Historic schoolhouse almost ready for Railroad Era Rehoboth diorama

The model of Rehoboth’s first schoolhouse for “colored” students has recently been completed, just in time for the conclusion of Black History Month. It is ready for positioning on historian Paul Lovett’s miniature village diorama of Railroad Era Rehoboth. The scene will include the canal and nearby industrial areas, and the site just west of Rehoboth Beach town limits where the original schoolhouse was located.

This replica building for the diorama is sponsored by Caroline and Haywood Miller. The original structure (circa 1900) was located at the intersection of Oyster House Road and the road to Lewes that is now Route 1. Today, the location is occupied by Blue Rock Financial Group, just across Oyster House Road from a late 1800s cemetery. The schoolhouse and the cemetery were both actively operating during that time period, and a few cemetery stones are still evident today. 

The diorama itself is a multi-year project to replicate Rehoboth Avenue during its railroad era, which lasted 85 years. The miniature village is now on display in the atrium at Rehoboth Beach City Hall; for details about the project, go to goldenageofrehoboth.com. While the diorama can be viewed on weekdays during regular city hall hours, it is best experienced by making an appointment with Paul Lovett, the creator. He organizes free, informal, small-group presentations of the display and invites anyone interested to schedule a time, bring their coffee, see the scenes up close and hear the stories.

The diorama now features more than 100 exact replicas of the buildings that existed along Rehoboth Avenue during the railroad era. All main buildings are lighted. Visitors can watch the train come up the Avenue, see the merry-go-round rotate, smell the power plant smoke, enjoy the seagulls’ cries and hear the bell toll from Scott’s Chapel. Contact Lovett by emailing paul@pdlovett.com or calling 302-893-9391 to schedule a time to see the display.