Henlopen Acres is a municipality north of

Rehoboth Beach Rehoboth Beach ( ) is a city on the Atlantic Ocean along the Delaware Beaches in eastern Sussex County, Delaware. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 1,327, reflecting a decline of 161 (11.2%) from the 1,488 counted in the 2000 ce ...

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, and is the third smallest incorporated town in Delaware. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 122, a 12.2% decrease from the 2000 census. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Henlopen Acres is located at (38.7298343, –75.0862919). 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 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²), all land. It is the smallest incorporated town in Delaware. It borders the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

to the northeast,

to the southeast, and unincorporated portions of Sussex County on the west and north. Much of its western border is demarcated by the

Lewes and Rehoboth Canal The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal is a canal in Sussex County, Delaware, which connects the Broadkill River and the Delaware Bay to Rehoboth Bay. It forms a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway. History Originally proposed in 1803, the canal was fi ...

. An unincorporated neighborhood called North Shores separates the northernmost part of Henlopen Acres from the southern boundary of

Cape Henlopen State Park Cape Henlopen State Park is a Delaware state park on on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what has become the United State ...

. Henlopen Acres is divided into 216 parcels of land, on which are 205 homes, the town hall and maintenance area, the town's marina, the Henlopen Acres Beach Club, Block W Beach, and the Rehoboth Art League. The town has 3.6 miles (5.8 kilometers) of roads, which generally are tree-lined.Meehan, p. 229

Government

The municipal government of Henlopen Acres consists of seven elected officials who serve on the town's council, one of whom serves as mayor. The town employs eleven workers who manage the town office, operate the marina, maintain streets and easements, and provide security. Henlopen Acres has no police department, but town-owned private security began in 1996. Henlopen Acres shares the services and expense of this security service with the unincorporated neighborhood of North Shores to its north. The security service, which patrols all of Henlopen Acres and North Shores, operates two vehicles. The Rehoboth Beach Fire Department serves Henlopen Acres. Henlopen Acres' municipal government generally maintains amicable relations with the government of Rehoboth Beach, follows Sussex County's lead on how to react to emergencies such as major storms and whether or not to evacuate in the face of them. Within Henlopen Acres governmental affairs generally have run smoothly.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 139 people, 69 households, and 42 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 198 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.40%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 2.88%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 0.72%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

. There were 69 households, out of which 11.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 1.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.62. In the town, the population was spread out, with 11.5% under the age of 18, 2.2% from 18 to 24, 10.8% from 25 to 44, 32.4% from 45 to 64, and 43.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 62 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $122,423, and the median income for a family was $162,681. Males had a median income of $0 versus $31,563 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $82,091. 3.5% of the population is 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 ...

. Out of the total population, none of those under the age of 18 and 9.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Henlopen Acres and Greenville (where the DuPont estate is located) are the two richest places in Delaware, all but tied for highest personal incomes, averaging over $80,000 per annum. Only about one-third of the homes in Henlopen Acres are lived in year-round; the rest are vacation homes or rental properties. In 2000, the least expensive home was valued at $325,000 for real estate tax purposes and the value of all the land in Henlopen Acres was estimated at over $100 million.

History

The name "Henlopen" probably is derived from that of

Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen (also Tymen; Thymen; Hinloopen; 1572–1637), was one of the leaders of the Dutch merchant and whaling company of Noordsche Compagnie beginning in 1617 and participant in the New Netherland Company, interested in furs. Thi ...

(1572–1637), a merchant in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Evidence of Native American activity prior to the arrival of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

ans has been found in Henlopen Acres.Meehan, pp. 229, 231. After the arrival of the first European settlers, organized by the Dutch merchant

Samuel Blommaert Samuel Blommaert (''Bloemaert'', ''Blommaerts'', ''Blommaart'', ''Blomert'', etc.) (11 or 21 August 1583, in Antwerp – 23 December 1651, in Amsterdam) was a Flemish/Dutch merchant and director of the Dutch West India Company from 1622 to 1629 ...

(1583–1651 or 1654), the area became farmland. In 1930, a parcel of this farmland was deeded to

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Wilbur S. Corkran (1888–1962) for $100,000. Corkran developed the parcel during the 1930s as a "residential development where quiet-loving, cultured people may live in a country seaside community amid conditions which make for health, comfort and refined pleasure." Corkran's development was incorporated in 1970 as the town of Henlopen Acres.

Education

Henlopen Acres is in the Cape Henlopen School District. It is zoned to Rehoboth Elementary School.Elementary school zoning: and Cape Henlopen High School is the sole comprehensive high school of the district.

Transportation

Roads are the main method of transport into and out of Henlopen Acres. However, no state highways serve the town, with only minor roads linking Henlopen Acres to surrounding areas. The closest state highway is Delaware Route 1A in neighboring

Notable people

* Joe Biden, 46th

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

(2021–present), 47th

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

(2009–2017),

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Delaware (1973–2009), and

Jill Biden Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (born June 3, 1951) is an American educator and the current first lady of the United States since 2021, as the wife of President Joe Biden. She was the second lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017 when her hus ...

, educator and First Lady of the United States (2021–present),

Second Lady of the United States The second gentleman or second lady of the United States (SGOTUS or SLOTUS respectively) is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast ...

(2009–2017) own a beach house in the North Shores neighborhood, just north of the Henlopen Acres town limits * John Delaney, United States Representative for

Maryland's 6th congressional district Maryland's 6th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives from the northwest part of the state. The district comprises all of Garrett County, Maryland, Garrett, Allegany County, Maryland, Allegany ...

(2013–2019) and candidate for President of the United States in 2020, owns a beach house in North Shores

Notes

References

* ''ADC Sussex County Street Map Book, 1st Edition''. Alexandria, Virginia: Alexandria Drafting Company, 2005. . * Meehan, James D. ''From Saints to Sinners...Rehoboth Beach Memoirs''. Bethany Beach, Delaware: Harold E. Dukes, Jr., 2000. .

External links

{{authority control Towns in Sussex County, Delaware Towns in Delaware Beaches of Delaware Salisbury metropolitan area 1930 establishments in Delaware Populated coastal places in Delaware