Rick's Motel
Delmar, Maryland Today it is a small apartment building, when it was originally built in 1946 it was an Army and Navy Store and then changed to Rick's Motel and Bar. It was descripted in 1951 when it was sold as " a modern six room motel, with snack bar, complete with private showers, wash bowls and toilets, all practically new, the building being of fire proof cinder 'block construction, with stoned parking lot." After it was sold the new owners made it private apartments and it has existed as such since 1952. Back in the 1950s both Delmar towns had a number of small motels, diners, gas stations and bars. The main highway down the DELMARVA peninsular ran thru Delmar.
At noon on October 15, 1954 officials from both Maryland and Delaware cut two sets of ribbons, in ceremonies held at the State line on the new US Route 13 (Ocean Highway) . The state of Maryland had paved 6 miles of dual road from Leonard Mill Pond to Delmar. The State of Delaware had paved a dual highway from Wilmington to Delmar, with the exception of a 10 mile stretch between Harrington and Greenwood.
The opening of the dual highway caused traffic to divert from the old US13 on Bi-State Blvd and it started the closure of the businesses that were on old RT13. As an example in 1942 the Bi-State Weekly reported "Delmar has been nicknamed the town of gas stations. There are ten stations on U. S. Route 13 within the city limits which is approximately a one and one-half mile stretch".
It seems appropriate that a natural disaster (Hurricane Hazel came thru) would occur a few hours after ribbon cutting on the same day that the opening of a State constructed highway would start the decline of Delmar.
Back to the motel, In 1946 Charles H. Rickenbach (1912-1999) was released from military service and came to Delmar where his wife Kathleen Lillian Smithers was from. His wife’s family was William Ted Smithers and Lillie Smithers. He was a Railroad engineer and they lived on Chestnut street in Delmar Maryland. He opened an Army Navy surplus store over on Foskey Lane and his family lived in the brick house that is on the corner of Foskey Lane and Bi-State Boulevard.
The store was changed to a motel which he later sold to Luther Mitchell, a drycleaning owner, in Delmar. Mr. Mitchell converted the store to apartments and they have remained so today. After the motel, Charles Rickenbach ran a bar in the local area and about 1953 he moved to Melbourne, Florida where he became a Real Estate broker dealing in land. He was quite successful in business. He passed away at age 87 leaving his wife and five children.
Rick's Motel
Delmar, Maryland Today it is a small apartment building, when it was originally built in 1946 it was an Army and Navy Store and then changed to Rick's Motel and Bar. It was descripted in 1951 when it was sold as " a modern six room motel, with snack bar, complete with private showers, wash bowls and toilets, all practically new, the building being of fire proof cinder 'block construction, with stoned parking lot." After it was sold the new owners made it private apartments and it has existed as such since 1952. Back in the 1950s both Delmar towns had a number of small motels, diners, gas stations and bars. The main highway down the DELMARVA peninsular ran thru Delmar.
At noon on October 15, 1954 officials from both Maryland and Delaware cut two sets of ribbons, in ceremonies held at the State line on the new US Route 13 (Ocean Highway) . The state of Maryland had paved 6 miles of dual road from Leonard Mill Pond to Delmar. The State of Delaware had paved a dual highway from Wilmington to Delmar, with the exception of a 10 mile stretch between Harrington and Greenwood.
The opening of the dual highway caused traffic to divert from the old US13 on Bi-State Blvd and it started the closure of the businesses that were on old RT13. As an example in 1942 the Bi-State Weekly reported "Delmar has been nicknamed the town of gas stations. There are ten stations on U. S. Route 13 within the city limits which is approximately a one and one-half mile stretch".
It seems appropriate that a natural disaster (Hurricane Hazel came thru) would occur a few hours after ribbon cutting on the same day that the opening of a State constructed highway would start the decline of Delmar.
Back to the motel, In 1946 Charles H. Rickenbach (1912-1999) was released from military service and came to Delmar where his wife Kathleen Lillian Smithers was from. His wife’s family was William Ted Smithers and Lillie Smithers. He was a Railroad engineer and they lived on Chestnut street in Delmar Maryland. He opened an Army Navy surplus store over on Foskey Lane and his family lived in the brick house that is on the corner of Foskey Lane and Bi-State Boulevard.
The store was changed to a motel which he later sold to Luther Mitchell, a drycleaning owner, in Delmar. Mr. Mitchell converted the store to apartments and they have remained so today. After the motel, Charles Rickenbach ran a bar in the local area and about 1953 he moved to Melbourne, Florida where he became a Real Estate broker dealing in land. He was quite successful in business. He passed away at age 87 leaving his wife and five children.