The Cape Region is unique with the oldest house, the first town, the only Lightship, shipwrecks, pirates, one of the largest U.S. forts and even a tent city.

Where is the Overfalls?
The Lightship Overalls, one of the most recognizable and historic landmarks in the Cape Region, never navigated the waters off the Cape coast. But, one of four lightships that was stationed on Overfalls Shoals, three miles off the coast, is a museum in Portsmouth, Va., harbor. Confused?

It’s tradition to take the name of the station where the lightships were retired. So, the Lightship Overfalls was the Lightship Boston and the Lightship Portsmouth was the Lightship Overfalls.

The Overfalls had a distinguished career before the Coast Guard donated it to the Lewes Historical Society in 1973, when it was moved to the canal in downtown Lewes.  Between 1938 and 1972 it was stationed at three different lightship stations: first, at Cornfield Point off the coast of Connecticut, then at the Cross Rip Station off the coast of Massachusetts and finally the Boston Station just off Cape Cod.

To confuse matters, there was an Overfalls station located three miles off the coast of Cape Henlopen served by four lightships between 1898 and 1960 – but not the Lightship Overalls in Lewes. The ship has since been turned over to the Overfalls Maritime Museum Foundation. Go to overfalls.org.

Who’s on first?
Lewes proclaims to be the home of the first permanent settlement in Delaware. That Dutch settlement, from 1629-1631, lasted a little over a year and was on lands considered part of Pennsylvania at the time. The Swedes built a permanent fort in 1638 in what is now Wilmington. A second Dutch fort was built near Lewes in 1659. Lewes served as county seat until 1791.

All in a name
Although the City of Lewes celebrates its heritage with links to the Dutch, the name that stuck, Lewes, came from English settlers in 1682. Lewes has been a town of several names including Sikomess, Swanendael, Hoorn, Whorekill, Deale and finally Lewes in honor of the town of Lewes in Sussex County, England.

The Summer Capital
Rehoboth Beach, known as the Nation’s Summer Capital, gets that moniker from the number of people from the Washington, D.C., area who vacation or retire to the resort.

Arms for all
In an effort to stop pirate raids that were frequent in the late 1690s, Lewes passed a law requiring all citizens to own a musket and ammunition for protection against pirates. It must have worked because the raids subsided.

Gold in those dunes
Legend has it that Capt. Kidd buried a chest of gold in the Cape Henlopen sand dunes in 1700. As much as the dunes have moved around over the centuries, it’s doubtful his pot of gold is in the same location where he buried it.

Historic Fort Miles
One of the most highly fortified and largest forts ever built on U.S. soil was constructed on land that is now Cape Henlopen State Park. Fort Miles, which actually has roots back to the World War I era, was key in Atlantic defenses in World War II to protect the valuable Port of Philadelphia. Even after the war, the fort was in the midst of the Cold War serving as a top-secret listening post for Russian submarines. Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS), started in 1949, consisted of a series of listening posts around the world. Remnants of the fort exist and the Fort Miles Historical Association coordinates special events. Go to www.fortmilesha.org.

Rockets red glare
Yes, there is an actual cannonball house on Front Street in downtown Lewes. The house was hit by a British frigate bombardment during the War of 1812 that claimed the lives of a pig and hen. The bombardment, which occurred April 6 and 7, 1813, ensued when Lewes residents refused to provide supplies to the British. Look for a cannonball near the foundation (and it’s not from the War of 1812 – sorry to burst your bubble).

Fooling the British
A well-known children’s book, Cornstalks and Cannonballs, describes how Lewes residents used cornstalks as guns totted by marching town resident “troops” to fool the British and keep them from coming ashore during the bombardment.

Important brothers
Two governors who were born in Lewes were brothers. Daniel Rodney, the 15th governor, served from 1814-1817 and Caleb Rodney, the 23rd governor, served from 1822-1823. The state’s 34th governor, Joseph Maull of Lewes, served for just nine weeks before dying in office on May 3, 1846. He succeeded Gov. Thomas Stockton who died in office nine weeks earlier.

