nest Road. Jason Beach is located in Trap Pond State Park which can be approached from many directions. DON’T enter the park’s main entrance; instead, follow signs to the Park Office and Campground off of Goose Nest Rd (Rd 450). Park entrance fee applies seasonally. Continue straight past the Park Office and Camp Store, for a total of 0.7 miles. Follow the sign directing you straight ahead for Disc Golf and Pavilion 3. The road ends at a large parking lot. Follow the arrows to the right and around the circle towards the rest rooms. The historical marker is under some trees just before the rest rooms, just before the handicap parking spaces. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Laurel DE 19956, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Mid-Atlantic

and on the Delmarva Peninsula.

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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hidden Forests (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Senator Robert "Bob" Venables (approx. 0.4 miles away); Welcome to Trap Pond State Park (approx. half a mile away); Historic Mills of the Trap Pond Area (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Old Country Church (approx. 1.1 miles away); The Bethesda Church Lives On (approx. 1.1 miles away); Ted Harvey: Innovator for Preservation (approx. 2.1 miles away); Trinity Methodist Church (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Laurel.

More about this marker.

Photographed by Roslyn Carter, June 29, 2022

2. Jason Beach Marker

There are numerous news stories posted online about this marker being erected Juneteenth 2022.

Regarding Jason Beach. See https://destateparks.com/CommunityHistories/JasonBeach for more background information.

Also see . . . Delaware State Parks - Jason Beach History. Contains interviews with area residents and their memories of the beach. (Submitted on November 20, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)

Follow the sign straight ahead to Disc Golf and Pavilion 3. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Roslyn Carter, June 29, 2022

3. Follow the sign straight ahead to Disc Golf and Pavilion 3.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2022, by Roslyn Carter of Ocean View, Delaware. This page has been viewed 361 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 29, 2022, by Roslyn Carter of Ocean View, Delaware. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.