“The smaller the town, the more willing people are to get to know you,” observes Chuck Stoker. “If you’re out walking, they’ll call you by your first name. And if you aren’t in a hurry, they’ll stop you to have a conversation.” As innkeeper at the Miller-Dunham House in historic Odessa—population 364—Stoker learned firsthand what it’s like to be welcomed by people who were strangers only a year ago, when he and his wife moved from Wisconsin to the town just south of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
Although Delaware lies smack in the middle of the bustling Northeast Corridor, which stretches between Boston and Washington, D.C., and is home to thousands of corporations from around the world, it has preserved many of its small towns. Some nestle in the shadows of large cities; others are hidden in the middle of farm country.
There are many reasons people love living in small towns. Housing and other necessities are often less expensive. Small towns tend to be quieter and more relaxed. There are fewer rules to follow. Traffic isn’t a problem. And in Delaware, a larger city is usually within commuting distance. Plus, as Stoker says, it’s easier to make friends.
Visitors also love small towns, which often have fascinating histories and features that cater to special interests, such as history, photography, and outdoor activities. Visitors can usually find charming shops, good places to eat, and streets to stroll, along with special events and entertainment—but few parking meters to feed. For those who want to linger, there are romantic small inns and bed-and-breakfasts too.
Let’s look at a few of these charming towns.
Centreville: ‘A rare bird’
“Centreville is a rare bird in the densely suburban area surrounding Philadelphia,” says noted painter and town resident Jon Redmond. “Its setting reminds me of a small English or Irish village. Not many of our small towns are bordered directly by so much open farmland, country estates, public parks, and old forest, yet it’s still only a 10-minute drive into downtown Wilmington. Its lack of any commercial urban sprawl, not even a gas station, is truly remarkable.”
Like most of Delaware, the rolling countryside around Centreville was home to Lenni-Lenape Native Americans. European settlers came into the area in the late 1600s, thanks to land grants by William Penn, as the state was a part of the Pennsylvania Colony.
In 1711, Quakers established Centre Friends Meeting, east of today’s village, giving the area its name. A permanent brick meetinghouse built in 1796 still serves as a house of worship for local Quakers.
A toll road opening in 1811 between Wilmington and Kennett Pike turned Centreville into a small boomtown, with four taverns catering to wagon commerce. Its heyday was short-lived, however. By midcentury, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad crossed the town. Nevertheless, the turnpike continued operation until 1920.
Today, Centreville boats several locally owned shops along a four-block area bordering Route 52, along with an upscale wine shop and two restaurants—historic Buckley’s Tavern and Centreville Marketplace. Within a 15-minute drive are major regional attractions—Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library; Longwood Gardens; Delaware Museum of Nature & Science; Hagley Museum & Library; and Brandywine Museum of Art.
Harrington: A best bet
Anyone who lives on a farm in Delaware or enjoys attending live concerts knows about this small town southwest of Dover, home to the Delaware State Fair. Each July, folks visit Harrington to tour its exhibits, play its many games, eat hot dogs and cotton candy, and enjoy the rides. The state fair has been operating since 1962. Before that, it was a regional exhibition dating back to 1919.
The town is also home to Harrington Raceway & Casino, adjacent to the fairgrounds. This year marks the track’s 79th harness racing season. The casino, one of three in Delaware, opened in 1996.
Despite the popularity of the fairgrounds complex on its southern limits, Harrington remains a fairly quiet town of about 4,000 residents.
A popular stop for passersby and residents is Rudy’s Family Restaurant on Route 13. An interesting historical work of art is displayed in the downtown post office—a wax tempera mural, “Men Hoeing,” painted in 1941 by Eve Salisbury as part of the New Deal’s public arts program.
Hockessin: Foodie haven
If you love a great mix of dining options, then Hockessin should be your destination. This former farm-supply village, situated just before Route 41 enters Pennsylvania, has more than a dozen places to have a meal, from coffeehouses to gourmet restaurants, and Italian to Mexican cuisine. It also has a major shopping center—Lantana Square—as well as many shops along both old and new Lancaster Pike.
Many people believe Hockessin’s name is of Native American origin, but it appears to be a corruption of the moniker of a colonial-area estate—Occasion—settled by William Cox in 1726. Earlier settlers began arriving in 1688. Hockessin has many cultural and historic sites, including Tweed’s Tavern and the Hockessin Friends Meetinghouse.
Resident George Harding says he loves the town for its conveniences, including hardware stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and other everyday amenities. It is also close to cultural attractions and entertainment in nearby municipalities such as Newark and Wilmington, as well as Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. “I also guess I like it not being too loud or crowded,” Harding says. And for visitors, there are no parking worries.
