Cape Henlopen, originally spelled Cape Hinlopen, was New Netherland's southernmost border on the 37th parallel north. In 1620, Thijmen Jacobsz Hinlopen became the business partner of Cornelis Jacobsen Mey in the now washed out Cape Cornelius and the incorrectly spelled Cape May with the ships Blijde Boodschap and Bever both of which focused on exploration and trade with the Indians on the Delaware River. The area between the 38th and 40th parallels as well as the Delaware River from north to south had previously been surveyed and charted by Cornelis Hendricksz from Monnikendam on the ship "Onrust" in 1614, 1615 and 1616. From August until November 1616, the New Netherland Company, which had an exclusive trading patent for the New Netherland territory between 40° and 45° latitude, had tried unsuccessfully to obtain an exclusive patent from the States General of the Dutch Republic for the territory between 38° and 40° latitude. Cornelis Jacobsz Mey was also unable to trade in the South River at the exclusion of competing Dutch companies. Those Dutch companies came in conflict with one another but were eventually able to reach agreement in New Netherland. Discord arose again which was settled, finally, by a judgment of arbitrators at Amsterdam on December 23, 1623. The 38th and 39th parallels region came under the final jurisdiction of the Dutch West India Company on behalf of the States General with the delivery of the first settlers to Governors Island in New Netherland in 1624. Those settlers were subsequently spread out onto Verhulsten Island in the Delaware, at Fort Orange in the Hudson River and at the mouth of the Connecticut River in order to finalize the claim to New Netherland as a North American province according to the Hugo GrotiusLaw of Nations. In 1782 during the American Revolutionary War, the young Continental NavyLieutenantJoshua Barneyfought with a British squadron at Cape May and Delaware Bay. Barney's force of three sloops defeated a Royal Navyfrigate, a sloop-of-war and a Loyalistprivateer. The battle ended with the loss of two British vessels and one American sloop.
State Park
Cape Henlopen State Park is a 5,193 acre Delaware state park on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. William Penn made the beaches of Cape Henlopen one of the first public lands established in what has become the United States in 1682 with the declaration that Cape Henlopen would be for "the usage of the citizens of Lewes and Sussex County." Cape Henlopen State Park has a 24-hour and year-round fishing pier as well as campgrounds. The remainder of the park is only open from sunrise to sunset, and includes a bathhouse on the Atlantic Ocean, an area for surf-fishing, a disc golf course, and bicycle lanes, walking paths, and a World War II-era watchtower which is open to the public. The beach at Herring Point is also a popular surfing spot. Camp Henlopen serves as the Eastern terminus for the American Discovery Trail, the only coast to coast hiking trail in the United States.
Timeline of Cape Henlopen
1682 William Penn designates the area as public land.
1767-9 Construction of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse completed at the Great Dune – the sixth lighthouse on American soil. This construction was funded by the merchants of Philadelphia.
1777 the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was gutted by fire.
1784 the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was repaired and returned to active duty.
1789 Pennsylvania cedes the lighthouse, associated land, and jurisdiction to the United States.
1824 The Cape Henlopen Beacon was constructed on a 45-foot tower about a mile north of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse.
1855 Construction of the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse completed.
1869 Construction of the Delaware Breakwater West End Lighthouse and stone breakwater barrier completed.
1885 The steel Strickland Lighthouse replaces the lighthouse on the inner breakwater.
1901 Construction of the 8,000 foot long outer stone breakwater barrier completed.
1903 The Strickland Lighthouse is retired from service.
