Relocation of The County Seat

Sussex County · dedicated 1991 · 28 The Circle, Georgetown

The conflicting claims of the proprietors of Maryland and Pennsylvania resulted in a lengthy and sometimes violent dispute concerning the ownership and boundaries of Sussex County. Residents who had been Marylanders before the controversy was resolved in 1775, found themselves to be inconvenienced when traveling to Lewes, the original seat of government. Hundreds of persons signed petitions requesting removal of the county seat to a more central location. On January 29, 1791, the Delaware Assembly approved legislation resulting in the establishment of Georgetown.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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