Laurel: Parks and recreation
“Laurel is a car town,” says server and bartender Katelyn Chambers, as she prepares for the arrival of a group of Thunderbird owners driving in for lunch at Abbott’s on Broad Creek, which overlooks the winding tributary of the Nanticoke River and its parkland. “There’s a drag strip south of town, and people drive here from Bethany and Dewey to escape beach traffic. And a lot of people have vintage cars.”
Laurel is also a town for people who like to explore the area’s diverse natural resources, such as Trap Pond State Park to the east and the Nanticoke Park Wildlife Area to the west. Laurel’s name comes from the bushes that grow along its streams.
Laurel was a major settlement for the Nanticoke Tribe of Native Americans before European settlers forced them to move elsewhere. West Laurel was historically one of the state’s largest communities of free Black residents, and there is a large African American population in Laurel today.
New Castle: Haven of history
On the Delaware River, New Castle is the state’s not-so-hidden gem of colonial-era charm. It is a major tourist attraction, boasting centuries-old brick buildings, many of them homes fronting the tree-lined Strand. The town features cobblestone streets and riverfront parks, as well as the still-functioning Jessup’s Tavern, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One of Delaware’s three oldest towns—along with Wilmington and Lewes—New Castle, despite its tourism popularity, has the uncrowded atmosphere of an old French village, with iron fences and railings, shrub-lined flower gardens, and dimly lit streets.
It is also headquarters for the First State National Historical Park, featuring the old New Castle County Court House Museum, built in 1732. The multisite configuration was designated a national park in 2015. “While we don’t give tours, visitors do get to watch an orientation film in what was once a jail cell,” says information specialist Samantha Baranski. “And the park does have an exhibit room and a small gift shop.” The historic Green stretches behind the museum.
There is also a visitor center at Amstel House, a former dwelling from the 1730s maintained by the New Castle Historical Society. No visit to New Castle would be complete without a stroll down Delaware Street to the town pier, followed by a walk through Battery Park. For those who would like to take a pedal tour, there is a bike rental stand as well.
Odessa: Small gem
Like New Castle, Odessa also has a colonial background, with its historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1731, a son of Capt. Edmund Cantwell opened a toll bridge over the Appoquinimink Creek, a couple of miles inland from the Delaware River. Taking the name Cantwell’s Bridge, the town became an important port that shipped wheat, corn, tobacco, and produce down the creek to the Delaware River, destined for foreign ports. A decision by local merchants in the 1850s to oppose a railroad—which was built to the west through Middletown—caused the agricultural export business to collapse. Later, the town changed its name to Odessa, after the Russian port city.
Today, the Historic Odessa Foundation arranges tours and events that feature the town’s 18th- and 19th-century houses, and the National Park Service has facilities to visit. Cantwell’s Tavern, built in 1822, is a frequent dining destination throughout the year. Nestled between the town and the Delaware River are several wildlife refuges, which are particularly popular with bird-watchers.
Selbyville: Southern charm
Although Selbyville is a delightful small town—and the most southern one in Delaware—it is hardly off the beaten track. Each day, thousands of motorists pass through the community just north of the Maryland border along busy U.S. 113.
Selbyville has become a day-trip destination for vacationers wanting to escape crowded beach traffic—Fenwick Island is 20 minutes away and Ocean City, Maryland, a few minutes more—for lunch, dinner, or shopping. It is also the convenient “town next door” for those who have relocated to the growing number of retirement communities in Sussex County.
A popular dining and meeting spot, and one that has some history to it, is Doyle’s Restaurant, on the west side of Route 113. First named Woody’s Diner, Doyle’s opened in 1950 in a Silk City dining car built in New Jersey, one of the many diners that popped up around the country after World War II. The original eatery is still in use, although the seating area has expanded.
“Selbyville reminds me of the TV show ‘Cheers,’” says Judie Scotti, a Doyle’s server. “Everybody knows your name.”
Selbyville was founded in 1778 near the head of St. Martin’s River. A few miles west, Great Cypress Swamp resulted in a sawmill. Later, a grist mill was built. Although reduced in size, the swamp still draws visitors. Today, Selbyville is an agricultural center, with many crops grown on the surrounding farms. But the big local employer is poultry producer Mountaire Farms, with a major processing facility downtown.
These seven are just a sample of small-town Delaware. Ask any Delawarean—native or new—and they will have a story about their favorite one.
