Cape Henlopen

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Cape Henlopen from space, October 1994

Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, Delaware.

1 Early History
2 State Park
3 Timeline of Cape Henlopen
4 External links

[edit] Early History

Originally spelled Cape Hinlopen, Cape Henlopen is named after Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen who was a prominent Dutch trader in corn from the Baltic carrying on trade to Genoa and Portugal. He also was an insurer and a director of the Northern Company, the successor company of the New Netherland Company. Cape Hinlopen was New Netherland's most southern border on the 38th parallel.

In 1620, Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen became Cornelis Jacobsz May's (Cape Cornelius and Cape May) business partner in the ships Blijde Boodschap (en. "Joyful Message") and Bever which focused on exploration and trade with the Indians in the Zuidt Rivier (Delaware River) in 1620.

The area between the 38th and 40th parallels (i.e., the Delaware Bay area) as well as the Delaware River from north to south had previously been surveyed and charted by Cornelis Hendricksz from Monnikendam on the ship "Onrust" in 1614, 1615 and 1616. From August until November 1616, the New Netherland Company, which had an exclusive trading patent for the New Netherland territory between 40 and 45 degrees latitude, had tried unsuccessfully to obtain an exclusive patent from the States General of the Dutch Republic for the territory between 38 and 40 degrees latitude.

Cornelis Jacobsz May was also unable to trade in the South River (Delaware River) at the exclusion of competing Dutch companies. Those Dutch companies came in conflict with one another but were eventually able to reach agreement in New Netherland. Discord arose again which was settled, finally, by a judgment of arbitrators at Amsterdam on December 23, 1623. The 38th and 39th parallels region came under the final jurisdiction of the Dutch West India Company on behalf of the States General with the delivery of the first settlers to Governors Island in New Netherland in 1624. Those settlers were subsequently spread out onto Verhulsten Island (Burlington Island) in the Delaware, at Fort Orange (now Albany) in the Hudson River and at the mouth of the Connecticut River in order to finalize the claim to New Netherland as a North American province according to the Law of Nations (Hugo Grotius).

[edit] State Park

Cape Henlopen State Park is a 5,193 acre (21 km²) state park that includes Cape Henlopen. William Penn made it one of the first public lands established in the United States in 1682 with the declaration that Cape Henlopen would be for "the usage of the citizens of Lewes and Sussex County."

Looking north from Herring Point

The park has a popular, 24 hour and year round fishing pier (on the bay) as well as a campsite (not directly on water). The remainder of the park is only open from sunrise to sunset, and includes a bathhouse on the Atlantic Ocean, an area for surf-fishing, a disc golf course, and bicycle and walking paths. The beach at the derelict Naval Jetty (Herring Point) is a popular surfing spot.

As with all Delaware state beaches, entrance is free during the off-season but costs $4 for Delaware-tagged vehicles and $8 for out of state vehicles from 1 May to 31 October. Season passes may be purchased at a cost of $27 per in-state vehicle and provide access to all state beaches in Delaware.

View south from the Herring Point parking lot

During World War II, the U.S. Army built Fort Miles at Cape Henlopen. Numerous bunkers, concrete observation towers and the pier that was built to accommodate the laying of mines on the harbor floor remain today. Within the park grounds are a handful of concrete towers from that era, as well as underground ammo bunkers dug to be used with the towers against the eventuality of air attack.

Off the coast on the bay side are two lighthouses, called breakwater lights.

[edit] Timeline of Cape Henlopen

1682 William Penn designates the area as public land.
1767-9 Construction of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse completed at the Great Dune - the sixth lighthouse on American soil. This construction was funded by the merchants of Philadelphia.
1777 the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was gutted by fire.
1784 the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was repaired and returned to active duty.
1824 The Cape Henlopen Beacon was constructed on a 45 foot (14 m) tower about a mile (1.6 km) north of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse.
1855 Construction of the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse completed.
1869 Construction of the Delaware Breakwater West End Lighthouse and stone breakwater barrier completed.
1885 The steel Strickland Lighthouse replaces the lighthouse on the inner breakwater.
1901 Construction of the 8,000 foot (2.4 km) long outer stone breakwater barrier completed.
1903 The Strickland Lighthouse is retired from service.
1920 Cape Henlopen Lighthouse badly damaged by a storm.
1924 Cape Henlopen Lighthouse abandoned - lens removed.
1926 (April 13) Cape Henlopen Lighthouse collapsed due to movement of Great Dune.
1941 U.S. Army established Fort Miles at Cape Henlopen.
1950 The Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse demolished and the East End Lighthouse was automated.
1964 The U.S. Department of Defense declared 543 acres as surplus property and the State of Delaware established Cape Henlopen State Park.
1978 The Fenwick Lighthouse is decommissioned.
Gordon's Pond Wildlife Area established.
1982 The State of Delaware assumed ownership of the Fenwick lighthouse and it was electrified and returned to operation.
1997 The State of Delaware purchased the East End lighthouse and placed it on the National Register of Historic Places.

National Harbor of Refuge, outer breakwater off Cape Henlopen. All metal, built in 1926 and automated in 1973. Maintained by US Coast Guard. Visible from Cape May-Lewes Ferry.