Blades on the Nanticoke: A Sussex County River Town
Blades is a small town of about 1,354 residents in Sussex County, Delaware, located on the western bank of the Nanticoke River just south of Seaford. The town was incorporated in 1906 and named after the Blades family, early settlers in the area. Its position on the Nanticoke, which flows south into the Chesapeake Bay, once made it part of a regional network of river commerce that moved timber, grain, and seafood to market.
Seaford, the nearest town of any size, lies immediately to the north and provides most of the commercial services, healthcare, and employment for Blades residents. The former DuPont nylon plant in Seaford, which opened in 1939 as the first nylon manufacturing facility in the world, was a major employer for decades before closing. The regional economy now relies on agriculture, poultry processing, and small manufacturing. Mountaire Farms and Allen Harim operate poultry facilities within commuting distance.
The Nanticoke River is the primary natural feature of the area. It remains relatively undeveloped compared to the state's eastern waterways, with forested banks and tidal marshes supporting blue herons, ospreys, and river otters. The Nanticoke Wildlife Area, managed by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, preserves several thousand acres of habitat south of Blades. The town itself is residential, with a grid of quiet streets, a volunteer fire department, and a community park along the river.
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Blades is a small town of about 1,354 residents in Sussex County, Delaware, located on the western bank of the Nanticoke River just south of Seaford. The town was incorporated in 1906 and named after the Blades family, early settlers in the area. Its position on the Nanticoke, which flows south into the Chesapeake Bay, once made it part of a regional network of river commerce that moved timber, grain, and seafood to market.
Seaford, the nearest town of any size, lies immediately to the north and provides most of the commercial services, healthcare, and employment for Blades residents. The former DuPont nylon plant in Seaford, which opened in 1939 as the first nylon manufacturing facility in the world, was a major employer for decades before closing. The regional economy now relies on agriculture, poultry processing, and small manufacturing. Mountaire Farms and Allen Harim operate poultry facilities within commuting distance.
The Nanticoke River is the primary natural feature of the area. It remains relatively undeveloped compared to the state's eastern waterways, with forested banks and tidal marshes supporting blue herons, ospreys, and river otters. The Nanticoke Wildlife Area, managed by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, preserves several thousand acres of habitat south of Blades. The town itself is residential, with a grid of quiet streets, a volunteer fire department, and a community park along the river.
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