Route 1 before proliferation of shopping centers
This aerial photograph from the early 1990s shows Midway Shopping Center surrounded by open fields.
Over the next decade, nearly all the land in the Midway area would be developed as the proliferation of outlet shopping began in the Cape Region.
What is now Tanger Outlets Surfside broke ground in 1994 and opened in 1995 in the square farm field and the property to the bottom and right.
At one time, there were plans to expand the shopping center all the way to Postal Lane in the upper left, but they fell through. Eventually in 1998, Pelican Square received approval to build on that land, which is now occupied by Staples, Acme, Petco and other stores.
Midway Shopping Center was built in 1954. Historic aerial photographs show it was much smaller when it was built. It expanded over the years.
The Derrickson family built the single-screen Midway Palace in 1965, eventually growing to seven screens. In the fall of 1998, it was expanded and rebranded as the Movies at Midway. The Derrickson family also operated a drive-in theater behind Midway Shopping Center for many years.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and building pages, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
