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Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

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Rehoboth Beach (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is a city on the Atlantic Ocean along the Delaware Beaches in eastern Sussex County, Delaware, United States. As of 2020, its population was 1,108.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Along with the neighboring coastal town of Lewes, Rehoboth Beach is one of the principal cities of Delaware's rapidly growing Cape Region. Rehoboth Beach lies within the Salisbury metropolitan area.

As a popular, affluent vacation destination, especially for the communities of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, Rehoboth Beach has many summer homes, including one owned by 46th U.S. President Joe Biden. During on-season, Rehoboth Beach's population expands to over 25,000 within the city limits and thousands more in the surrounding area in the summer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2011, the NRDC awarded Rehoboth Beach with a 5-Star rating in water quality. This award was given only to 12 other locations, one being neighboring Dewey Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Out of the 30 states with coastline, the Delaware Beaches ranked number one for water quality in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

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File:Rehoboth Beach historical marker.jpg
Historical marker of Rehoboth Beach's history, located in Rehoboth Beach
File:Air view of Rehoboth Beach and boardwalk from the south, Rehoboth Beach, Del (63081).jpg
Rehoboth Beach in the 1930s

Colonial era

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Template:Further By the time the first Europeans arrived in the area in the 17th century, the coastline was at its present location and several Native American Indian tribes lived in the area, including the Lenape, the Sikkonese, the Assateagues, and the Nanticoke. The site was the location of what may have been the most important Native American fishing village on the Middle Atlantic coast, including at Wilgus Site, a prehistoric shell midden archeological location, which is now inundated.<ref>Jordan, Francis, Jr. 1906. Aboriginal Fishing Stations on the Coast of the Middle Atlantic States. Lancaster, Penn. Press of the New Era Printing Company, p. 25</ref>

Pressure from English and Dutch settlers radiating outward from Cape Henlopen near Lewes, Delaware at the entrance to Delaware Bay forced the Lenape to migrate to upper New York state, eastern Canada, and eventually to the west in Indian Territory (later formed Oklahoma, Kansas, parts of Arkansas) while the Sikkonese and Assateagues were extirpated; the Nanticoke, however, still exist in the general area today.

The land later came under the control of the Duke of York, younger brother of King Charles II who also seized and occupied in 1664 the Dutch colony further north at the mouth of the Hudson River on Manhattan Island and adjacent Long Island as New Netherland with Fort Amsterdam and the village of New Amsterdam followed by the previous Swedish colony on the upper Delaware River at Fort Christina and New Sweden, which the Dutch attacked and occupied several years earlier. These later became part of the English and later British America colonies/provinces of New York state and New York town along with renamed Wilmington and New Castle along the Delaware River as part of the colonial Province of Pennsylvania and later in the future state of Delaware. Later, the Duke granted holdings to various landholders who endured into the 18th century, and ultimately ascended to the English throne as King James II of England and also James VII of Scotland.

Rehoboth (Template:Langx) means "broad spaces." It appears three times in the Old Testament as a place name — a well dug by Isaac (at modern Wadi er-Ruheibeh) (Genesis 26:22), a city on the Euphrates River (Genesis 36:37; I Chronicles 1:48), and one of the cities of Asshur (Genesis 10:11) in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). Hence the name may have had a special appeal for the religious founders of the city, although the adjacent bay had already borne the name Rehoboth for at least a century before the town was founded.<ref>Leiste, Christian (1778). Beschreibung des Brittischen Amerika zur Ersparung der englischen Karten, p. 312; retrieved through Google Books</ref>

