Woody's Diner. . First named Woody's Diner after original owner Woody Sturgis, the factory built "Silk City" diner car was brought to Selbyville from Paterson, New Jersey in 1950. A label mounted inside the diner car lists its serial number as "5092" , "50" denotes the year in which it was fabricated and "92" signifies that it was the 92nd Silk City car built that year. The diner quickly became a welcome stop for those traveling along U.S. Route 113, as well as a gathering place for local residents and various community groups. Most notably, meetings held at the diner by members of the poultry industry in 1951 led to the establishment of the Eastern Shore Poultry Growers Exchange, a broiler chicken auction which operated from 1952-1969. Hosted in Selbyville and broadcast on three area radio stations, the Exchange played an integral role in the transformation of the Delmarva poultry industry. During this time, the diner featured a bank of telephones along its back wall where poultry auction bids could be placed. The Sturgis family owned the property until 1983, when it was purchased by the Doyle family. An exterior roof was constructed over the diner car, and a larger dining room addition expanded the property. The historical integrity of the diner car's interior remains largely intact, with only the vinyl on the booths having been changed. It stands as the oldest operating and best-preserved Silk City diner car in the state.
First named Woody's Diner after original owner Woody Sturgis, the factory built "Silk City" diner car was brought to Selbyville from Paterson, New Jersey in 1950. A label mounted inside the diner car lists its serial number as "5092" "50" denotes the year in which it was fabricated and "92" signifies that it was the 92nd Silk City car built that year. The diner quickly became a welcome stop for those traveling along U.S. Route 113, as well as a gathering place for local residents and various community groups. Most notably, meetings held at the diner by members of the poultry industry in 1951 led to the establishment of the Eastern Shore Poultry Growers Exchange, a broiler chicken auction which operated from 1952-1969. Hosted in Selbyville and broadcast on three area radio stations, the Exchange played an integral role in the transformation of the Delmarva poultry industry. During this time, the diner featured a bank of telephones along its back wall where poultry auction bids could be placed. The Sturgis family owned the property until 1983, when it was purchased by the Doyle family. An exterior roof was constructed over
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the diner car, and a larger dining room addition expanded the property. The historical integrity of the diner car's interior remains largely intact, with only the vinyl on the booths having been changed. It stands as the oldest operating and best-preserved Silk City diner car in the state.
Erected 2015 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number SC-247.)
Location. 38° 27.553′ N, 75° 14.039′ W. Marker is in Selbyville, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in Baltimore Hundred. It is on Dupont Boulevard (U.S. 113) north of Gumboro Road Extended (County Road 60), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 38218 Dupont Blvd, Selbyville DE 19975, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Delawares Beaches. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, and
2. Woody's Diner Marker in front of Doyles Restaurant
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.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 298 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 18, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
