LEWES BLOCK HOUSE POND

LEWES BLOCK HOUSE POND

Journal of the Lewes Historical Society, Volume IV, November 2001 by Hazel Brittingham

A natural feature found on early plots and maps of Lewes is Blockhouse Pond and was

the south end of of Market Street, Mulberry Street, and Shipcarpenter Street. It was about an

eighteen acre spread.

In the mid 1930's is was drained by the CCC to curb the mosquito infestation around

Lewes. It was restored in 1976 when Blockhouse Pond Park was established for recreational

activities and also serve as an emergency water supply. Lewes Community Platground was set

in 1994 at the NW corner.

Today the eleven acre area is surrounded by residences, the Bethel Methodist Cemetery,

Beebe Medical Center and public school property. A near property of Beebe, the old convalescent

center, sits on what was known as Frog Hill which it is said git the name from the bull frogs

serenading in the pond.

Way back, 1670, Lewes folk request of the English Governor, Sir Francis Lovelace, to

make use of discarded materials of a deteriorated fort on the bank of the creek to build a forty

foot square 'blockhouse' in the middle of town, thus giving the name to the pond and the area.

In the late 1600's county deeds and records used the names 'block house field' and

'block house pond' to identify adjoining property.

During the War of 1812 is is recorded that 500 troop were encamped at Blockhouse Pond

and when bombardment took place, women and children of Lewes sought refuge in the Blockhouse.

Blockhouse Pond also held the towns reserve of ice harvested in winter in addition to a fine skating rendezvous.

Wilmington Morning News, Thursday, February 8, 1912

Lewes, Delaware Pond Filled With Skaters:

Block House Pond , almost a hallowed spot in the memory of every boy and girl who ever lived in

Lewes, is the scene of gayety these days when throngs of skaters and ice boats make merry all day.

Wilmington Evening Journal, Friday, September 3,, 1915

Lewes, Delaware Lewes Talks of Playground

Lewes residents are in to forming a movement to purchase the old block house pond in back of the

Union School of Lewes, fill it in, and make a playground of it. The majority of the pond is owned

by Lewes and the rest by private individuals. Since the pond is dry at this time of year it is

considered a good time to fill it in.

In a 1903 Wilmington News Journal it is reported that blockhouse Pond host free ice skating'

Also a 1913 New Journal reports that very early on St. Peters Episcopal Church of Lewes

owned land up to Blockhouse Pond.

A 1922 Wilmington New Journal reports that the Lewes Civic Club at their Monday night

meeting discussed the filling in of Blockhouse Pond and met with approval. Dr. Hiram H. Burton,

gave a very interesting talk regarding the pond which is ten acres or more and would be of

considerable value if reclaimed.

Wilmington New Journal, Tuesday, July 3, 1934

Block House Pond, Old Lewes Landmark, Passes in War With Mosquitoes

Lewes Delaware, July 3 'Special',

Another landmark, Block House Pond, has passed on. Once a beautiful rendezvous to early

colonists back to the latter part of the 17^th century but of late years has become a stagnant

mosquito harbor and a menace to the town, has been drained by the Lewes CCC Camp. It took

four hundred foot of ditches to drain the pond which is close to the Beebe Hospital and the Lewes

High School.

It has served the town's history well, in 1670 a block house was built of bricks and logs salvaged

from an old fort on the Lewes Creek. , was a refuge during the War of 1812 bombardment, during

which Mrs Elizabeth Ann Marshall, of the Lewes Marshall family, was born, cradled in corn fodder

and lullabied by the cannon roar, and lived to be 99 years of age.

1700's and 1800's, it was a favorite rendezvous for the Lewes young people, with lilies and

clear water in summer and ice for skating in the winters. There were ice houses upon the banks to

store ice from winter for the summers. 1920 saw the last of ice skating as dried undergrowth and

12 foot high cat tails took over and the pond became a stagnant mosquito incuabator.

It is thought that Mulberry and Market streets will be continued through and a new residential section

will emerge.

Wilmington Morning News, Monday, August 13, 1934

CCC workers from Lewes Camp, under the direction of the Mosquito Control Commission, are

draining the bog that was once Whites Pond, on the opposite side of town from Blockhouse Pond ,

which was once a beautiful body of water.

Wilmington News Journal, Wednesday, February 13, 1935

The draining of Block House Pond Lewes is without an ice skating rink, however, a new

improved rink in the rear of the CCC Camp will soon be available for skaters. The CCC officers

and men decided that they and the town needs a skating pond and have blocked up a lake like 'depression' along the railroad near the camp, which will soon be filled with enough water to make

a safe skating rink.

Wilmington Morning News, Friday, November 12, 1937

Beebe Hospital Patients Alarmed At Cat of Nine Tail Fire

Lewes,, November 11, 1937:

Ten acres of blazing cat of nine tails at Block House Pond provided the most spectacular fire

here in many years. The frame house of Charles West who is confined to bed by an illness was

endangered and patients of Beebe Hospital were excited by the flames, as were students at the high

school near by.

The flames from the pond foliage sent large clouds of yellow smoke and ashes over half the town.

The fire started by a Beebe employee burning a trash pile which was fanned by high winds quickly

spread to adjacent marsh lands which took Lewes Volunteer Fire Company six hours to bring under

control.

Wilmington Morning News, Friday, December 23, 1938

Hospital Annex Threatened as Wind Fans Blaze of Block House Pond

A burning morass of cat of nine tails on the dry bed of Block House Pond threatened the new

$100,000 annex of Beebe Hospital as high winds flames over 20 acres before firemen brought

them under control . Dense smoke from the blaze covered most of he town of Lewes all day.

Alton Brittingham of the fire company thinks the fire was set by hunters to drive pheasants and

rabbits out of the cat tales. It took two hours to bring the fire under control but not before it had spread across the dry grass of the Methodist Cemetery to the state highway.

Abstract by Harrison H. March 1, 2018, Nassau, Delaware.