Former Melson Funeral Home in Lewes demolished

The former Melson Funeral Home, first constructed in 1940 on the corner of Savannah Road and Dewey Avenue in Lewes, disappeared this week – the short work of Fitzgerald Demolition of Lincoln.

Lewes building official Henry Baynum said the demolition permit was approved by the city about two or three weeks ago.  "We have no idea what plans there are, if any, for the site," said Baynum.  "It's in an area zoned for a mixed commercial and residential use." Baynum said the cedar shakes on the building were added some time back, in the 1980s. "They make the building look a lot older than it is."

Dick Pack, who owns the two-lot property with Cliff Diver, said they are looking at a number of options.  "We leased it for a number of years to Beebe Medical Center for offices.  But after they acquired the former Lewes Convalescent Center and moved there, we looked around, saw a lot of other more recent buildings with commercial space, and decided that rehabbing the building would not give us a viable return on our investment. Real estate consultants said the best thing to do might be to remove the building and then offer the lots in an undeveloped status. We're not sure what we're going to do."

Doug Melson said his father, Clayton Melson, first opened a funeral business in Lewes in 1934 in the brick building on Savannah Road that is now home to the Savannah Inn Bed and Breakfast.  "Then in 1940 he built a new funeral home on the Savannah Road and Dewey Avenue site – on property that his mother owned.  She had lived on the corner and moved her house back a lot to front on Dewey Avenue.  The new funeral home included full funeral capacity on the first floor and two apartments upstairs where mom and dad and the eight children all lived."