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A History of Rehoboth Beach: Part II

May 3, 2013

In our first post we looked at the history of Rehoboth Beach from some 12,000 years ago up until its original charter as a city in 1873. In the second part of our blog we’ll take a look at its history from the late 1800s to today - and some of the features of the area that will help you to get the most out of your new Rehoboth Beach Real Estate.

In 1878 the railroad came to Rehoboth Beach, which in turn brought many new visitors to Rehoboth Beach. The times were changing and because of this large influx of people the focus became much more on the “seaside resort” aspects of the area, as opposed to the religious leanings as had been planned by Rev Todd and his followers when the original charter had been set forth only five years earlier. In 1879 the name of the area was shortened to “The Rehoboth Beach Association” – and by 1881 the religious camp meetings that happened every summer had been completely discontinued.

At this time new managers came in and they heavily promoted the area to bring in resort hotels and entertainment venues. While this growth was taking place, the Associations directors began to see the need for a typical style government, even though there were still relatively few permanent, year round residences that had been built. So in 1891, the state of Delaware revoked the original charter that had been granted to Rev. Todd and instituted a regular municipal government which was led by a “Board of Commissioners”. In addition, the new 1891 charter gave the area an entirely new name, “Cape Henlopen City” – which was wildly unpopular right from the beginning. Because of this, in 1898 the Delaware state legislature changed the name to just “Rehoboth”. It wasn’t until 1937, that the name was changed to “The City of Rehoboth Beach” as it is still called to this day.

During the Second World War, Rehoboth Beach played a large role in keeping the shoreline of America safe. Guard towers were built along the coastline to keep an eye out for enemy ships. Civil Air Patrol flew missions searching out German submarines. There was also the Coast Guard Mounted Patrol whose job it was to patrol the beaches on horseback. There was even a warship named the U.S.S. Rehoboth in honor of the town.

Today, Rehoboth Beach likes to call itself “The Nations Summer Capital” because it is a favorite vacation spot for those living in the Washington, D.C. community and surrounding areas. It offers residents and visitors a wide variety of festivals, (e.g., the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, the Rehoboth Beach Autumn Jazz Festival, the Sea Witch Festival), in addition to a year-round professional theater company called the “Clear Space Theatre Company” which offers both dramatic and musical productions at the Rehoboth Theatre of the Arts.

As one can see from its long distinguished history to its modern day festivals and events, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware offers both residents and visitors a great slice a life, just outside of our nations’ capital. Contact a real estate agent with Mann & Sons if you're considering a second or vacation home near Rehoboth Beach.



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Bill Mann

Broker Associate / Owner
Mann & Sons, Inc. REALTORS®
302.542.1696 Cell 302.227.9477 Office
Bill@MannAndSons.com

Originally posted at Mann & Sons, Inc. REALTORS® - Rehoboth Beach Real Estate Blog

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