Milton and Lewes

As can be seen in the pictures that are included in this posting, Milton and Lewes are definitely older incorporated areas than we have lived in before. The pictures do not really show how old some of the buildings are and it is hard to get that perspective with the camera. The buildings are so close together and the streets are so narrow that is difficult to show. We are so new here that we have have not gotten into the history as we should. Some points to note here: 1) Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution (thus the designation, The First State) on December 7, 1787; 2) Lewes was founded in 1631 is recognized as the The First Town in the First State; 3) Milton also has a long history (founded in 1672) and is know for shipbuilding in its early days. We look forward to learning more about the pirates who visited Lewes as well as how the various wars of the Republic's early days impacted Milton.

This house is just one many that line the main streets here in Milton. As you can see they are placed very closed to the street and are also not very deep. This is possibly a townhouse by looking at the two entrances but the bay window might indicate a conversion to a single family dwelling.

I took this picture to give you some idea of how narrow the street is. I am directly across the street from the house and cannot get it all in the frame. The street, by the way, is the main street in Milton.

When I see old house like this I wonder who has lived there and what ran in the imaginations of those who lived there. I like the roof and window lines of this house.

I should probably note that we took these pictures on November 30 and it was over 70 degrees outside.

Just to get some perspective, this picture was taken looking straight up the street. It is disappointing in that it does not begin to show the uniqueness of the buildings or their historic impact. But, you can get an idea of just how narrow the street is -- only wide enough for one lane in each direction with no parking. You would definitely have to yield to a large truck.

We had lunch in Lewes on the day these pictures were taken. Lewes is so quaint and it is fun to walk around there. However, the tourist trade is a little too evident here. On winter days it is not so evident but it is hard to find a parking space and there is no doubt that the tourist or wealthy part time resident are the target market.

That said, Lewes is wonderful and we had a great lunch. We will have many more days to ponder and discover the whole area we now call home.