The Chunk is born
The idea for one of the most bizarre events in the country, Punkin Chunkin, was hatched in 1986 in a Lewes blacksmith shop over an argument who could throw an anvil the farthest. The anvils changed to pumpkins and the event was born, and has grown into an internationally recognized rite of fall. Incidentally, the world championship event does not take place in Lewes, but in Bridgeville, about 30 miles to the west. Go to www.punkinchunkin.com.

Ferry gets hooked
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry, an icon of the Cape Region for nearly 50 years, got off to a less than perfect start. On the ceremonial twin crossing June 30, 1964, for dignitaries and invited guests, the SS Cape May pulled into the Lewes dock, and the captain hooked one of the ferry’s propellers onto a steel cable, which wrapped around the propeller shaft. Hundreds of New Jersey passengers embarked to participate in the Lewes dedication ceremony learning they were stranded.

A second ferry, SS Cape Henlopen, which had left from Lewes earlier in the day to take Delaware dignitaries and passengers to Cape May, returned and make another trip back across the Delaware Bay to take the New Jersey guests back home.

Since that less than auspicious start, more than 11 million vehicles and 34 million passengers have crossed the bay. Go to www.capemaylewesferry.com.

Oldest house and tombstone
The oldest house in Delaware, dating back to 1665, was an inn and the home of Ryves Holt, first chief justice of Delaware, sheriff, king’s attorney for Sussex and assembly member between 1745 and 1755. Go to www.historiclewes.org.

One of the oldest tombstones in Delaware can be found at historic St. Peter’s Episcopal Church next door to the Holt house in downtown Lewes. Margaret Huling was born in 1631 and died in 1707. The cemetery is filled with interesting tombstones, including that of Elizabeth Cullen who was born Feb. 30, 1760. Go to www.StPetersLewes.org.

Rehoboth’s religious roots
It appears the City of Rehoboth Beach was never intended to be a full-time city, but one reserved to the celebration of the Lord. The Rev. Robert Todd, a Methodist minister from Wilmington, had a dream, literally, of a camp meeting resort along the coast of what is now Rehoboth Beach (Rehoboth means broad places). On Jan. 27, 1873, the first camp was established with tent houses for summer retreats. Go to www.rehobothbeachmuseum.org.

A poet, ships, buttons and holly
Milton, named for poet John Milton who never visited the area, was known as the Head of the Broadkiln until 1807. The town was an important inland port known for its shipbuilding. It was also the Holly Capital of the World for decades, as the largest producer of Christmas and holiday holly wreaths.

If you dig a few inches into the soil in and around downtown Milton, you will probably find shiny pieces of mother-of-pearl shell used to make buttons, another major cottage industry in Milton’s past. Go to historicmilton.com.

Towering over the dunes
Those large towers dotting the coastline are called fire control towers, yet they weren’t used to spot fires or fire guns. Instead, the towers, built quickly in 1941, were used by troops to help locate and direct fire of the huge Fort Miles guns. The towers, ranging from 40 to 90 feet tall, were built to last 10 years, but all 11 built on the Delaware side of the bay are still standing. One in Cape Henlopen State Park has been restored and is open to the public.

Coins along the shore
Coin Beach, located between Fenwick Island and Rehoboth Beach, is a favorite spot for treasure seekers. Many 18th century coins have been found washed up on the shore. The coins are reported to be from the Three Brothers, which sunk in 1775, and the Faithful Steward, which sunk in 1785.

Famous shipwreck
The most famous shipwreck in the Cape Region is that of the HMB DeBraak which went down in rough seas in 1798 off what is now Cape Henlopen State Park. Although the Lewes pilot survived the wreck, the captain, 35 crew and 12 Spanish prisoners perished. They were buried in a makeshift cemetery that is now the location of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal and parking lot. They were later interred and the British sailors’ remains are buried on the grounds of the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes.

But that was not the end of the DeBraak. For years treasure seekers searched for the ill-fated ship. When she was finally located in 1984, salvagers Sub-Sal had little regard for archeological protocol and destroyed many artifacts as well as the hull. The ship was turned over to the state of Delaware and the hull is currently in a water-filled tank in a large building, closed to the public, on the grounds of Cape Henlopen State Park. State archaeologists tagged more than 26,000 items. Some of the artifacts are on display at the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, but most are in storage in Dover. The artifacts that remain are considered the best collection of 18th century military hardware from a naval context. Many pieces are rare, if not one-of-a-kind. The collection served as a resource for the director of the movie “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” starring Russell Crowe as a Royal Navy captain.

