Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, was founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church.
If you’re wondering why a beach town needed to be founded by a church, congratulations. You are already asking better questions than most history books.
The original idea was simple: create a seaside retreat where people could escape the distractions and temptations of everyday life.
Because apparently in the 1870s, people looked at a gorgeous Atlantic Ocean beach and thought, “This would be an excellent place for prayer.”
Not swimming.
Not sunbathing.
Not drinking a frozen cocktail large enough to qualify as a flotation device.
Prayer.
The settlement was named after the biblical city of Rehoboth, meaning “broad places.”
Which is lovely.
And also hilarious considering the modern struggle to find parking anywhere near the crowded boardwalk between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Then the Railroad Showed Up and Ruined Everything
As is often the case in American history, somebody built a railroad and suddenly everything changed.
The railroad made it easier for visitors from nearby cities to reach Rehoboth. Once people realized they could spend a weekend at the beach without dying of cholera on the journey, tourism exploded.
Hotels appeared.
Businesses appeared.
Ice cream appeared.
And just like that, a religious retreat began its transformation into a place where people willingly spend $12 on fudge because they’re on vacation and have temporarily forgotten how money works.
Honestly, it’s the most American story imaginable.
The Boardwalk Economy
One thing I love about beach towns is that they operate on a completely different economic system.
At home, if somebody tried to charge you eight dollars for a handful of french fries, you would call the authorities.
At the beach, you hand over your credit card while saying things like, “We’re making memories.”
Rehoboth’s boardwalk became the heart of town life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and remains the center of activity today.
It’s a magical place where families stroll, kids drop ice cream cones, teenagers experience life-altering crushes that will be forgotten by September, and seagulls conduct organized theft operations in broad daylight.
Frankly, the seagulls deserve their own historical marker.
The Plot Twist Nobody Saw Coming
One of the most interesting parts of Rehoboth’s story is how much it evolved.
Over time, the town became known as one of the most welcoming LGBTQ+ destinations on the East Coast.
I genuinely love this development because there’s something deeply satisfying about a place refusing to stay frozen in its original purpose.
The founders probably imagined a community centered around nineteenth-century religious values.
Instead, they accidentally created a beach town known for inclusivity, excellent restaurants, and tourists carrying funnel cakes the size of hubcaps.
History is weird and wonderful that way.
So What Is Rehoboth Today?
Today, Rehoboth Beach somehow manages to be several things at once.
It’s a family vacation destination.
It’s a foodie destination.
It’s an LGBTQ+ destination.
It’s a retirement destination.
And it’s a place where otherwise rational adults will stand in line for forty-five minutes to buy candy.
The town has changed dramatically since its founding in 1873, but that’s part of its charm. Rehoboth isn’t a museum piece pretending the past never ended. It’s a place that adapted, evolved, and figured out how to survive while keeping the things people loved in the first place.
Which may be the real lesson of Rehoboth Beach.
Or maybe the lesson is that if you put enough people near an ocean, eventually someone will figure out how to sell them saltwater taffy.
Either way, the Methodists probably didn’t see this coming.
Further Reading
- Rehoboth Beach History. Rehoboth Beach Delaware. https://www.rehoboth.com/community/town-history/35-rehoboth-beach-landmark-dates.html
- History. City of Rehoboth Beach. https://www.rehobothbeachde.gov/experience-rehoboth-beach/history/
- MacDonald, W.H. The Origins of Rehoboth Beach. Rehoboth Beach Historical Society. https://www.beach-fun.com/area-history.html
- The Fun and Fascinating History of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Visit Rehoboth. https://www.visitrehoboth.com/things-to-do/the-history-of-rehoboth-beach-delaware
