Baltimore Hundred in Ocean View in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Cecile Steele's Chicken House

Circa 1923

— Ocean View, Delaware —

Cecile Steele's Chicken House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 16, 2022

1. Cecile Steele's Chicken House Marker

Inscription.
Welcome to the Historic Village in Ocean View!

As designated by the blue historical marker, this building is an exact replica of Cecile Steele's chicken house. In 1923, when Cecile was mistakenly delivered 500 biddies instead of the 50 baby chicks she ordered to replace her egg layers, Cecile placed the biddies inside a piano box until her husband, Wilmer, built this poultry house. Cecile sold the surviving chicks at such a profit, that she began the U.S. broiler industry, making Sussex County the first and largest chicken producer anywhere.

Erected 2022 by Historic Village in Ocean View.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1923.

Location. 38° 32.879′ N, 75° 5.334′ W. Marker is in Ocean View, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in Baltimore Hundred. It can be reached from Central Avenue north of Oakwood Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 41 Central Ave, Ocean View DE 19970, 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: Ocean View Post Office (a few steps from this marker); Hall's Store (a few steps from this marker); Ocean View, Delaware (a few steps from this marker); Tunnell-West House (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Coastal Towns Museum (about 400 feet away); Ocean View Presbyterian Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ocean View.

The Replica Chicken House image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 16, 2022

2. The Replica Chicken House

Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 340 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 18, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.