In 1773, the first well and water power plant in Lewes was completed. The town was named Lewes after the Roman God meaning “lee” which means well. Lewesplain was the first town planned on a straight line with a specific purpose.
Lewesplain was unique, as Lewes Town was never built at an elevation. Port Lewes was always on aewday, because of the trade winds, and the barges, large ships, and the rowboats, would often not venture out beyond the deepen draft of the harbor.
The Lewes Indians occupied part of the town from as early as 1682, when Pedro Menino claimed the land inputed, then the Dutch also had claimed some land. Seneca, Camone, Suriname, and missions were all installed on the island by the Dutch and were all eventually taken over by the English.
Two of the missions were destroyed by the Indians, the Presqui’ent Church and the St. Francis Xavier Mission. The Presqui’ent Church was a simple structure with no towers, but the bell tower was built almost vertically down the side of the hill, where it was miraculously survived the devastating siege of 1650. The tower miraculously remained standing and standing until the town of Lewes was destroyed by an earthquake in 1698.
Hastings, the first capital of the colony, was Lewes.
In 1834, almost the entire population of Lewes was moved to the town of Lewes in their most vulnerable condition, as the town had been demolished by the retreating indians. In 1873, the ferry and the ferry boat line were restored, and the now restored Lewes Academy was founded.
There was a thriving timber business in Lewes until the arrival of the railroad in 1874, when the industry died out as the mills turned to growing crops such sugarcane and tobacco.
The sea started coming in and took away much of the timber. By the early 1900’s, the little tree farms were destroyed as they were no longer needed.
The sea has always been a draw for the town of Lewes. In 1876, the British surprised the Americans by sailing off to the south, and landed three times. Since then, every year thousands of visitors from around the world have come to Lewes. Each of these visitors brought with them their own little Lewes twists.
Just like at the beach, there is a beach and then there is the beach. Just like in Jersey, you get great surf and great sand. In Lewes, you get a lot of sand.
The little snaking beach off of Washington Street was, at one time, a lovely fine beach. It is now, at best, a good beach since they had to do a lot of
sewage cleanup near me. The little tidal stream that flows in easily has moved the sands some distance inland. Much of the beach is in a state of roughudin, as the tidal waters lap twice a month. You can at times walk right across the sand and water and sometimes get yourself into the surf. The surf is not to deep, but it is wide. You can walk inches deep into the surf when the tide is low. However, the tide is generally higher at this beach than at any other beach.
Many years ago, there was a great effort to create a grandiose beach resort off the northwest edge of Lewes. The plan worked well for many of the hotels and the resorts. However, the ocean has always been too strong for that plan. Today, you can only see the ruins of Lewes Castle.
So you can only walk right up to the castle from the beach. There is not good sight seeing until you get yourself above the surf. From the castle view, you can see the surf crashing on to the shore below. The view is postcard perfect. Unfortunately, the castle walls are very steep so it is hard to see anything other than the sea when you are walking on the walls. The tide never goes out. In fact, you can only see your foot as you walk on the beach. The view is great, but the walk is difficult. It is important to know that you are actually walking on sand. The walk is made only of sand. Therefore, wear comfortable footwear. If you do not have sandals, bring some rubber sandals. You do not want your feet to get tired!
Lewes is a great place to visit. You can stay at a hotel right on the ocean, or you can find a secluded resort. Whatever you do, be sure to get the best hotel and resort packages. Do not forget to take your camera! There are plenty of beaches in the area, but this one is by far the best. So give yourself plenty of time to visit and explore!