Smyrna Delaware History & Facts

Smyrna is a town in Kent and New Castle counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the Census Bureau, as of 2010, the population of the town is 10,023.

The international jurist John Bassett Moore was born in Smyrna, as were politicians Louis McLane and James Williams.

Smyrna was originally called Duck Creek Cross Roads and received its current name in 1806 after the Greek seaport of Smyrna in present-day Turkey. The town was located along the north–south King's Highway. Smyrna was originally a shipping center along the Duck Creek and was the most important port between Wilmington and Lewes, shipping grain, lumber, tanbark, and produce to points north. After the shipping industry collapsed in the 1850s, the town would continue to be an agricultural center.

Another account of Smyrna's name goes back to the Second Great Awakening of 1806–1807 when Methodist preacher Frances Asbury preached a sermon on the Church at Smyrna from Revelation 2 to the local Methodist society. The sermon was so well received that the residents changed the name of the town to Smyrna in honor of the sermon.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), of which 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (2.13%) is water.

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,679 people, 2,114 households, and 1,462 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,541.9 people per square mile (595.8/km2). There were 2,242 housing units at an average density of 608.7 per square mile (235.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 72.88% White, 22.42% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.42% of the population.

There were 2,114 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males.

Famous Peoples From Smyrna Delaware

Billy Bailey

(January 1947 – January 25, 1996) was a convicted murderer who was hanged in Delaware in 1996. He became the third person to be hanged in the United States since 1965 (the previous two were Charles Rodman Campbell and Westley Allan Dodd, both in Washington), and the first person hanged in Delaware in 50 years. As of 2022, he remains the last person to be executed by hanging in the United States.

The ninth of 23 children, Bailey lived in stark poverty and suffered chronic physical abuse, state records show. His mother died when he was less than a year old. As an adult, Bailey was known to police as a brawler and a thief.

We also serve Wilmington city.

More Info.

PD&G Wallcover Inc.

Call Us: 949-487-9261
Email: deb@pdgwallcover.com