A few months ago, a local real estate agent had an ad in the Gazette for an open house for a small cottage for sale in Lewes Beach. Similar to a house for sale in Milton that I wrote about late last year, the ad caught my attention because the house has an interesting history.
At first glance, you might think it’s just an old beach cottage. But according to the online real estate listing, the one-story, two-bedroom, two-bathroom, cinder-block home on Midland Avenue was built in 1941 and is one of the original barracks houses used by soldiers serving at Fort Miles in what is now Cape Henlopen State Park.
The listing included a note from the seller, who said her grandfather bought the cottage in the 1940s: “To me as a child, this house was the epitome of summer beach living: relaxing days on the beach, fishing and crabbing on the docks, and a short walk into town for ice cream.” Except for the lack of central air conditioning, this sounds great (more on that below).
Unlike the stately old house in Milton associated with President George Washington, I cannot imagine this cottage being salvaged after it is sold. Anyone who can afford to buy such a cottage can also afford to tear it down and build a new, multi-story building with modern amenities.
Demolition of old buildings is a daily occurrence here. I just thought it was important to acknowledge their history before it disappears.
Large agricultural equipment
With all the development going on here, sometimes you forget that there are still farms east of Route 1. Not many, but some.
I was reminded of this the other day when I came across a tractor with its sprayer propped up on its side, chugging north along Route 1. Behind the tractor was a flatbed truck with two large containers of the liquid that was about to be sprayed.
On the way back to the office, I came across the tractor and its support truck near Home Depot. Traffic had slowed down and I thought I was about to see a traffic accident. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. The tractor was following me westbound on Route 9, so I took a photo of it taking up both lanes while we were at a red light.
It’s hard to believe that it’s already August. This means that the children will soon be going back to school, but also that these tractors and their support vehicles will soon be seen on our roads. This is above all a reminder to be prepared to give them the space they need.
Joke of the week:
As promised above – it’s been hot and humid for the past few weeks, which for me means it’s always sweaty rag season. The main culprit is the humidity, so here’s a joke on that topic. As always, send jokes to [email protected].
Q: What do you call it when the humidity is 100% but it doesn’t rain?
A: A fog possibility.
