Historic marker dedication at VIA children’s fishing pier set April 27

The Delaware Public Archives will honor the Village Improvement Association with an historic marker to be dedicated at 4 p.m., Friday, April 27 beside the Lake Gerar bridge in Rehoboth Beach. The marker commemorates the 1963 VIA project to build a children’s fishing pier near the bridge.

The public is invited, and reservations must be made by contacting Valerie Evans at valeva1@msn.com by Monday, April 23.

To build the children’s fishing pier, the VIA used remnants from the boardwalk and buildings destroyed during the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962. Sustained high storm winds relentlessly whipped the shore for three days. The VIA Clubhouse was severely damaged in the storm, and there was total devastation surrounding it.

The VIA women felt a gentle, positive memorial should be made from the storm remnants. City of Rehoboth management offered to gather material unusable for other repairs and use it to build a fishing pier for children and families. The VIA members, in spite of the heavy cost to repair their own clubhouse, voted to underwrite the labor cost for the fishing pier construction by city public works staff, estimated at $600. The pier was placed by the Lake Gerar bridge not far from the VIA Clubhouse.

The fishing pier was scheduled for demolition when the new brick bridge was built over the lake in 2007, but the VIA successfully petitioned city leaders to keep it, and it remains in use for children of all ages to enjoy.

Founded in 1909, the VIA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the Cape Henlopen community through volunteer service and financial support.