Art in Bloom installs historic railroad timeline mural

A new public art project, The Historic Railroad Timeline Mural, has been installed on the wall of the replica Lewes Train Station near the bike path outside the Lewes Public Library.

To engage residents and tourists of all ages, Art in Bloom, a committee of Lewes in Bloom, collaborated with the library to bring to life the history of the railroad from 1867 to 2017. The timeline illustrates the tremendous surge of growth in Lewes that came about because of increased ways to move products and people inside and outside Delaware.

Along with a trove of fascinating facts on the timeline is an exceptional reproduction of the late local artist Howard Schroeder’s painting, “Mine Placement and Maintenance.” It depicts the dangerous conditions seen by soldiers stationed at Fort Miles during World War II when they embedded M3 mines to destroy enemy warships approaching the coastline. Permission was granted by the Schroeder family and Fort Miles to reproduce this painting on the timeline.

Delaware was the No. 1 producer of peaches in the world in 1895. It was also the No. 1 fishery in the U.S. from 1938 through the 1960s, producing 390 million tons of fish, 360 million tons of which were menhaden. SPI Pharma, located in Lewes, was the No. 1 producer of antacid ingredients in the world, producing magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide by scraping the sea bottom near the Breakwater Harbor and then returning the water to the sea. Four billion bottles were produced by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2019. All of this was made possible because of the railroads.

The timeline mural is an outdoor venue that can be visited at any time. Visitors are invited to walk around the building to view the windows that depict life at a railroad station, review the timeline and have fun with the children’s reading wall, which provides educational games for kids of all ages. In the spring, original artwork by Lewes artists age 8 to 15 will be showcased.

Art in Bloom collaborated with more than 20 individuals and organizations to create the timeline. Content was created by Art in Bloom members Jane Ellan Golde, Carolyn Marshall and Sue Sandmeyer, with support from the Lewes library. Design production was overseen by Carol Boyd Heron of Peninsula Gallery, and the design came from Group J Design.