Lewes Historic District in Sussex County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Stockley-Street House
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Casa Stockley
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 29, 2026
1. The Stockley-Street House / Casa Stockley Marker
The Stockley-Street House
The Stockley-Street House, previously known as the Rabbits Ferry House, was built in the 1740s on the southwest side of Love Creek, in Sussex County, Delaware, by attorney Woodman Stockley II, of Accomack, Virginia, and Mary Stockley (nee Evans). The home occupied one of their three plots of land adjacent to Love Creek, where the Stockleys owned a total of eight plots ranging in size from 110 acres to 550 acres each.
In his 1748 will, Woodman bequeathed to his youngest son, Cornelius, "the dwelling plantation whereon I now live." Cornelius, a successful blacksmith, acquired three additional plots of land by 1760. Cornelius died in 1773, leaving behind his wife, Frances, and four children. Since his eldest daughter, Mary, had passed away, her son, Cornelius Black, received his mother's share of his estate.
Because Cornelius Black was a minor when his grandfather died, it wasn't until 1787 that he inherited the land and "one log dwelling house, 20 ft. x 16 ft. with plank floor above and below with a brick chimney and shingles rough, one other log house 12 x 16 feet a plank floor above
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Cornelius Black, who purchased additional property belonging to an uncle, left behind two tracts of land each inherited by his daughter, Frances Black Gordy, when he died in 1816. Frances and her husband, Elijah, sold the land in 1831 to John Vessels, who continued to use the property containing the Stockley House as a tenant farm from 1816 to 1831. The property passed on to his son, William Fisher Vessels, who called it "Black Farm" after the previous owner, Cornelius Black.
In his 1852 will, Vessels passed Black Farm on to his wife, Charlotte, and his son, Miers, also indicating that the four enslaved people in his inventory become free upon reaching the age of 27 to 28. Miers Burton Vessels took possession of the family land in 1856 but did not live there. He sold the farm in 1870 to Lemuel P. Burton.
The Burton family owned the land from 1870 to 1887, leasing it out to Charles Webb during this period. Purchasing the farm "on which Charles Webb now lives" in 1887, Thomas Robinson owned the property for nine years, passing it on to his son, Benjamin, who then sold the land to the
In 1967 the house was purchased by Dr. James E. Marvil of the Lewes Historical Society, thus saving the home from demolition and moving it to 110 Shipcarpenter Street.
La Casa Stockley, anteriormente conocida como Rabbits Ferry House, fue construida en la década de 1740 en el lado sudoeste de Love Creek, Sussex Co., Delaware. El adinerado abogado Woodman Stockley II, esq., de Accomack, VA, y Mary Stockley (de soltera Evans) construyeron esta casa en una de sus tres parcelas de terreno adyacentes a Love Creek. Woodman y Mary poseían un total de ocho terrenos de entre 110 y 550 acres cada uno.
En su testamento de 1748, Woodman Stockley II esq. legó a su hijo menor, Cornelius, "la plantación donde vivo ahora". Cornelius que trabajó como herrero, encontró un éxito considerable en su vocación adquiriendo tres parcelas de tierra adicionales en 1760. En 1773, Cornelius murió dejando atrás a su esposa, Frances, y cuatro hijos. Su hija mayor, Mary, falleció con anterioridad a la muerte de su padre y fue su hijo, el nieto de Cornelius, Cornelius Black, quien recibió la parte del patrimonio de Mary.
A la muerte de Cornelius Stockley, el joven Cornelius Black era menor de edad. En 1787 le transfirieron las tierras de su abuelo, heredando "una casa de madera de 20 x 16 pies con piso de tablones arriba y abajo con una chimenea de ladrillo y tejas toscas, otra casa de troncos de 12 x 16 pies con piso de tablones arriba y una chimenea de madera y tablillas rugosas". Cornelius Black también compró una parte de la propiedad de sus tíos.
Cornelius Black dejó dos extensiones de tierra después de su muerte en 1816, cada una heredada por su hija, Frances Black Gordy. Frances y su esposo Elijah vendieron la tierra que ella heredó de su padre a John Vessels en 1831. Vessels continuó usando la propiedad que contenía la Casa Stockley como granja alquilada de 1816 a 1831 y acumuló una riqueza considerable como próspero agricultor. La propiedad pasó a su hijo, William Fisher Vessels, quien continuó usando la propiedad como granja, a la que llamó "Black Farm", en honor al propietario anterior Cornelius Black.
En su testamento de 1852, pasó Black Farm a su esposa, Charlotte, y a su hijo, Miers, e indicó que los cuatro esclavos en su inventario quedasen libres al cumplir entre 27 y 28 años. Miers Burton Vessels tomó posesión de la tierra familiar en 1854, pero no vivió en la tierra, vendiéndola el 24 de abril de 1870 a Lemuel P. Burton.
La Familia Burton poseyó la tierra desde 1870 hasta 1887, pero no vivió en la granja, sino que se la alquiló a Charles Webb durante este período. Al comprar la granja "en la que ahora vive Charles Webb" en 1887, Thomas Robinson fue propietario durante nueve años y se la pasó a su hijo, Benjamin, quien luego vendió la tierra a la familia Webb en 1905. George T. Webb, relacionado con el inquilino Charles Webb, vendió la propiedad en 1944 a Joseph L. Street, aunque la familia Webb retuvo la propiedad del terreno en el que se encontraba el cementerio familiar.
En 1967, el Dr. James E. Marvil de la Sociedad Histórica de Lewes compró la casa, quien la salvó de la demolición y le trasladó al 110 de Shipcarpenter Street, donde se encuentra hoy.
Erected by Historic Lewes.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1748.
Location. 38° 46.595′ N, 75° 8.604′ W. Marker is in Lewes, Delaware, in Sussex County. It is in the Lewes Historic District. It is on West 3rd Street west of Shipcarpenter Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 325 W 3rd St, Lewes DE 19958, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, 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: The Plank House / Casa de Tablones (a few steps from this marker); The Doctor's House / Consultorio Médico (a few steps from this marker); Thompson Country Store / Tienda Thompson (a few steps from this marker); The Midway School / Escuela Midway c. 1898 (within shouting distance of this marker); Menhaden Fishing Industry (within shouting distance of this marker); Burton-Ingram House Addition (within shouting distance of this marker); The Burton-Ingram House / Casa Burton-Ingram (within shouting distance of this marker); Votes for Women (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lewes.
Other markers no longer nearby. Thompson Country Store (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Milk House (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
