“Pettijohn’s Old Field”

The future home of Sussex County’s seat of government was a sparsely populated rural area when the seventy-six acres that would become the Town of Georgetown were purchased on May 9, 1791. Located near the centre of the county at a place known as James Pettijohn’s Old Field, the land was surveyed by Rhoads Shankland, who divided it into lots that were sold to defray costs associated with establishing the town. The most prominent feature of his design was the Public Square known today as The Circle.

Georgetown, Delaware · United States