Dewey Beach Lifesaving Station

The original Rehoboth Beach Lifesaving Station was located on the beach end of Dagsworthy Street . The building and one acre of land was conveyed to the United States of America for Coast Guard purposes by a deed dated August 6, 1878 . In 1947 the building was decommissioned under the leadership of Captain Joseph Walker who moved the building to Highway One and made it his home. He and
his wife raised three children there. After Capt. Walker's death...

Storms of the Past

You've heard it said that it isn't the heat, it's the humidity. Well, in storms, it isn't always the wind, it's the water. Although northeasters winds may gust to hurricane strength (74 mph), wind speeds for many Delaware northeasters range from 35-45 mph. The storm surge and increase in tidal heights associated with Nor'easters typically cause the most damage to beaches, dunes, and property. Nor'easters have historically caused higher tides
and more damage to the Delaware shore than hurricanes. Nor'easters usually last...

The Dewey Inn / Boathouse Restaurant

There are some buildings in Dewey that are gone but not forgotten. The old Dewey Inn or Boathouse as it was later known as, is one of them. It stood at the end of Bellevue Street and had a long pier. Many old timers can remember crabbing off that pier.

*In the 1930's the Tindall family operated the Dewey Inn at the site. The inn was a beer garden and dance hall. After that there were a series of restaurants that operated at the site. In the late 40's, early 50's Pierce Cody remodeled the building and ran Pierce Cody's Seafood Restaurant and Captain Hank's Seafood Restaurant

Dewey Beach History & Tales

The second edition of Dewey Beach History & Tales was compiled and edited by Barbara Quillen Dougherty and published by Hal Dukes. The original book (first edition), published in 1996, sold out in less than two years.

In addition to numerous updates and historical information, there are many new "tales" about the town. One of the true stories found in the second edition concerns a strange fish. In 1940, John Coady discovered a fish in the shallow waters of Rehoboth Bay. He brought it to Capt. John Waples who noticed the anglerfish had an unusually large stomach. When the fish was cut open, inside was an entire three-pound whiffler duck, which the fish had swallowed. This strange, but true, tale was shared by Jack Coady and appeared in the Baltimore Sun newspaper on May 12, 1940.