The Indian River Life-Saving Station was established at
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware in 1876 to rescue mariners shipwrecked along the Delaware coast, as part of the
United States Life-Saving Service. It was designed in 1874 as a -story board-and-batten frame structure with decorative brackets supporting overhanging eaves in a version of the
Queen Anne style. It sheltered a
surfboat
A surfboat (or surf boat) is an oar-driven boat designed to enter the ocean from the beach in heavy surf or severe waves. It is often used in lifesaving or rescue missions where the most expedient access to victims is directly from the beach.
...
which could be quickly rolled out through double doors facing the beach and down a ramp to the water. The main station house remains of what was once a complex that included a barn, stable, meat house, feed house and privy. An auxiliary boathouse stood about a mile to the south. The original plans for the station survive.
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The facility was moved back from the water's edge in 1877 due to coastal erosion. In 1915, the United States Life-Saving Service merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the
United States Coast Guard. The station was converted to a Coast Guard station and occupied until the
Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash is ...
, which left it partially buried in sand. A new
Coast Guard station was built nearby in 1964. The original station was restored by the Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation, and is now operated as the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum by Delaware State Parks, as part of
Delaware Seashore State Park
Delaware Seashore State Park is located near Dewey Beach, in Delaware, United States. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay. The park covers . It is a major attraction for millions o ...
.
References
External links
Indian River Life-Saving Station
at Delaware Seashore State Park
Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware
Buildings and structures in Sussex County, Delaware
Life-Saving Service stations
Museums in Sussex County, Delaware
Maritime museums in Delaware
National Register of Historic Places in Sussex County, Delaware
Life-Saving Service stations on the National Register of Historic Places
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