1954 Map of Rehoboth Beach

About this map

Rehoboth Beach and its coastal neighbors are captured here during a period of significant mid-century expansion, with purple photorevisions indicating the growing residential footprint of Henlopen Acres and Dewey Beach. The map details the delicate geography between the Atlantic Ocean and Rehoboth Bay, highlighting the freshwater bodies of Silver Lake and Lake Gerar that sit just behind the coastal dunes. The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal cuts through the marshes to the west, defining the inland boundary of the beach communities. Local infrastructure is well-documented, from the Rehoboth Station along the Penn Central line to the Rehoboth Airfield and the iconic Boardwalk. In the bay, numerous small islands like Thompson Island and Big Piney Island dot the tidal marshes of District No 10, showing the complex shoreline before modern development further altered these wetlands.