The other night was the last candlelight tour for the year of the Historic Houses of Odessa, Delaware and my friends and I took the opportunity to first have dinner at Cantwell's Tavern and then tour the 3 houses decorated for the season. First came the c. 1769 Wilson-Warner house, which had Christmas trees decorated by various groups such as the DAR.  One of the trees was decorated with ladybugs, the State bug, another with nutcrackers (both from the collection of the woman who took us through the house). Our next stop was next door at the Corbit-Sharp house, c. 1774. This home was decorated to fit the theme of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Having just watched the 1951 version on TV the night before, the names were all fresh in my mind. Who can forget Fezziwig? His party was p... 12/28/2018

A recent visit to the Historic Houses of Odessa proved a step back into the past of Delaware. Located 24 miles south of downtown Wilmington, Delaware, this tiny town of less than 400 people and half a square mile has a long history. In the 1660s the Dutch settled the Appoquinimink River area and adopted the Indian name for the area, “Apequinemy.” They were attracted to the area for its location along the river and had hopes of establishing a trading route with colonies to the west. Next, the English began to colonize the (left, Wilson-Warner house) region and peacefully gained control of the Apequinemy area in 1664. Soon, the Dutch plantation was confiscated by the British and granted to Captain Edmund Cantwell, the first sheriff of New Castle County under the government of William Penn... 06/16/2015

Odessa's early history began in the 1660s when the Dutch settled the Appoquinimink area and adopted the Indian name for the area, "Apequinemy." Its location along the river gave hopes of establishing a trading route with colonies to the west. The English began to colonize the region and peacefully gained control in 1664. The British granted the previously held Dutch area to Captain Edmund Cantwell, the first sheriff of New Castle County under the government of William Penn. 02/21/2008

The historic atmosphere of Odessa is the town's most prominent characteristic.The historic district and several individual buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.  In 1731, Richard Cantwell erected a toll bridge over the Appoquinimink Creek, called Cantwell's Bridge, and the town took the same name. In 1767, William Corbit opened the first industry in the town, a tannery. 1817 saw a blacksmith shop established, and in 1855  bank was incorporated. Later industries included fertilizers, fruit drying and canning. 02/21/2008