Saint George's Hundred near Middletown in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Augustine Beach

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 3, 2022

1. Augustine Beach Marker

Inscription. Augustine Beach was named after Augustine Herman (c 1621-1686), an explorer and cartographer who mapped the region for Lord Cecil Calvert. Adam Diehl built the brick Augustine Beach Hotel in about 1814. In 1867, owner Simeon Lord expanded the hotel, adding a dance pavilion, dining room, and barroom. Augustine Beach became a popular destination for visitors from Wilmington and Philadelphia between 1870 and 1920. Many visitors arrived on the steamship Thomas Clyde from Philadelphia. The resort complex also featured bathhouses, a wharf, and piers. The Augustine Beach Hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Erected 2020 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number NCC-261.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives, and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1814.

Location. 39° 30.433′ N, 75° 34.76′ W. Marker is near Middletown, Delaware,

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in New Castle County. It is in Saint George's Hundred. It is on Saint Augustine Road (Delaware Route 9) just north of Farm Lane, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1919 St Augustine Rd, Middletown DE 19709, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Delaware’s Southern New Castle County, in Greater Wilmington and in Greater Philadelphia.

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

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Augustine Inn (within shouting distance of this marker); 119 South Congress Street (approx. half a mile away); 117 South Congress Street (approx. half a mile away); Samuel and Ida Eaton House (approx. half a mile away); 115 South Congress Street (approx. half a mile away);

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 3, 2022

2. Augustine Beach Marker

George Swartz House (approx. half a mile away); Reedy Island Officers House (approx. half a mile away); Reedy Island Barracks (approx. half a mile away).

Also see . . . Augustine Beach Hotel - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.

"At the turn of the century, the Augustine Beach Hotel might easily have been the site of a Wilmington or Philadelphia family's summer excursion. A steamer made the daily run to "The Piers", as the spot was known locally. The THOMAS CLYDE stopped at Augustine Beach, and PILOT BOY and ARIEL probably served the Beach as well, on their regular trips to Woodland Beach, at Bombay Hook, farther south.

Augustine Beach Hotel was probably built in 1814, but its peak period spanned the years between 1870 and 1920. Visitors from every state in the Union signed its register between 1887 and 1915."

(Submitted on May 23, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)

Augustine Beach Marker - National Register plaque near modern restaurant entrance image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Pete Skillman, April 18, 2025

3. Augustine Beach Marker - National Register plaque near modern restaurant entrance

Augustine Beach Marker - view of the hotel, now a restaurant image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Pete Skillman, April 18, 2025

4. Augustine Beach Marker - view of the hotel, now a restaurant

Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 711 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 5, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4. submitted on April 18, 2025, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.