Little Hell, Delaware

Little Hell, Delaware
Unincorporated community
Little Hell, Delaware Location within the state of Delaware Show map of Delaware Little Hell, Delaware Little Hell, Delaware (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°02′30″N 75°27′24″W
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Kent
Elevation	26 ft (8 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code	302

Little Hell is an unincorporated community in Kent County, Delaware, United States. Its elevation is 26 ft (7.9 m) and its position 39°02′30″N 75°27′24″W. It is west of Bowers Beach at the intersection of Delaware Route 1 and Bowers Beach Road, and borders the unincorporated community of Little Heaven.[1]

History

While Little Heaven was built for the Irish workers of Jehu Reed, Little Hell was built for the African-American workers at the fruit plantation of Jonathan Willis.[2] The two plantations shared the same meadow, separated by a brook, a branch of Murderkill Neck, that was nicknamed "The River Styx" in reference to Styx from Greek mythology.[3][4] Newspaper reports said the area got its name when a group of 19th Century excursionists were attacked while traveling along the road from Dover to Bowers Beach.[5]

References

1. "Kent, Sussex Study Reveals More Oddly Named Spots". The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). October 30, 1935.
2. "Your Delaware and Mine". The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). November 14, 1942.
3. "A story about people who live between Heaven and Hell". The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware). June 17, 1982.
4. "Little Heaven not in sticks; it's on Styx". The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware). January 13, 1984.
5. "Towns To Give Up Profane Titles". The Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware). July 13, 1914.