Bird’s-eye view of Rehoboth in early 1900s

Ever wondered what Rehoboth Beach looked like in its earliest days? Well, here’s a bird’s-eye view of the bustling town in the early 1900s. This postcard was postmarked in 1906 and sold at Horn’s Pavilion. The photograph appears to have been taken from the area of Olive Avenue or Virginia Avenue and looking south toward the main drag. Horn’s Pavilion was an iconic structure that stood over the beach at the end of Rehoboth Avenue from 1899 to 1914. The pier seen in this photograph is part of Horn’s Pavilion. What is now Rehoboth Beach was founded just 33 years before this photograph when the Rev. Robert W. Todd of St. Paul's M.E. Church in Wilmington purchased 414 acres from local farmers to create the Rehoboth Camp Meeting Association. While the association discontinued its formal meetings by 1881, other groups utilized the site for services until around the turn of the 20th century. In 1891, Delaware's General Assembly established the territory as a municipality.