Saving an Historic Landmark
The Bethesda Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1879 to replace an older chapel. This rural country church is an excellent example of the Greek Revival style of architecture. Although it was . . . — — Map (db m198870) HM
In 1801 there was a great revival of religion amoung the residents of the area. The growing appeal of the Methodist movement resulted in hundreds of new members for the church. A class was formed in the Laurel area, and in 1802 a church was . . . — — Map (db m11816) HM
In the fall of 1831, Reverend Thomas Pearson came to Laurel to assist with the establishment of a Methodist Protestant congregation in the community. With its founding, the church became one of the first of this denomination in Delaware. Early . . . — — Map (db m4430) HM
On June 6, 1890, Benjamin H. Elliot and his wife, Sarah Ann Hastings Elliot, donated this land and building materials for the construction of Epworth Methodist Episcopal Church. They had previously donated land for the site of Sycamore Public . . . — — Map (db m284941) HM
From Ironworks to Gristmills
Many of the ponds in this area, including Trap Pond, were created in the late 1700s. The earliest dams were built to produce waterpower for ironworks. The waterpower ran bellows for furnaces that created iron . . . — — Map (db m291637) HM
On June 23, 1800, a charter was issued by the
Grand Lodge of Maryland for Lodge No. 31 in
“Laurel Town.” The first Worshipful Master of
the Lodge was Jesse Green (1766-1834). A Maryland
native who moved to Delaware in the 1790s, he
was a . . . — — Map (db m60600) HM
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 . . . — — Map (db m200985) HM
The origin of this congregation can be traced to the formation of a local society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1842. Known as the Oak Grove Society, the group held its first meetings in an old dwelling that was located approximately one-half . . . — — Map (db m245584) HM
This site was originally part of a tract known as "Bachelor's Delight". From 1711 to 1768 it was included in a 3,000 acre Nanticoke Indian Reservation, authorized by an act of the Maryland Assembly. A village known as "Laurel" existed as early as . . . — — Map (db m4423) HM
Dedicated to the honor of and in loving memory of the victims of the April 7, 2005 shooting
Jamell Weston (10-3-80 to 4-7-05) •
Davondale "Pete" Peters (8-24-76 to 4-7-05) •
Marcus Cannon •
Carla Green •
Marsha Hankerson •
Anthony . . . — — Map (db m164970) HM
The origin of this church can be traced to the organization of a local society of Methodists in 1778. The first meetings of the group, then known as the Broad Creek Society, were held in the homes of its members. On October 19, 1779, Methodist . . . — — Map (db m60624) HM
This congregation was organized in 1809. Services were held in a structure that was first known as Elzey Moore's Meeting House, and later renamed Wesley Chapel. With the closing of Wesley in 1852, the congregation was divided. On January 8, 1853, . . . — — Map (db m4539) HM
This Federalist served as the governor of Delaware between 1805-1808. He was born in Laurel in 1752, attended Old Christ Church, and is buried in this churchyard. Mitchell was commissioned as adjutant of militia 1775, promoted captain in 1776, and . . . — — Map (db m39779) HM
First native son of Laurel to be Governor of Delaware 1805-1808
Hero of the Revolution 1775-1781
Member, Continental Congress 1786-1788. — — Map (db m61107) HM WM
Established on Broad Creek in 1770 as a "Chapel of Ease" of Stepney Parish, Maryland on land purchased by a levy of 80,000 pounds of tobacco. Building completed by Robert Holston in 1772 at a cost of £510. — — Map (db m39778) HM
Once Common, Now Rare
The Bethesda Methodist Episcopal Church is a quiet reminder of the past. It may be hard to imagine now, but this was a central religious and community gathering site for 150 years. By the late 1800s, the church . . . — — Map (db m198868) HM
The Paul Laurence Dunbar School educated African American students in Laurel in grades 1-11 from 1921-1965. Constructed as part of philanthropist Pierre S. du Pont's school rebuilding program, the Dunbar School replaced a small wood-framed school in . . . — — Map (db m198843) HM
The roots of local Methodism can be traced to the
late 18th century, when Bishop Francis Asbury and
others visited this area to spread the message of
their faith. By the 1820s there was a growing
movement within the Methodist Episcopal . . . — — Map (db m60465) HM
In 1865 the Maryland Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church established a “mission” or charge circuit in southwestern Sussex County. At the time local members of that faith were holding meetings in Sharp’s school, a one room school house . . . — — Map (db m168193) HM
For more than a quarter century, Senator Venables was an admired and influential legislator, serving 26 years in the Delaware General Assembly. During his many years as the co-chair of the state's Bond Bill Committee, he was able to garner . . . — — Map (db m198862) HM
This property contributes to the
Laurel
Historic District
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
1988
[Additional plaque on the grounds of the house:]
Shepard
House
Circa 1840, 1900
"Wisteria . . . — — Map (db m165014) HM
In the 1830s the oldest portion of this structure, a one-room house, is believed to have been built. The house was enlarged significantly in the 1850s with the addition of a slightly taller story-and-a-half center portion and a full two-story . . . — — Map (db m164980) HM
Trussum Pond
Tranquil waters trapped by a grist mill dam in the early nineteenth century made Trussum Pond a haven for the bald cypress. However, the trees now seen dotting the pond's surface are all that remain of a once extensive . . . — — Map (db m4540) HM
In 1865, Reverend Isaac Adkins of the
Methodist Protestant Church began to
conduct services in Dorothy School House.
The congregation was formally organized
the following year. Meetings continued
to be held in the school until 1873,
when . . . — — Map (db m61577) HM
Dedicated in memory of all U.S. Veterans
[Additional plaque on the grounds of the fountain:]
Eagle Scout Project
Dedicated to all the men and women in the United States Military Services who have faithfully served and those that . . . — — Map (db m164972) WM
Here was Laurel's ancient "Wading Place", a ford for Native Americans and colonial settlers. Broad Creek crosses this fall in its flow to the Nanticoke River and Chesapeake Bay. For centuries, the Nanticoke Indians, an Algonquin people, lived in the . . . — — Map (db m11817) HM
Trap Pond was created in the late 1700s to power a small water mill.
Today the pond is a prime feature of this park—Delaware's first state park. Spanning about 3,800 acres, the park protects part of the ancient Great Cypress Swamp and . . . — — Map (db m198860) HM
