Things To Do in Port Penn, Delaware

The Annual Report of the Light-House Board for 1900 records the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' plan to improve the Delaware River shipping channel "from a point nearly opposite Appoquinimink Creek, Delaware, [north] to deep water above ... More on LighthouseFriends.com

Inscription. Left Panel Local Goods, Global Markets: In the changing economy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small towns looked for ways to survive. Port Penn's livelihood depended on exporting local agricultural goods ... More on HMDB

Inscription. Left Panel Sacred Spaces in Secular Places: Two congregations formed in Port Penn. Members of the Presbyterian Church were primarily of European descent and dominated the local economy and society. The congregation of ... More on HMDB

Inscription. Left Panel, Mail Order Houses: Buildings ordered from Sears, Roebuck and Company came as a complete set of pre-cut lumber for assembly on-site. The company's "Honor-Bilt" system allowed buyers to erect homes at relatively ... More on HMDB

Inscription. Left Panel, Changing Times in Port Penn: Following construction of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (c.1829) a few miles to the north, major shipping began to bypass Port Penn. The town still managed to provide local ... More on HMDB

Inscription. Left Panel Flemish Bond: Strength and Beauty: The handsome brick pattern on the Stewart House is common on early 18th-century buildings. Flemish bond is achieved by overlapping bricks like a woven fabric. Although a labor-intensive ... More on HMDB

In 1905, the legislatures of New Jersey and Delaware felt compelled to define the line of demarcation between the Delaware River and Bay. Three commissioners were selected from each state, and by the following year they had agreed ... More on LighthouseFriends.com

Inscription. In 1875, Congress approved funding to build several lighthouses along this segment of the Delaware River. This site was purchased in April 1876, and by December the Port Penn Front Range Light was completed. Constructed ... More on HMDB

Inscription. Left Panel The European Markets: Port Penn once figured prominently in world markets. As the supply of beaver fur in the American West declined, European demand for quality fur remained high. toward the end of the 19th ... More on HMDB

Inscription. Port Penn is a community connected to its wetland landscape. Seasonal changes bring about changes in the lifestyles of Port Penners themselves. Autumn waterfowl hunting and winter muskrat trapping lead into spring shad ... More on HMDB