Railroad crossing at Cool Spring in 1924

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the former railroad crossing at Route 9 in Cool Spring. When the line was decommissioned from Cool Spring to Lewes in 2017, the Delaware Department of Transportation developed a plan to reuse the right of way as a trail. Work on the Lewes-to-Georgetown Trail began before that though, with the first section opening parallel to the railroad in Lewes in 2016. When complete, the trail will connect Lewes to Georgetown. The crossing at Route 9 is likely the most significant. There have been discussions about constructing a pedestrian bridge over the roadway. Right now, bicyclists and pedestrians are directed to the the intersection of Fisher and Hudson roads to cross Route 9. A trailhead is under construction at Stephen P. Hudson Park on the southwest side of the former railroad crossing on land purchased by the Sussex County Land Trust in 2019. This image purportedly shows the Cool Spring railroad crossing in 1924. The Junction & Breakwater Railroad, which dates back to 1857, added a Georgetown-to-Lewes spur in 1870. One of the stops on that line was at Cool Spring. The Georgetown-to-Lewes line opened up the rural area to commerce for the first time, and moved freight and passengers until the mid-20th century.