What Delaware’s Major Cities Looked Like In The 1920s May Shock You. Dover Especially.
Delaware was quite different 90 years ago than it is today! The Roarin’ Twenties were a time of economic prosperity, peace, political reform and of course, Jazz. American women first started to bob their hair to fit into cloche hats, American men ditched the tailcoats and started wearing shorter, more modern jackets. The first skyscrapers were built in major cities, and modern buildings began popping up on every city block. Who wouldn’t want to take a trip back in time to see what the First State looked like at this time? How did 1920s Delaware differ from 2010s Delaware? Luckily, the Delaware Public Archives have released dozens and dozens of photographs of Delaware cities in the 1920s, so let’s take a trip back in time to the following 10 cities.
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Seaford was a growing town of between 2200-2500 citizens in the 1920s, but it still held on to its colonial roots despite rapid growth. Here you can see the Old Wright House in 1926 standing tall.
Bathers splashing in the surf along Bethany Beach... even though this picture was taken in 1925, it gives you the feeling that some things never change.
Old Swedes is a Wilmington Landmark. It's been around forever - since 1699 - and will remain in Wilmington until the end of times. Here it is in 1925 - 226 years old. It doesn't look a day over 225!
Woodlawn will always be gorgeous. The photograph was taken in 1926, 56 years before the mansion would be on the National List of Historic Places Registry.
Old Drawyers Church still stands in what is now considered Middletown, but it looks slightly different than it did in 1925! For one, the brick walls are no longer covered in Ivy!
Let's be honest, you knew this was UD before even reading the caption. Luckily, the University has preseved a lot of its history, and Wolfe Hall actually still looks exactly like it did in this 1925 photograph.
Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com
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