Henlopen Hotel has long history in Rehoboth Beach

The Henlopen Hotel has been welcoming guests to Rehoboth Beach since the city’s earliest days. Originally built in 1883, the hotel has seen a few iterations over the years.

This photograph shows what the hotel looked like when it was owned by Walter Burton, who purchased it in 1908 for just $8,000. Burton, a well-known hotel proprietor from Washington, D.C., was the brother of Congressman Hiram R. Burton of Lewes. Walter Burton operated the hotel until his death in 1921. Burton’s wife Lucy May took over the operation until 1926, when she sold it to William Coyne, a principal of Henlopen Construction Co. By the time Coyne sold the hotel to Winifred S. Grenoble then owned the Henlopen from 1929 until 1941.

When Grenoble sold property, the Henlopen had a whole new look. It was much larger and more resembled a hotel than its predecessor. Ownership continued to change hands until a major project was announced in 1971. In 1972, demolition of the hotel and adjacent motor lodge began.

The Henlopen Hotel as we know it today was built, opening in the spring of 1974.