Overbrook, Delaware

Overbrook is an unincorporated community and former village in Sussex County, Delaware, United States.

Overbrook, Delaware
Unincorporated community
Overbrook Show map of Delaware Overbrook Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°46′03″N 75°12′54″W / 38.76750°N 75.21500°W / 38.76750; -75.21500
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Sussex
Elevation	23 ft (7 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code	302
GNIS feature ID	216171^[1]

Geography

Overbrook radiates from the intersection of Delaware Route 1 and Cave Neck Road between Lewes and Milton.^[2] in the Broadkill Hundred.

History

 

Overbrook in Sussex County, Delaware, in 1902

Nineteenth century

Burton's Chapel A.M.E Church was built on the "road to the oyster rocks of the Broadkill River" in 1870.^[3]

Overbrook was a post village on the Queen Anne's Railroad,^[4] which was said to be famous for its excursions in the 1890s.^[5] Overbrook's post office opened September 10, 1899, with George L. Short serving as Overbrook's first (and only) postmaster.^[6]

In April 1899, a train near Overbrook collided with a small herd of cattle, killing the animals.^[7]

Overbrook's population was 25 in 1900.^[8]

Twentieth century

Overbrook was the site of a branch of the fraternal order of Junior Mechanics, an anti-Catholic organization. The Overbrook order was founded on April 9, 1901, and at it founding, the group had 29 members.^[9]

Overbrook's post office closed on September 15, 1914,^[6] but the rail station continued to operate for another decade. The Queen Anne's Rail line was discontinued and the station closed in 1924.^[5]

In 1921, Overbrook was the site of a selenosis epidemic in area cattle. The outbreak, at that time called "Blind Staggers", was noted in state newspapers.^[10] That same year, the Wilmington Journal noted the fire at the A.L. Hill general store in Overbrook.^[11]

In the 1930s, Overbrook was noted for its ardent fox-hunters. These fox hunters were reportedly on foot or in vehicles, and in that era, the Overbrook fox hunts were particularly loud and long.^[5]

Twenty-first century

In 2016, Sussex County officials rejected a plan to rezone 114 acres of rural farmland in the Overbrook area; the development would have been called Overbrook Town Center.^[12] This decision was upheld by officials in 2021,^[13] after a public vote in 2018.^[14]

References

1. "Overbrook". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. Delaware Department of Transportation (2008). Delaware Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation.
3. https://archivesfiles.delaware.gov/ebooks/The_Churches_of_Delaware.pdf August 19, 2021, at the Wayback Machine ^{[bare URL PDF]}
4. Gannett, Henry (1904), A Gazetteer of Delaware (Issue 230 of Geological Survey bulletin), U.S. Government Printing Office, from the original on December 29, 2023, retrieved August 7, 2021
5. Federal Writers' Project (2013), The WPA Guide to Delaware: The First State, Trinity University Press (reprint), p. 407, ISBN 9781595342072, from the original on February 14, 2024, retrieved August 9, 2021
6. Bounds, Harvey Cochran (1938). A Postal History of Delaware. New York: Press of Kells. pp. 63, 101. ISBN 978-1-59534-207-2. OCLC 881567649. from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
7. "Peninsula News Paragraphs". Wilmington Evening Journal. April 10, 1899. p. 8. from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
8. Cram's Modern Atlas: The New Unrivaled New Census Edition. J. R. Gray & Company. 1902. p. 84. from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
9. "Junior Mechanics". Wilmington Delaware Gazette And State Journal. February 20, 1902. p. 3. from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
10. "Blind Staggers in Milford Neck". Wilmington Evening Journal. August 31, 1921. p. 12. from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
11. "Fire Destroys Sussex Store". Wilmington Evening Journal. January 17, 1921. p. 2. from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
12. Morrison, James. "Sussex Co. Council says 'no' Overbrook Town Center project rezoning". Delaware First Media. from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
13. "Sussex Council Denies Modified Plans for Overbrook Town Center". May 2, 2021. from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
14. Goebel, Taylor (April 4, 2018). "Overbrook Town Center: What to know about the revote". from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.