Milton, Delaware - Small Sussex County Town and Dogfish Head's Hometown
Milton is a town of about 2,824 people in eastern Sussex County, situated along the Broadkill River roughly ten miles northwest of Lewes. The town was a shipbuilding center in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, using the Broadkill's access to Delaware Bay to launch vessels. When the shipbuilding era ended, Milton transitioned to agriculture and cannery work. Several of the old Federal-style and Victorian homes from the town's prosperous shipping years still stand along Union Street and Federal Street.
The modern claim to fame for Milton is Dogfish Head Brewery, founded here in 1995 by Sam Calagione. What started as the smallest commercial brewery in the United States has grown into a nationally distributed craft beer brand. The brewery's tasting room, restaurant, and headquarters remain in Milton, drawing beer enthusiasts and contributing to a modest tourism economy. Dogfish Head was acquired by the Boston Beer Company in 2019 but continues to operate its Milton facility.
Beyond the brewery, Milton's economy rests on its role as a residential community for people who work in the Lewes-Rehoboth Beach area or in Dover. New housing developments have appeared on the town's edges as Sussex County's coastal growth pushes inland. The Broadkill River offers kayaking and fishing, and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge lies a few miles to the north along Delaware Bay.
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Milton is a town of about 2,824 people in eastern Sussex County, situated along the Broadkill River roughly ten miles northwest of Lewes. The town was a shipbuilding center in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, using the Broadkill's access to Delaware Bay to launch vessels. When the shipbuilding era ended, Milton transitioned to agriculture and cannery work. Several of the old Federal-style and Victorian homes from the town's prosperous shipping years still stand along Union Street and Federal Street.
The modern claim to fame for Milton is Dogfish Head Brewery, founded here in 1995 by Sam Calagione. What started as the smallest commercial brewery in the United States has grown into a nationally distributed craft beer brand. The brewery's tasting room, restaurant, and headquarters remain in Milton, drawing beer enthusiasts and contributing to a modest tourism economy. Dogfish Head was acquired by the Boston Beer Company in 2019 but continues to operate its Milton facility.
Beyond the brewery, Milton's economy rests on its role as a residential community for people who work in the Lewes-Rehoboth Beach area or in Dover. New housing developments have appeared on the town's edges as Sussex County's coastal growth pushes inland. The Broadkill River offers kayaking and fishing, and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge lies a few miles to the north along Delaware Bay.
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