The  underwater Sound Surveillance  System (SOSUS) Naval

Facility  (NavFac)  Lewes,  Delaware  was  established   as a

replacement  for  NavFac  Cape  May   when it  had  become

apparent  that the earlier  facility would be swamped as the

beach was eroding and the dune on which it had been built

would be undermined.

The  mission  of  the   Nav Fac was "To  provide  world-wide

maritime surveillance  and  cueing  from  undersea  sensors 

to warfare commanders and intelligence partners in support

of  Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)."

But, since that mission statement was (then) classified, a cover

story was provided explaining the role, purpose and operations

of  the  stations  as an  extension of and adjunct to the acoustic

and  oceanographic  surveys  conducted by the Navy's fleet of

research ships.

In September 1960, Delaware Senator Allen J. Frear announced

that $1,500,000 had been allotted for the construction of a Navy

oceanographic research facility at Ft. Miles, which had been a

WWII Army Coastal Defense Artillery fort and was then being

maintained as a Department of Defense military receation center.

The plan was to have the new facility completed by January 1962.  _________________________________________________________________________________

In October 1960, the Navy obtained 626 acres at the southern

end of Ft. Miles.

Construction  at  NavFac  Lewes  began  in 1961 and by February

1962  the  Headquarters / Multi-Purpose  building  was  almost

 completed.

The interior layout of the building was:

Inside the front entrance  immediately to the  left were stairs (in 

navy speak, a ladder) to the second floor (second deck)  on which

were  rooms  for  single  enlisted  personnel  ( bachelor  enlisted

quarters, BEQ).

Through a  second set  of  doors  was  the  lobby  (quarter deck),

straight ahead was the dining area (mess decks) with the kitchen

(galley) behind.

To the right of the quarter deck along the hallway (passageway)

on the ground  floor  (first deck) were  rooms for  single officers

bachelor officer quarters (BOQ).

To the left of the quarterdeck along the passageway were the

Commanding Officer's office and other administrative offices.

At the end of that passageway was the break room.

That  same  layout  can  be  seen  today  on a visit to the building

which is now maintained as the Biden Environmental Conference

Center.

In addition to the Multi-Purpose Building, other buildings to be

constructed were a Terminal Building to house the oceanographic

operations of the facility, a Service Building for  the heating plant

as well as a navy exchange and service station, a communications

Transmitter  Building .   In  addition,   several    former   artillery

casemates of Fort Miles would be renovated: one as an Auxiliary

Building housing offices, shops, and other support activities, and 

another to house a generator and other support for the Terminal

Building.

Then in March 1962, a nor'easter on Ash Wednesday-Good Friday

swamped NavFac Cape May and necessitated the transfer of the

facility to Cape Henlopen.

By that time the facilities for NavFac Lewes had been completed.

The Auxiliary Building had formerly been Battery Smith, a Fort

Miles artillery casemate, and although it was earth covered, it

provided space for NavFac support offices, storage and recreation

facilities.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Thus, by 1 May 1962 NavFac Lewes was commissioned and

operational. 

____________________________________________________________________    

A 1962 aerial view of NavFac Lewes showed the facility in its

natural setting.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lieutenant Commander Orville L. Tomlinson USN was the first

Commanding Officer of NavFac Lewes. 

In 1977 Lieutenant Commander Margaret A. Frederick USN

became  the Commanding Officer and was the first female

Commanding Officer of a SOSUS NavFac. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________

The NavFac was disestablished in 1981.  In the closure ceremony,

the Commanding Officer, Commander William J. Zuberbuhler USN

proclaimed "We were the most successful Navy Base in the history

of the Navy." He pointed out that NavFac Lewes had received

every possible award the Navy issues.

_____________________________________________________________________________________    

Upon closing, some land was returned to the State of Delaware.

But, the Navy retained 16.8 acres and the Headquarters/Multi-

Purpose Building, which became a Naval Reserve Center. It was

staffed by 6-8 permanent cadre and was the home base for 8

reserve units including: Shore Internal Maintenance Detachment

100 and Fleet Hospital Detachment 500. The Inshore Mobile

Undersea Warfare Detachment 205 used the former Battery

Smith/NavFac Auxiliary Building (shown in the  lower left of the

photo under the trees) as its base.   

An aerial view shows the Navy area as it was in 1996.

In 1996 the Navy returned the remaining land and building to the

State of Delaware and they became part of Cape Henlopen State

Park and the Headquarters/Multi-Purpose Building became the

Biden Environmental Conference Center. 

__________________________________________________________________________________

In addition to the Headquarters/Multi-Purpose building which

housed the bachelor officers and enlisted personnel, the Navy

provided housing for married officers and enlisted in the city of

Lewes.  That housing complex still exists today located north of

Savannah Road behind the school buildings.

Today that housing is still in use by personnel attached to the

University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environmental

Sciences. 

To read about the Terminal Equipment Building

and SOSUS technology, go here____

Photo Credits

-Headquarters/Multi-Purpose Building in 1962: Wilmington Morning News.

-Headquarters/Multi-Purpose Building in 2000.  Courtesy of Ron Scarborough.

-NavFac Cape May: U.S. Navy, Commander Undersea Surveillance.

-Gate to NavFac Lewes: Lewes Historical Society, courtesy of Hazel Brittingham.

-NavFac Lewes plaque: Author's photo of plaque donated by Lieutenant Commander

 Edward Dalrymple USN (Ret.).

-Aerial photo of NavFac Lewes 1962: Fort Miles Historical Assn. archives.

-Lieutenant Commander Margaret A Frederick: From change of command brochure

 of LCDR Frederick. Courtesy of Hazel Brittingham.

-Closing the gate to the NavFac: Delaware Coast Press.

-Aerial photo 1996: From display at the Biden Center, Cape Henlopen State Park.

-Senator Biden accepting the area for the State: The Cape Gazette.

-Location of the former Navy housing: Google Earth.

-Navy housing today: Author's photo.

To return to the home page, go here____