After about 40 years overlooking Route 1 outside Lewes, the former Delaware State Police Troop 7 building has been demolished.

Work started earlier this week, and crews were still on hand the morning of June 5. It had been clear something was in the works for a few weeks, as the grass had not been cut recently and dumpsters have been on site.

The building opened in early 1983 and served as home to Troop 7 until a new facility opened off Mulberry Knoll Road in December 2019. After the state police moved to the new facility, the building briefly served as a Code Purple homeless shelter, but otherwise it’s been vacant for nearly five years.

The property included a 6,000-square-foot, two-story, modular building, and a detached garage. It’s located on the southbound side of Route 1 outside Lewes, near the signal at the intersection with Wescoats Road. The property is surrounded by what’s left of the woods where the Ebenezer Branch of Canary Creek and Pot Hook Creek meet.

The state police have been contacted for a comment on the future of the property, but a response was not immediately forthcoming.