Slaughter Beach, Delaware

Slaughter Beach, Delaware
Town
Location of Slaughter Beach in Sussex County, Delaware.
Slaughter Beach Location within the state of Delaware Show map of Delaware Slaughter Beach Slaughter Beach (the US) Show map of the US
Coordinates: 38°54′46″N 75°18′15″W / 38.91278°N 75.30417°W / 38.91278; -75.30417Coordinates: 38°54′46″N 75°18′15″W / 38.91278°N 75.30417°W / 38.91278; -75.30417
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Sussex
Area[1]
• Total	1.38 sq mi (3.57 km2)
• Land	1.36 sq mi (3.51 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	207
• Estimate (2016)[2]	233
• Density	171.70/sq mi (66.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Area code(s)	302
FIPS code	10-67050
GNIS feature ID	214663[3]

Slaughter Beach is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 207 at the 2010 census, an increase of 4.5% over the past decade. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Slaughter Beach was founded in 1681 and incorporated in 1931. There are at least three stories of where the town's name came from: The first is that it was named after William Slaughter, a local postmaster in the mid-19th century. The second story claims “the name came from the horseshoe crabs that wash up on shore and die each year. They come near shore to shallow water to lay their eggs and the low tide strands them leaving them to die, thus the "slaughter."" The third story, and the most contested source of the town's name, stems from a local legend which tells of a man named Brabant who, in the mid-18th century, "slaughtered" several indigenous inhabitants by cannon in order to prevent an impending massacre.^[4][5] In 2018, PETA wrote to the mayor and followed up with a press release requesting the town change its name to "Sanctuary Beach" and offered to help pay for new signage if the name was adopted.^[6]

Mispillion Lighthouse

Slaughter Beach was home to the last wooden frame lighthouse in Delaware, the Mispillion Lighthouse. The lighthouse, which overlooked the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek, was established in 1831 with a 65-foot tower. The lighthouse was on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2002 the lighthouse was partially destroyed when it was hit by lightning. The lighthouse was later purchased privately, transported down the bay via barge, and incorporated into a private residence in the town of Lewes.

Wildlife

Slaughter Beach is also home to the Milford Neck Wildlife Area.^[7] Tourists are attracted to this area for birding, as many birds stop over to eat the eggs of horseshoe crabs as they lay their eggs on the beaches. Along with Broadkill, Fowler, Kitts Hummock, Pickering, and Primehook beaches, this area is officially designated as a sanctuary for horseshoe crabs, the state marine animal of Delaware and a "signature species" of the Delaware Bay Estuary.^[8] Because Slaughter Beach is such an important area for the continued survival of horseshoe crabs and the migrating birds that depend on their eggs, the town has adopted the horseshoe crab as its official town symbol.

Geography

Slaughter Beach is located at 38°54′46″N 75°18′15″W / 38.91278°N 75.30417°W / 38.91278; -75.30417 (38.9128903, -75.3040800).^[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 198 people, 108 households, and 64 families residing in the town. The population density was 147.9 people per square mile (57.1/km²). There were 253 housing units at an average density of 189.0 per square mile (72.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.49% White, and 0.51% from two or more races.

There were 108 households out of which 3.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.83 and the average family size was 2.23.

In the town, the population was spread out with 4.0% under the age of 18, 1.5% from 18 to 24, 17.2% from 25 to 44, 50.0% from 45 to 64, and 27.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $50,625. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $37,188 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,290. About 10.9% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen or sixty five or over.

References