Lewes Historical Society program Feb. 15 will highlight Rosedale Beach Resort

Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Chick Webb, Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder were among many artists who performed there. Folks went there to dance to jazz bands and to relax. It was a resort unlike any other in Sussex County. It was Rosedale Beach Hotel and Resort.

In observance of African-American History Month, the Friday, Feb. 15 program of the Lewes Historical society will highlight “the resort that was,” as Tamara Jubilee Shaw presents “Rosedale...Where the Stars Came to Play.” The program begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Lewes Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, Kings Highway, Lewes.

Shaw says a lot of information on Rosedale has evaporated over time, but, she says, “I was introduced to the Rosedale Beach story by my father when I was a young girl. He told me about the resort’s heyday when performers such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and other musicians came to Millsboro to perform at this venerable venue.” The resort, officially incorporated in 1937, was a place where people of color could go for entertainment and hotel accommodations. Along with the hotel, Rosedale featured a boardwalk, dance hall, picnic and beach area, and an amusement park. She says, "As an adult, my interest on the subject grew and eventually led to the Rosedale Beach memorial project and the placement of the historical marker in what is now Gull Point along the Indian River.”

Shaw’s presentation will document her work with the historic marker project, and she will illustrate her presentation with photos and other related items. She has long nurtured her love of history. A journalism graduate of Delaware State College, she holds a master’s degree in media studies from the New School for Social Research in New York City and has worked on a variety of historical research projects. She was a historical interpreter and researcher for Delaware State Museums’ Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs for the state of Delaware for 10 years.

The public is invited to attend what has become a Lewes Historical Society tradition of observing African-American History month. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation.