Georgetown, Delaware
Encyclopedia
Georgetown is a town in Sussex County
, Delaware
, United States
. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade. It is the county seat
of Sussex County
.
Georgetown is part of the Seaford, Delaware
, Micropolitan Statistical Area.
of Sussex County it was located in Lewes
on the Delaware Bay
. Dutch
colonists had set up Delaware's first colony there in 1631 and it remained the only significant settlement in Delaware for some time. When William Penn
established the three lower counties of Pennsylvania
, which are now Delaware, Lewes was the natural choice for the location of the Sussex County's Seat of Justice
.
Sussex County
itself was not well defined until after 1760 when a dispute between William Penn
's family and Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
was finally settled after intervention from the Crown. This dispute had the effect of delaying discussion over an appropriate county seat while the more important argument over the county's borders continued. Earlier Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
had argued that the county ended with Lewes, while Penn's sons stated it continued into Fenwick Island
, which it now does. The Mason-Dixon Line
was surveyed as part the agreement between the Penns and Lord Baltimore and it has since defined the western and southern border of the county.
, a law was passed on January 29, 1791 that would centralize the location of the county seat. At the time, the land in central Sussex County was for the most part swampy and uninhabited, so the county government hired ten commissioners to purchase land, build a courthouse and jail and sell lots in an area at "James Pettyjohn's old field or about a mile from where Ebenezer Pettyjohn now lives," as the original order states.
On May 9, 1791, the commissioners under the leadership of the Delaware State Senator George Mitchell
purchased 76 acres (308,000 m²). The commissioner Rhodes Shankland began the survey by laying out "a spacious square of 100 yards each way." Eventually Georgetown was laid out in a circle one mile in diameter and centered around the original square surveyed by Shankland. This circle is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The new location proved indeed a much better administrative center and Georgetown is in fact still said to be "sixteen miles from everywhere" in Sussex County.
The County Courthouse and Jail were built in the southeastern section of the town circle and as a result of the evidence that the new county seat was well on its way, the Seat of Justice was officially moved on October 26, 1791 and named Georgetown in honor of the lead commissioner George Mitchell. 60 by 120-foot lots were surveyed and sold to counterbalance the State's investment.
during the Civil War
, Georgetown, like all of Sussex County, sent men to fight for both the Union
and Confederate
sides. This apparently had a very negative effect on many of the town's prominent family as it had a tendency to divide them to a vicious degree.
processing plant owned by Perdue Farms
. The plant employs a sizable number of immigrants from Haiti
and Guatemala
. Consequently, Georgetown has more of an international flavor to it than one would expect from a Colonial-era town. Georgetown is also the home of WZBH
radio and Georgetown Speedway
.
", a half-day-long parade and festival two days after Election Day
. Stemming from the colonial days in which the public would congregate in Georgetown two days after the election to hear the results (because it would take that long to deliver the results to the courthouse by horseback), the winners of that year's political races parade around The Circle in carriages with the losers and the chairs of the county's political parties ceremonially "bury the hatchet" in a tub of sand. The afternoon of Return Day is a holiday for county and state workers in Sussex County, and the event is marked by a traditional ox feast, much revelry, and, of course, the beginning of the next round of campaigns. Many in Delaware feel that the state's traditionally chummy and staid political climate is due in large part to the Return Day tradition.
, instead of the more traditional park-like square. Straddling "The Circle" is the Town Hall; state and county buildings, including the historic Sussex County Courthouse. The original Courthouse was replaced by the current structure which was built 1837 on South Bedford Street. It was further restored in 1976 and it currently managed by the Georgetown Historical Society. Lawyers' offices, stores, a bank, and the Brick Hotel, which has recently completed renovation, also line the Circle. This layout is similar to that found in Annapolis, Maryland
, except that, unlike in Annapolis, where the State House is the focal point of the circle, the center of Georgetown's circle is a small park
with a fountain
. Georgetown's oldest church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church dates to 1794 and is built in the Victorian Gothic style.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 4,643 people, 1,489 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,123.9 people per square mile (434.1/km²). There were 1,591 housing units at an average density of 385.1 per square mile (148.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 56.19% White, 20.87% African American, 2.07% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 18.03% from other races
, and 2.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.73% of the population.
There were 1,489 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples
living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 14.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 107.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,875, and the median income for a family was $37,925. Males had a median income of $20,886 versus $19,944 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,288. About 20.9% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.8% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
In 2000, 21.6% of Georgetown residents identified as being of Guatemala
n heritage. This was the highest percentage of Guatemalan American
s of any place in the country.
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Sussex County
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
.
Georgetown is part of the Seaford, Delaware
Seaford, Delaware
Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...
, Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Lewes as the County Seat
Prior to Georgetown's position as the county seatCounty seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Sussex County it was located in Lewes
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
on the Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
. Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
colonists had set up Delaware's first colony there in 1631 and it remained the only significant settlement in Delaware for some time. When William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
established the three lower counties of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, which are now Delaware, Lewes was the natural choice for the location of the Sussex County's Seat of Justice
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
.
Sussex County
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
itself was not well defined until after 1760 when a dispute between William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
's family and Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, 4th Proprietor of Maryland was an English nobleman and last in the line of Barons Baltimore...
was finally settled after intervention from the Crown. This dispute had the effect of delaying discussion over an appropriate county seat while the more important argument over the county's borders continued. Earlier Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore, 3rd Proprietor and 17th Proprietary Governor of Maryland, FRS was a British nobleman and Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland...
had argued that the county ended with Lewes, while Penn's sons stated it continued into Fenwick Island
Fenwick Island, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 342 people, 178 households, and 126 families residing in the town. The population density was 994.5 people per square mile . There were 666 housing units at an average density of 1,936.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the town was 99.42% White, and 0.58%...
, which it now does. The Mason-Dixon Line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
was surveyed as part the agreement between the Penns and Lord Baltimore and it has since defined the western and southern border of the county.
Creation of Georgetown
All the while Lewes continued to serve as the county seat throughout much of the 18th century, despite the fact that it involved over a day's trip across poor roads for the western residents. As the population of the county increased, the location of Lewes in the far east of the county became less and less suitable. After petitioning by western citizens of the county to the Delaware General AssemblyDelaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
, a law was passed on January 29, 1791 that would centralize the location of the county seat. At the time, the land in central Sussex County was for the most part swampy and uninhabited, so the county government hired ten commissioners to purchase land, build a courthouse and jail and sell lots in an area at "James Pettyjohn's old field or about a mile from where Ebenezer Pettyjohn now lives," as the original order states.
On May 9, 1791, the commissioners under the leadership of the Delaware State Senator George Mitchell
George Mitchell
George Mitchell may refer to:*George J. Mitchell , former Senator from Maine, special envoy to the Middle East for the Obama administration, former Senate majority leader and former chairman of Disney...
purchased 76 acres (308,000 m²). The commissioner Rhodes Shankland began the survey by laying out "a spacious square of 100 yards each way." Eventually Georgetown was laid out in a circle one mile in diameter and centered around the original square surveyed by Shankland. This circle is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The new location proved indeed a much better administrative center and Georgetown is in fact still said to be "sixteen miles from everywhere" in Sussex County.
The County Courthouse and Jail were built in the southeastern section of the town circle and as a result of the evidence that the new county seat was well on its way, the Seat of Justice was officially moved on October 26, 1791 and named Georgetown in honor of the lead commissioner George Mitchell. 60 by 120-foot lots were surveyed and sold to counterbalance the State's investment.
Later History
Because of Delaware's status as a border stateBorder states (Civil War)
In the context of the American Civil War, the border states were slave states that did not declare their secession from the United States before April 1861...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Georgetown, like all of Sussex County, sent men to fight for both the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
sides. This apparently had a very negative effect on many of the town's prominent family as it had a tendency to divide them to a vicious degree.
Culture
The town is home to a large chickenChicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
processing plant owned by Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms is a major chicken processing company based in Salisbury, Maryland, United States with annual sales in excess of $4.6B.-Origin and war era:...
. The plant employs a sizable number of immigrants from Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Consequently, Georgetown has more of an international flavor to it than one would expect from a Colonial-era town. Georgetown is also the home of WZBH
WZBH
WZBH is an active rock radio station with studios in Georgetown, Delaware. Its tower is located outside Frankford, Delaware and stands 486 feet...
radio and Georgetown Speedway
Georgetown speedway
Georgetown Speedway was built in 1949 by Melvin L. Joseph. Its located on U.S. Route 113 about 1 mile south of Georgetown, Delaware. Attendance on some nights was boosted by fans coming via ferry from New Jersey. After sitting silent for a number of years the speedway was recently reopened in May...
.
Return Day
Every two years, Georgetown hosts an unusual event known as "Return dayReturn day
Return Day is a biennial unique festival and ceremony held the Thursday after Election Day in Georgetown, Delaware, during which election results are announced.-History:...
", a half-day-long parade and festival two days after Election Day
Election Day (United States)
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...
. Stemming from the colonial days in which the public would congregate in Georgetown two days after the election to hear the results (because it would take that long to deliver the results to the courthouse by horseback), the winners of that year's political races parade around The Circle in carriages with the losers and the chairs of the county's political parties ceremonially "bury the hatchet" in a tub of sand. The afternoon of Return Day is a holiday for county and state workers in Sussex County, and the event is marked by a traditional ox feast, much revelry, and, of course, the beginning of the next round of campaigns. Many in Delaware feel that the state's traditionally chummy and staid political climate is due in large part to the Return Day tradition.
Architecture
Georgetown is unusual among Delaware municipalities in that the center of the town is built around a circleCircle
A circle is a simple shape of Euclidean geometry consisting of those points in a plane that are a given distance from a given point, the centre. The distance between any of the points and the centre is called the radius....
, instead of the more traditional park-like square. Straddling "The Circle" is the Town Hall; state and county buildings, including the historic Sussex County Courthouse. The original Courthouse was replaced by the current structure which was built 1837 on South Bedford Street. It was further restored in 1976 and it currently managed by the Georgetown Historical Society. Lawyers' offices, stores, a bank, and the Brick Hotel, which has recently completed renovation, also line the Circle. This layout is similar to that found in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, except that, unlike in Annapolis, where the State House is the focal point of the circle, the center of Georgetown's circle is a small park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
with a fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
. Georgetown's oldest church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church dates to 1794 and is built in the Victorian Gothic style.
Geography
Georgetown is located at 38°41′25"N 75°23′12"W (38.690177, -75.386676).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,643 people, 1,489 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,123.9 people per square mile (434.1/km²). There were 1,591 housing units at an average density of 385.1 per square mile (148.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 56.19% White, 20.87% African American, 2.07% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 18.03% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.73% of the population.
There were 1,489 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 14.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 107.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,875, and the median income for a family was $37,925. Males had a median income of $20,886 versus $19,944 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $15,288. About 20.9% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.8% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
In 2000, 21.6% of Georgetown residents identified as being of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n heritage. This was the highest percentage of Guatemalan American
Guatemalan American
A Guatemalan American is an American of Guatemalan descent.The Guatemalan American population in the USA in 2009 was estimated by the US Census Bureau at 1,081,858...
s of any place in the country.
Notable residents
- In 1981, a baseball team from Georgetown won the Senior Little League World Series in Gary, Indiana. Members of the team included Tim Conoway, Kevin Duperron, Mike Hearn, Barry Joseph, Alan Mears, Brian Messick, Tim Mumford, Bruce Noble, Tim Reynolds, Bill Savage, Jeff Shockley, Tom Tipton, Kevin Waples, Guy Wilkins, and John Young. They were coached by Russell Elliot and Coston Shockley.
- Luke Pettigout from the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, grew up in Georgetown and attended Sussex Central High School before he attended college at the University of Notre Dame and was drafted into the NFL by the New York Giants.
- Iced EarthIced EarthIced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
vocalist Matt BarlowMatt BarlowMatthew Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He is the former lead singer for Iced Earth. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law.-History:...
has been a police officer in Georgetown since September, 2003. Matt says he was inspired to do something more substantial with his life after the September 11 attacks. He left the band to pursue a career in law enforcement. Then on December 11, 2007 he rejoined Iced Earth replacing Tim 'Ripper' OwensTim 'Ripper' OwensTimothy S. "Ripper" Owens is an American heavy metal singer who currently performs with Beyond Fear, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force and Charred Walls of the Damned. He first gained attention as the lead singer of Judas Priest, and then Iced Earth...
, who had replaced him a few years earlier.