19th century

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By the mid-19th century, the descendants of these landholders were farmers attempting to make a living off the relatively poor sandy infertile land.<ref>Meehan, p. 19</ref> The town was founded in 1873 as the Rehoboth Beach Camp Meeting Association by the Rev. Robert W. Todd, of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church of Wilmington, Delaware, as a site for Methodist Episcopal Church camp meetings in the spirit of similar resorts further north on the New Jersey shore, such as Ocean Grove. The Camp Meeting Association disbanded in 1881, and in 1891, the location was incorporated by the General Assembly of Delaware (state legislature) as "Cape Henlopen City". In 1893, it was renamed to Rehoboth Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The first boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach was constructed in 1873 and has seen changes in configuration from weather and storms over the years.<ref name=aboutrehoboth/> The Junction and Breakwater Railroad constructed a line from Lewes south to Rehoboth Beach in 1878, running down the center of today's Rehoboth Avenue. The arrival of the railroad allowed visitors to come in from northern Delaware and Pennsylvania and its cities and towns, leading to the beginning of Rehoboth Beach as a tourist destination.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the railroad came to Rehoboth Beach, the center of camp meetings and city life moved to nearby Baltimore Avenue. The original Henlopen Hotel opened in 1879, being replaced with another hotel of the same name on the current site.

20th century

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File:BidenRehobothHome.jpg
The beach house of U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in the North Shores neighborhood outside the corporate limits of Rehoboth Beach, which serves as their Summer White House.
File:RainbowcrossingRehoboth.png
A rainbow crossing in Rehoboth Beach, meant to celebrate the LGBT community.
File:Rehoboth Beach boardwalk at Delaware Avenue looking north.jpeg
Rehoboth Beach boardwalk looking north at Delaware Avenue
File:Rehoboth Beach looking north at Delaware Avenue August 2021.jpeg
Rehoboth Beach looking north at Delaware Avenue

A paved highway was built by the state between Georgetown and Rehoboth Beach in 1925, which helped bring in travelers from the west in the metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; other parts of Maryland; and Northern Virginia.<ref name=aboutrehoboth>Template:Cite web</ref>

From 1942 to 1943, Rehoboth Beach Airport served as a base, designated as Coastal Patrol Base 2, for volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol, who flew aerial patrols using civilian aircraft in support of Army and Navy anti-submarine operations during the Battle of the Atlantic. Two CAP airmen, Captain Hugh R. Sharp of Greenville, Delaware and First Lieutenant Edmond Edwards of Newark, Delaware, would go on to be the first civilians to receive the Air Medal after a search and rescue mission on July 21, 1942, where they rescued one crewmember of another CAP aircraft which crashed at sea.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Rehoboth Beach Airport shut down in 1987 and Rehoboth Shores Estates Community now stands on the former grounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Delaware Public Archives placed a historical marker on the site of the former airport commemorating Coastal Patrol Base 2 in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

21st century

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Avery's Rest Site, Dodd Homestead, Peter Marsh House, Thompson's Loss and Gain Site, Thompsons Island Site, Warrington Site, and Woman's Christian Temperance Union Fountain are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, maintained by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior.<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref>

