"Our Gardens of Lewes, Delaware" by Hannah Lyons Richardson. 1930, 1964, 1993; pictured, 1964 reprint. Repreinted by permission of the author's daughter by The Lewes Historical Society. © The Lewes Historical Society

As August comes upon us and the gardens of Cape Henlopen reach their full summer glory, it is an apt time to step back and appreciate past descriptions of the gardens of Lewes.

The vignette, "Our Gardens of Lewes, Delaware," was written by Hannah Rodney Lyons Richardson c. 1930. Mrs. Richardson was born in Lewes in 1863, the daughter of Dr. Jospeh Lyons and Margaret Virden. She married John Richardson, an attorney, and they made their life in Georgetown, Delaware. She died in 1939.

Mrs. Richardson described the gardens around the house of Dr. Hiram Rodney Burton - now a part of the Historic Complex - in great detail. She mentioned that:

Coming back and turning the corner of "the one long street," as Howard Pyle designated it in "Within the Cape," we come to the Dr. H.R. Burton homestead and tho' most of the garden was gone before my time, there was enough left to show that it had been. When I first remember it, there was an old porch door, with side benches at the front door, which was covered with honeysuckle, jasmine and roses.

Hannah went on that,

A pleasant vista is to be seen at the dead end of Second Street with its lovely old trees, hedged on two sides with bridal wreath, and banked with a brilliant line of forsythia.

As one strolls the streets of Lewes today admiring the gardens of today, stop for a moment to recall Hannah's words about the gardens of long ago -- perhaps the sweet smell of jasmine will bring to mind their past splendor!

For more information or to order a copy of the booklet ($2.00), please contact the Society at research@historiclewes.org.

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