For generations, the sea has saturated daily life in Lewes. Laboring afloat was a part of the town’s natural rhythm, as predictable as the tides. Whether apprenticing as a pilot, working in the menhaden fishery, building ships, or serving aboard a swift-sailing schooner, Lewestowners consistently labored at sea and the community supported these ventures. Together, they established a proud maritime heritage.

Today, this seaborne heritage continues to thrive throughout the greater Lewes region. While most Lewestowners no longer labor afloat, we continue to be drawn by the sea. The Historic Lewes Maritime Museum & Margaret H. Rollins Welcome Center invites visitors and residents alike to discover the stories, people, and traditions that define the maritime heritage of the First Town in the First State.