Kitts Hummock, Kent County, Delaware
Text of the sign:
Like the Native Americans before them, European settlers used this rising ground or “hummock” on the shore of the Delaware Bay as a place for fishing and recreation. In 1738, Jehu Curtis received a patent for lands that he called “Kitt’s Hammock.” By the early 1800s, the Pleasanton family had established a tavern here for the entertainment of visitors. Around 1846, a hotel was built nearby. Known for a time as the Bay View Hotel, it was long the center of local activities. In the latter decades of the 19th century, a number of small cottages were erected here. Many were owned by residents of Dover who left the sweltering heat of summer behind for the cooling effects of the waters and bay breezes. Kitts Hummock continues to provide a peaceful refuge for residents and visitors alike.
Delaware Public Archives – 2003
KC-80
On my way in this afternoon, I encountered a resident who came out and introduced himself when he saw me and was anything but unfriendly. Honestly my first thought when I saw him coming was that I’d parked too close (out by the stop sign at the edge of an empty lot), but he just came out to shoot the breeze.
I mentioned the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve and that I was actually out there to take photos as part of my volunteer work, and go figure, he’d been wanting to get in touch with them about the possibility of some sort of cooperation or joint event. He left his contact info on my windshield while I was out on the beach, so once I finish posting the photos from the past few days (I took a computer hiatus while I was out of town), time to hit the email. Of course I’ll post here when and if I have more information.
Anyway, while I was talking, someone else passed by and headed north on the beach, so when I got out to the beach I turned south. I still had the zoom lens on from when I was out at Ted Harvey Wildlife Area, so I left it on until the point where I turned around to walk back, which is where this post ends. I was starting to lose the light a little more than I wanted, since the houses block the sun once it gets far enough down toward the horizon.
As you may have guessed, Kitts Hummock is also part of the St Jones component of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve. For more information about the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, please visit their website. For more information about volunteer opportunities with the Reserve, click here.
For more of my photos from the Reserve components: http://lifeontheedges.com/tag/DNERR
And last but not least, for more Kitts Hummock photos: http://lifeontheedges.com/tag/kitts-hummock