The treasure was estimated to be around $500 million; the value of treasure found has been estimated at $300,000.

Lighting up the Cape
Cape Region towns are tied to the sea, and what better symbol of that history is a lighthouse. At least four lighthouses have helped seaman navigate the transition from ocean to bay off Cape Henlopen – two are still standing.

The most famous of the four, the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, has something in common with the White House in Washington, D.C. It was also burned by the British, but in a different war, in 1777. The lighthouse, built on the Great Dune in 1767, was in service for more than 150 years before it fell into the sea on April 13, 1926 (it wasn’t Friday the 13th). Shifting sands on the dune did in the lighthouse.

Stone fragments from the landmark ended up as fireplaces, fences and walls of area homes.

The fate of another lighthouse, built about one mile north of the Cape light, is unknown. The 45-foot Cape Beacon was built in 1824.

The Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation now owns the two remaining lighthouses. The Harbor of Refuge lighthouse, built in 1926, is still a functional, automated lighthouse. The Delaware Breakwater lighthouse, which was in service from 1885 to 1996, is a tourist attraction.

Because of damage caused by winter storms, the Harbor of Refuge light will not be open for tours this summer season. Go to delawarebaylights.org.

First public lands
William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what was to become the United States in 1682 with the declaration that Cape Henlopen would be for “the usage of the citizens of Lewes and Sussex County.”

The lands were taken over by the military during times of war and during World War II Fort Miles was built. The land reverted back to public use in the 1960s with the establishment of Cape Henlopen State Park in 1964. Today, the park has more than 5,100 acres.

Kalmar Nyckel to offer public sails
The Kalmar Nyckel will be in Lewes through Saturday, Aug. 14. It will be offering two-and-a-half-hour sails and free deck tours. For details, visit kalmarnyckel.org. Sail tickets are $60 for adults and $40 for children 17 and under. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling 303-429-7447.

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Genealogy workshop set Aug. 7
The Delaware Public Archives will sponsor a beginning genealogy workshop titled How Do I Start My Family Research? at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 7. This program featuring Nancy Lyons will provide an excellent starting point for researching family genealogy. Among the numerous types of resources to be presented are vital statistics, census reports and probate records. The program is free to the public. No reservations are required. The Delaware Public Archives is located at 121 Duke of York St. in Dover. For more information, contact Tom Summers, 302-744-5047 or thomas.summers@state.de.us.

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All Saints’ Antiques Show to open
Antiques enthusiasts will greet both familiar veteran dealers and exciting newcomers at the 61st annual All Saints’ Antiques Show, which runs from Thursday, July 29, to Sunday, Aug. 1, at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

Some exhibitors, such as Gladys Spare, Josephine Hart Thrasher and Louise Clarke of Pete’s Pickins can point to decades of summers selling everything from fine jewelry and silver to furniture and decorative objects at the longtime event.

Exciting new additions and merchandise will abound in 2010. New dealers this year include Michigan’s Park Place Gallery, Ohio’s David and Carroll Swope, Ashley Dettor and Robert French, and Vintage Poster Art, among others.

The show’s kickoff will be a gala cocktail and hors d’oeuvres preview party from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 29. Tickets are $30 and will be available at the door. General admission on Friday, Saturday and Sunday is $8.

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Free photo workshops offered
The Rehoboth Beach Public Library will host free biweekly digital photography workshops from 10 a.m. to noon, every Tuesday and Thursday this summer in the second-floor meeting room. These workshops help develop basic digital photography skills. The topics covered will include how to move photos from a digital camera to a computer, how to do basic photo editing and how to email photos.

Other topics include how to remove red eye, crop photos, organize photos on the computer and send photos via computer to Walmart, CVS, etc.. Computer programs used will be Google’s free Picasa photo editing program and Google’s full-featured free email. Attendees may bring laptops if they have them, as no computers are provided for use in the workshop room. For more information, call 227-8044.