Bridgeville is a town in Sussex County,

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,048, an increase of 42.6% from the previous decade. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The town of Bridgeville is the oldest community in western Sussex County. Records of land transactions which were made in the first quarter of the 18th century suggest that a significant agricultural community already existed in the area by that period. A small group of houses had been built along the present Main Street by the turn of the 19th century; this settlement was known as "Bridge Branch" for the nearby stream, which was crossed by a bridge as early as 1730. By 1804, the community had grown sufficiently to merit the establishment of a post office. The village was formally recognized in 1810, when an Act of the Assembly was passed to establish its name as "Bridgeville". Early 19th century industries included a water-powered mill, tanyard, charcoal furnace, and fruit-drying business. The growth of the town accelerated greatly upon the arrival of the

Delaware Railroad The Delaware Railroad was the major railroad in the US state of Delaware, traversing almost the entire state north to south. It was planned in 1836 and built in the 1850s. It began in Porter and was extended south through Dover, Seaford and fin ...

in Bridgeville in 1856. The town was subsequently laid out for development by

William Cannon William Cannon (March 15, 1809 – March 1, 1865) was an American merchant and politician from Bridgeville, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party and later the Republican Party, who served in the Delaware General ...

(1809-1865). Bridgeville's population was 613 in 1900. Bridgeville was named for a bridge that was built in 1730 that was located over a tributary of the Nanticoke River. The Bridgeville Historic District, Bridgeville Public Library, Eratt House, Old Bridgeville Fire House, Ricards House-Linden Hall, Scott's Store, Sudler House, and Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Transportation

Roads are the main means of transport to and from Bridgeville.

U.S. Route 13 U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 (I-95) just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to US 1 in the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville ...

(Sussex Highway) is the primary north-south highway serving the town, connecting northward to Dover and southward to

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

Delaware Route 404 Delaware Route 404 (DE 404) is a major state highway in Sussex County, Delaware that spans the east-west width of the state. DE 404's western terminus is at the Maryland border northwest of Bridgeville, where the road continue ...

is the main east-west highway serving Bridgeville, heading east towards Georgetown and west towards

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The two roads are concurrent for part of their route through Bridgeville as they both bypass the center of town to the north and east. U.S. Route 13 Business and Delaware Route 404 Business follow their respective original alignments through the center of town.

DART First State The Delaware Transit Corporation, operating as DART First State, is the only public transportation system that operates throughout the U.S. state of Delaware. DART First State provides local and inter-county bus service throughout the state and ...

operates the Route 212 bus that connects Bridgeville with Delmar and Georgetown. The

Delmarva Central Railroad The Delmarva Central Railroad is an American short-line railroad owned by Carload Express that operates of track on the Delmarva Peninsula in the states of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The railroad operates lines from Porter, Delaware to Hal ...

's Delmarva Subdivision line passes north-south through Bridgeville.

Geography

Bridgeville is located at (38.7426137, –75.6043714). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 1,436 people, 570 households, and 381 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 636 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 55.85% White, 31.55% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 8.91% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.64%. Of the 570 households 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.4% of households were one person and 12.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02. The age distribution was 28.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median household income was $26,579 and the median family income was $30,083. Males had a median income of $25,536 versus $20,298 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,965. About 24.9% of families and 27.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 42.5% of those under age 18 and 13.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Most of Bridgeville is situated in the Woodbridge School District, while a small portion is in the Seaford School District. The Woodbridge district's high school is Woodbridge High School and the Seaford district's high school is Seaford Senior High School.

Arts and culture

Bridgeville is home to the

Apple Scrapple Festival The Apple Scrapple Festival is held annually during the second weekend in October in Bridgeville, Delaware. It was first held in 1992. Notable events include the Ladies' Iron Skillet Toss, the Scrapple Chunkin' Contest, and the Mayor's Scrapple Sl ...

and was formerly home to the World Championship Punkin Chunkin.

Notable people

* Thurman Adams, Jr., Democratic member of the

Delaware Senate The Delaware Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at wh ...

; born in Bridgeville * William F. Allen, Democratic member of the

Delaware General Assembly The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisl ...

and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

; born in Bridgeville *

Philip L. Cannon Philip Leonidas Cannon (June 28, 1850 – June 20, 1929) was an American banker and politician who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of Delaware from January 15, 1901, to January 17, 1905. Son of former Governor William Cannon, he was the ...

, first Lieutenant Governor of Delaware (1901–1905) and son of William Cannon; born in Bridgeville *

, served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware during much of the Civil War; born in Bridgeville * Peter F. Causey, Governor of Delaware from 1855 to 1859 * Edward Willis Redfield, impressionist painter

References

External links

Town of Bridgeville Delaware
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Bridgeville
{{authority control Towns in Sussex County, Delaware Towns in Delaware Salisbury metropolitan area