Diorama of historic Rehoboth Beach likely to move to city hall

It appears a diorama of Rehoboth Beach in the 1920s will be moving to city hall.

Over the last several years, Rehoboth Beach historian Paul Lovett, whose family has owned the Oak Grove property on the east side of the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal since the 1950s, has been painstakingly re-creating what Rehoboth Avenue looked like in the early 1900s. The diorama, still a work in progress, has been housed at Rehoboth Beach Main Street’s office for the past three years. Most recently, Rehoboth’s first one-room schoolhouse, located where the Royal Farms at the roundabout is today, was added to the display. 

Formally called the “Golden Age of Rehoboth Beach, The Railroad Era,” the diorama was originally housed at Lovett’s home on Canal Street, near the canal. It moved to the Rehoboth museum for a brief period, but has been in the Main Street conference room for the past three years.

Rehoboth Beach Main Street President Richard Byrne said it’s been RBMS’s honor to house the diorama and that Lovett has hosted hundreds of individuals over the course of that time who were interested in the city’s history. However, he continued, the organization needs the space for day-to-day office functions.

“It’s been three years and it’s simply time to move on,” said Byrne. “We’re bursting at the seams, which is a really good problem to have [because] that means we’re successful and things are going very well, but we do need the space. It will be missed because it’s been a wonderful attraction.”

Interim City Manager Evan Miller said the exact location within city hall hasn’t been set, but there’s talk of the atrium. The only problem with that location, he said, is that’s where city officials stand during media interviews.

Additionally, said Miller, there are still some liability issues to be resolved in case the diorama is damaged. An arrangement should be figured out in the next couple of weeks, he said.

Commissioner Toni Sharp said she thinks it’s great that the city is stepping up to house the diorama. It’s quite relevant to the city’s history, she said.

“Let's not make this terribly complicated, and just get it done,” said Sharp.

For more information on Lovett’s diorama or to schedule a visit, go to goldenageofrehoboth.com, email paul@pdlovett.com or call 302-893-9391.