The town often bills itself as "The Nation's Summer Capital" because it is a frequent summer vacation destination for Washington, D.C., residents as well as visitors from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Vacationers are drawn for many reasons, including the town's charm and the absence of a sales tax in Delaware. The Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk is a Template:Convert long wooden boardwalk adjacent to the beach with restaurants, shops, amusements, and attractions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Funland amusement park, which opened in 1962, is located along the boardwalk between Delaware and Brooklyn avenues.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Several restaurants and shops are located along the town's main street, Rehoboth Avenue. Outside of Rehoboth Beach along Delaware Route 1, are the Tanger Outlets, which operate three locations along the highway with over 130 outlet stores.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., Rehoboth Beach is a popular summer destination among members of the United States Congress. Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, and First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, have a beach house outside the corporate limits of Rehoboth Beach in the North Shores neighborhood.<ref name=wp112720>Template:Cite news</ref> This beach house serves as their "Summer White House".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rehoboth Beach has a seasonal beach patrol who are in charge of lifeguarding the one and a half miles that make up the town's beachfront. They operate from Memorial Day weekend into the following fall season. The beach patrol is on duty every day between Memorial Day until Labor Day from 10 am until 5 pm on weekdays, and 10 am until 5:30 pm on weekends.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rehoboth Beach is also known as one of the mid-Atlantic coast's popular LGBT-friendly getaways. LGBT tourists have been visiting and residing in the town for generations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, the movement toward becoming gay-friendly began with the town's culinary Renaissance in the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The visible presence of more LGBT people during this era and the resulting community backlash coincided with the national AIDS crisis and the Moral Majority.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> During the 1990s, a coterie of gay and lesbian activists challenged the town's anti-gay policies and sentiments to Create A More Positive Rehoboth (CAMP).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Through this organization's efforts as well as that other groups, two openly gay town commissioners the following decade and the town's position on LBGT issues changed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Today, there are a large number of LGBT-owned and operated businesses; LGBT people are well-represented in town governance. Summer activities include going to the LGBT-frequented stretch of beach near Queen Street at the south end of the boardwalk, known as Poodle Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Katy Rice, 'Across the Pond', in Sussex Society, September 2011, p. 29</ref> Poodle Beach tends to attract gay men while North Shore Beach within Cape Henlopen State Park tends to attract lesbians.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The Rehoboth Beach Bandstand is located on Rehoboth Avenue near the boardwalk and serves as a free open-air music and entertainment venue in the summer months, with performances from over 50 bands during the season. Performances have been held at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand since 1963.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reader's Digest named the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk as "Best of America" and featured it in the May 2006 issue. Additionally, AARP has named Rehoboth Beach as one of five dream towns as "Best Places to Retire".<ref>Sarah Mahoney. Dream Towns. August 8, 2006. AARP.</ref>

The town has several festivals including the Sea Witch Festival, the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Rehoboth Beach Autumn Jazz Festival<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> every year.

The Clear Space Theatre Company, a professional theater company, offers a year-round schedule of musical and dramatic productions in the Rehoboth Theatre of the Arts.

Dogfish Head Brewery's original brewpub is located on the town's main strip Rehoboth Avenue. The location has grown in years as a popular destination for American craft beer enthusiasts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Grotto Pizza was founded in Rehoboth Beach in 1960 and has grown to 23 locations throughout the state of Delaware along with parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania.<ref name=history>Template:Cite web</ref>

The restaurant scene in Rehoboth Beach was traditionally centered in the downtown area, which remains competitive. In the 21st century, a restaurant scene has begun to develop along the Delaware Route 1 corridor, where parking is more available and accessible.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2011, the city passed a smoking ban covering parks and playgrounds, but sparing the beach and boardwalk.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The smoking ban was extended to the beach, boardwalk, and adjacent public areas in 2014. In 2017, the city implemented a ban on tents, canopies, and large umbrellas on the beach, the first such ban in Delaware.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

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File:Rehoboth Beach at Delaware Avenue.JPG
A view of the beach at Delaware Avenue

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (28.48%) is water. Rehoboth Beach is bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the town of Henlopen Acres, and on the west and south by unincorporated portions of Sussex County. Cape Henlopen State Park lies just to the north of Rehoboth Beach, and Dewey Beach is just to its south.<ref name="ReferenceA">ADC Sussex County, Delaware Street Map Book, 1st Edition.</ref>

Climate

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File:Rehoboth Beach looking north at Wilmington Avenue August 2018.jpeg
Rehoboth Beach looking north at Wilmington Avenue

Situated on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Rehoboth Beach's climate is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean and the Rehoboth Bay. According to both the Köppen climate classification and Trewartha climate classification systems, Rehoboth Beach has a humid subtropical climate with hot and moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation (Köppen: Cfa, Trewartha: Cfak). During the summer months in Rehoboth Beach, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C).

