| Georgetown, Delaware Brief | ||
| On January 29, 1791, an act of the Delaware General Assembly was passed removing the Sussex County Seat of government from Lewes on the coast to a more central location at "James Pettyjohn's old field", near the center of the county. Commissioners were appointed and instructed to purchase up to 100 acres of land to construct a new courthouse and jail. | ||
On May 9, 1791, the commissioners met at the house of Abraham Harris and negotiated the purchase of 50 acres from him, buying also 25 acres from Rowland Bevins and one acre from Joshua Pepper. Commissioner Rhoads Shankland began to survey the land into 60 x 120 foot lots, which were sold to defray the cost of the land purchase. On October 26, 1791, the General Assembly officially moved the Seat and named it Georgetown in honor of Commissioner George Mitchell, who was active in the movement to move the County Seat to a central location within Sussex County, Delaware. |
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