Saturday, May 25, 2019

YEAR - ROUND HOMES OF HENLOPEN


HISTORY OF CAPE HENLOPEN AND BEYOND

YEAR - ROUND HOMES GAINING IN REHOBOTH


Rehoboth Beach is being more and more an all year residence to many
Washington retirees. Tall pines and surf breakers are one of the “ draws” we hear
time and time again from those 'settling' here. A country atmosphere, tall trees, pine,
oak, dogwood and holy a stones throw to the surf of the Atlantic Ocean which makes
Rehoboth unique.
Colonial antique homes are preserved here and if not found here are sought out in the Sussex County countryside, dragged, piece by piece, to a new location at the beach, restored with the greatest of care to become home. An example, at the Corkrans
Homestead, is the century's old Paynter family home added to the old Marsh Family
homestead , granddaddy to them all, built in 1743 by Peter Marsh, yeoman. This home
is home to Colonel and Mrs Wilbur Sherman Corkran.
The Steerett family found their Gum family ancestors home, built 1806, 20 miles away, at Frankford, moved it to 23 Henlopen Avenue , in six pieces, and over six weeks
had it in Rehoboth. Their children are a sixth generation to make it their home. The structure today is much the same as it was when built, foundation beams, original unfinished
logs of nearby forest, 20 inch wide floor boards. The handmade fireplace bricks came to
Rehoboth in bushel baskets. The grandfather's old physician's counter with the stacked
medicine bottles and pill boxes is now the happy hour cocktail bar.
The Prew Savoy summer home, 71 Henlopen Avenue, also has colonial charm,
named 'Chez Savoy'. It was moved from Indian River, set in a nest of trees and shrubs ,
is said to have been the first country post office in the state.
Another 1948 rehabilitation, Pine Reach Henlopen Acres, Dr. & Mrs Radford
Brown, from Washington, has original cypress shingles, wide pine floors, early hardware
and dentil moulding and chair rails, also dated 1743.

Abstract: Wednesday, 13 October 1948, Wilmington Morning News, by Virginia
Cullen.

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