Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Georgetown (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Georgetown Speedway, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and Sports at the Beach. Also, be sure to include Old Sussex County Courthouse in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Georgetown (Delaware).
Table of Contents
Georgetown Speedway
Sports facility in Sussex County, Delaware. Georgetown Speedway is a speedway located at the intersection of U.S. Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Delaware. The track is a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Maryland and miles from the Delaware Beaches. Attendance on some nights is boosted by fans coming via the Cape May–Lewes Ferry from New Jersey. Georgetown Speedway features a fast, half-mile clay oval that produces high speeds and thrilling racing action. The facility has grandstands, parking, a large, flat pit area, and room for overnight camping.
Constructed in 1949 by businessman and auto racing pioneer Melvin L. Joseph, Georgetown Speedway is not only an historic landmark in Delaware, but is well known across the country for its role in the development of stock car racing as it is known today.
After sitting silent for a number of years the speedway was reopened in May 2006. In 2015 the track was slightly shortened by reconfiguring turns one and two, bringing them in several feet further. The track had previously been believed to be measured as a half mile on the inside; now it is believed to be measured as a half mile on the outside.
BD Motorsports Media LLC is managing the speedway's operations since 2016. A special-events schedule of high-profile programs was planned to bring some of the region's top talent to Sussex County, Delaware. The current management team revamped the track throughout the 2016 season, including fresh paint, new improved signage, track maintenance equipment, and a revamped sound system. Multiple touring series, including Big/Small Block Modifieds, Super Late Models, and 360 Sprint cars are now featured at the track. More improvements were announced for the 2017 season such as a lap counter and scoreboard that was purchased from the former Thunder Valley Speedway in Central City, Pennsylvania.[1]
Address: Speedway Rd, Georgetown
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Episcopal church in Georgetown, Delaware. St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church located at 122 East Pine Street in Georgetown, Sussex County. The congregation started in 1794 but this brick building was completed in 1844. It was remodeled in 1881 by McKim Mead and White of New York City in the early Victorian Gothic style. This is one of the 38 parish churches of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many statesmen from Sussex County are interred in the churchyard, including Caleb R. Layton, Daniel J. Layton, Charles C. Stockley and others.[2]
Address: 122 East Pine Street, Georgetown
Sports at the Beach
Sport complex, Park, Relax in park
Address: 22518 Lewes Georgetown Hwy, 19947-5533 Georgetown
Old Sussex County Courthouse
Courthouse. Old Sussex County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware. It was built in 1793, and is a two-story, five bay, frame structure in a late Georgian style. It is sheathed in cypress shingles. It was moved to its present location in 1837 and converted to residential use. Its former site on The Circle is occupied by the present Sussex County Courthouse. On September 20, 1962, the building and lot were conveyed to the State of Delaware. A major renovation project was undertaken in 1974.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[3]
Address: 10 S Bedford St, Georgetown
St. John's Methodist Church
Church in Sussex County, Delaware. St. John's Methodist Church is a historic Methodist church located at Springfield Crossroads near Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware. It was built in 1907, and is a one-story, frame church building sheathed in weatherboard in the Gothic Revival style. It sits on a raised brick foundation, has a steeply pitched gable roof, lancet windows, and features a two-story bell tower with steeple. The property also includes the church hall, which was originally constructed at the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp near Georgetown. It was moved to the property in 1949, and subsequently renovated. Adjacent to the church is the church cemetery, with burials dating to 1853.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[4]
McColley's Chapel
Methodist church in Sussex County, Delaware. McColley's Chapel is a Methodist chapel located between Ellendale and Georgetown, Delaware. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 30, 2011.[5]
Judge's House and Law Office
Building in Georgetown, Delaware. Judge's House and Law Office is a historic home and office located at Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware. The original structure was built by Justice Peter Robinson about 1810, as a 2+1⁄2-story, single pile, Federal style dwelling with a one-story, two bay southwest wing and one-story, three bay rear wing. The southwest wing was later raised in the 1820s to 2+1⁄2 stories and rear wing raised to 2-stories. In the 1840s, the interior was renovated in the Greek Revival style and the house shingled in cypress. The office was built in 1809, and is a one-story, cypress-shingled frame building, three bays wide, with a gable roof and rear wing.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[6]
Gardiner Wright Mansion
Mansion in Georgetown, Delaware. Gardiner Wright Mansion, also known as The Marsh House, is a historic mansion located at Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware. It was built in 1841, and is a two-story, three-bay, double pile, stuccoed brick dwelling. It is in the Regency style, with Second Empire and Italianate style design elements. The plan consists of two double-pile, single-bay, parallel rectangular sections, with a two-story brick central hall running between them. It was extensively renovated in the late-1940s. Also on the property are a contributing wood shed and two-level milk house.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[7]
Joseph T. Adams House
Joseph T. Adams House is a historic home located at Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware. It was built in 1868, and is a two-story, five bay, shingled frame dwelling in the Greek Revival style. It has a rear ell, gable roof, and cross-gable dormer. It features corner columns and an elaborate Italianate style cornice. In 1957, the house was acquired for the first permanent home for the Georgetown town offices since its establishment in 1791.
Joseph T. Adams (1831-1905) was recorded as working as a clerk on the 1850 and 1860 Census. He was an alderman of the Town of Georgetown from 1873-1876. Ownership of the house passed to his wife, Jane Adams, when he died. When she died in 1914, it passed to their son, William Adams.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.[8]
Peter S. Faucett House
Peter S. Faucett House, also known as the Hitchens House, is a historic home located at Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware. It is an early-19th century, two-story, six-bay, shingled frame dwelling in a vernacular style. It consists of two separate three-bay structures joined to form a single dwelling. It has a two-story rear ell, gable roof, and cross-gable dormer. It features a variety of Greek Revival, Italianate, and Gothic style design elements. Also on the property is a contributing frame garage, built between 1910 and 1930.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[9]
Sussex County Courthouse and the Circle
Courthouse. Sussex County Courthouse and the Circle is a historic courthouse located at The Circle in Georgetown, Sussex County, Delaware. It was designed by noted Philadelphia architect William Strickland and built between 1837 and 1840. It is a two-story, brick structure with a brick tower over the entrance hall. It originally featured a squat entrance tower surmounted by an undersized cupola. In 1914, the tower was enlarged and columns were added to the front. Renovations carried out in 1970 gave the building a decidedly more Georgian appearance. The Circle was laid out in 1791-1792 as a public green at the center of a baroque town plan for Georgetown. One of the first building constructed was the Old Sussex County Courthouse, which was moved to allow construction of the current Sussex County Courthouse.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[10]