The highest air temperature ever recorded in Rehoboth Beach was Template:Convert on June 21, 1997.<ref>"Rehoboth Beach Historic Weather Averages in Delaware (19971): June". Intellicast. The Weather Company, LLC. Retrieved May 23, 2017.</ref> During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< -18 °C). The plant hardiness zone in Rehoboth Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of Template:Convert.<ref name="USDA">Template:Cite web</ref> The lowest temperature ever recorded in Rehoboth Beach was Template:Convert on January 17, 1982.<ref>"Rehoboth Beach Historic Weather Averages in Delaware (19971): January". Intellicast. The Weather Company, LLC. Retrieved May 23, 2017.</ref> The average seasonal (Nov–Apr) snowfall total is Template:Convert and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity. Large amounts of snowfall are infrequent, but recent significant snowstorms include Template:Convert of snowfall on February 24, 1989,<ref>Fehr, Stephen C; Meyer, Eugene L. "Selective Storm Prefers to Winter at the Beach; Coastal Areas Buried in Snow, but D.C., Baltimore Are Spared Brunt of Blizzard". The Washington Post. February 25, 1989. p. B3.</ref> Template:Convert of snowfall on February 3, 1996,<ref>McFadden, Robert D. "Winter of '96: The Overview: Winter Again Attacks Northeast With Less Snow but Worse Cold". The New York Times. February 4, 1996, p. 1</ref> and Template:Convert of snowfall on December 26, 2010.

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Ecology

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According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware has a dominant vegetation type of Oak/Hickory/Pine (111) with a dominant vegetation form of Southern Mixed Forest (26).<ref name="Conservation Biology Institute">Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

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Template:US Census population

As of the U.S. Census Bureau 2021 estimateTemplate:Cnthere were 1,392 people residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,167 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 96.16% White, 0% African American, 0% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 3.02% from other races, and 0.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 0.13% of the population.

There were 847 households, out of which 6.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were married couples living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.4% were non-families. 47.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.76 and the average family size was 2.04.

In the city, 7.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 3.7% was from 18 to 24, 18.5% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 37.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,194 and the median income for a family was $255,755.00. Males had a median income of $83,750 versus $27,447 for females. The per capita income for the city was $140,284.00. About 1.42% of families and 2.44% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.82% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

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Rehoboth Beach is governed by a mayor and a city manager. As of 2024, the mayor is Stan Mills and the city manager is Taylour Tedder.<ref name="officeofthemayor">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are several departments, city boards, commissions, and committees that oversee the daily functions of the city government. Some of these officials are elected while others are appointed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Police services in Rehoboth Beach is provided by the Rehoboth Beach Police Department, which consists of 17 full-time officers and nine full-time dispatchers, along with additional seasonal police officers in the peak summer months.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fire protection to Rehoboth Beach and nearby areas is provided by the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company, which maintains three stations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Parks and recreation

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File:Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - panoramio (1).jpg
Silver Lake

In addition to beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, there are several parks located in Rehoboth Beach. Grove Park is home to a playground, pavilion, restrooms, and benches. Stockley Street Park is located along Silver Lake and has benches and a playground. Teardrop Park offers a dock along Silver Lake. Lake Gerar Park is located along Lake Gerar and has benches and a playground. There are tennis courts that are located at Deauville Beach. Deer Park and Central Park offer wooded areas that allow for wildlife viewing. Lee Street Park offers trees for shade. Martin's Lawn, located near the Anna Hazzard Museum and the Senior Center, offers a grassy area and trees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Infrastructure

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Transportation

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File:2022-07-15 09 29 58 View north along Delaware State Route 1 (Coastal Highway) at the exit for Delaware State Route 1B (State Road) in Rehoboth Beach, Sussex County, Delaware.jpg
DE Route 1 north on the edge of Rehoboth Beach
File:DART First State bus 314 on Rehoboth Avenue at boardwalk.jpg
DART First State Beach Bus in Rehoboth Beach

Delaware Route 1 (Coastal Highway) passes along the southwestern edge of the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Delaware Route 1A crosses through Rehoboth Beach in an L shape, running east from DE 1 and heading across a drawbridge over the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal into the city, where it heads east along Rehoboth Avenue to 2nd Street, then south along 2nd Street, Bayard Avenue, and Silver Lake Drive to another junction with DE 1 in Dewey Beach. Delaware Route 1B provides another route into Rehoboth Beach via State Road, connecting to DE 1 south of a high-level crossing of the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> On-street parking in the downtown area is regulated by parking meters from the Friday before Memorial Day to the second Sunday after Labor Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Between the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day, parking permits are required for all non-metered on-street parking spaces in Rehoboth Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A parking lot is also available at Deauville Beach in the northern part of the city, with parking permits required between the Friday before Memorial Day and the second Sunday after Labor Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Delaware Department of Transportation operates a park and ride lot called the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride just outside the city limits, located along Shuttle Road off of DE-1.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the peak summer months, DART First State operates Beach Bus service that provides frequent service in and out of the city and to the rest of the Delaware Beaches area and to Ocean City, Maryland, where it connects to Ocean City Transportation's Coastal Highway Beach Bus, from the Park and Ride lot. On summer weekends and holidays, DART First State operates the Route 305 "Beach Connection" service, which runs from Wilmington to the Lewes Transit Center, with intermediate stops at the Christiana Mall, Middletown, and Dover; connections can be made at the Lewes Transit Center to local bus service to Rehoboth Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="beachbus">Template:Cite web</ref> DART First State also operates the year-round Route 201 service running between Rehoboth Beach and the Lewes Transit Center and the year-round Route 215 service which connects Rehoboth Beach with Millsboro; both of these routes offer expanded summer Beach Bus service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Delaware River and Bay Authority operates a shuttle bus during the summer months to the Tanger Outlets and the park and ride lot in Rehoboth Beach from the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, which provides ferry service across the Delaware Bay to Cape May, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Jolly Trolley is a private shuttle service that provides frequent transport in Rehoboth Beach and to neighboring Dewey Beach. The service operates daily through the summer tourist season between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day and on weekends in the shoulder season before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

BestBus offers intercity bus service to Rehoboth Beach from Washington Union Station and Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., and 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City on weekends in the summer months.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Junction and Breakwater Trail is a rail trail for bicyclists and hikers that connects Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, running Template:Convert mostly along a former Penn Central Railroad right-of-way.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Utilities

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Delmarva Power, a subsidiary of Exelon, provides electricity to Rehoboth Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas to the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city's Water Department provides water service and the city's Waste Water Department provides sewer service in Rehoboth Beach and nearby outlying areas including North Shores and Breezewood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city's Streets Department provides trash and recycling collection to homes and businesses in Rehoboth Beach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

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Rehoboth Beach is located in the Cape Henlopen School District.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Rehoboth School District was consolidated into the Cape Henlopen district in 1969.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rehoboth Beach is zoned to Rehoboth Elementary School.<ref>Elementary school zoning: Template:Cite web and Template:Cite web</ref> It is on a Template:Convert plot of land.<ref name="MavityNewSchool">Template:Cite web</ref> The current building was to open in 2019.<ref name="DriscollConst">Template:Cite web</ref> It has Template:Convert of space.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the same location as the former building, uses the same design as Brittingham and Love Creek schools.<ref name="MavityNewSchool" /> It had a cost of $33 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cape Henlopen High School, located in Lewes, is the sole comprehensive high school of the district.

Seaside Jewish Community, established in 1997, established a Hebrew school for children in 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable people

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File:JakeGelof.jpg
Jake Gelof
File:Zack Gelof (52835997538).jpg
Zack Gelof

References

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Further reading

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  • ADC Sussex County, Delaware Street Map Book, 1st Edition. Alexandria, Virginia: Alexandria Drafting Company, 2005.
  • Meehan, James D. From Saints to Sinners...Rehoboth Beach Memoirs. Bethany Beach, Delaware: Harold E. Dukes Jr., 2000. Template:Oclc.
  • Sears, James T. (2024) Querring Rehoboth Beach: Beyond the Boardwalk. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1439923801
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