Not many things that get hit with a cannonball live to tell the tale. That is one claim to fame for the small town of Lewes, Delaware. Lewes is notable for its many historic homes, but perhaps the most unique is the Cannonball House on Front Street near the canal. 

Top Places in Lewes

Lewes, Delaware

Bunkers of Cape Henlopen State Park

WWII-era bunkers are hidden under the beaches of this picturesque park, which is still scattered with wartime watchtowers. .

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Lewes, Delaware

Roosevelt Inlet Shipwreck

A wrecked ship dating back to the American Revolution was only recently discovered off the Delaware coast.

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Lewes, Delaware

Zwaanendael Museum

A grotesque Fiji merman dwells within this traditional Dutch-style building.

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The Cannonball House is so named due to the battle scars it bears from a little run-in with the British in 1813. During the Bombardment of Lewes, the British attacked the town and kept the canal front under siege, but eventually were defeated with the help of two forts that once sat in the park across the street. The Cannonball House was hit, and that same cannonball remains lodged in its side today. 

Thanks to the Lewes Historical Society, these historical sites still stand today for visitors to experience. The Cannonball House now acts as the local Maritime Museum, home to artifacts from the town’s nautically rich history, such as a Fresnel Lens from the Fourteen Foot Bank Lighthouse in the Delaware Bay.