(LEWES, Del.) - Cape Henlopen State Park is home to beauty, beaches and the occasional battery of military weapons.
Fort Miles in Lewes spreads out farther than what's just beyond its welcome sign; 16 square miles farther, to be exact.
Two Fort Miles program leaders spoke to WRDE about the Fort's history, its current use and how it's legacy will carry on in Delaware.
"A lot of soldiers from here were local soldiers," said Sean Carrow, Fort Miles' interactive program manager.
"People come here for the beaches but you come to the beaches you're going to come for some history as well."
Battery 519 and three others are the largest facilities of the kind at Fort Miles.
"One of our biggest artillery batteries and coastal defenses we had during World War II. It was very crucial having us stationed here making sure that there wasn't anything happening to our Delaware coastline and anything up towards Philadelphia and Wilmington," Carrow said.
The batteries were forged to build, store and fire heavy artillery at enemy forces, according to the park's Seasonal Leader Scott Wallen.
"This building was built to house two 12-inch guns with a maximum range of approximately 17 miles. These guns would've been designed to take out large battleships like the Bismarck, the Tirpitz, real nasty German battleships like that," he said.
Fort Miles never saw a day of major battle. The base, first built in 1941, was deactivated and turned over to the state in 1996 ending 55-years in service.
Now Fort Miles' historic importance is taught to thousands of visitors every year by those dedicated to carrying its legacy.
"People are like, 'oh i've lived here for 20 years and didn't know it was here,'" said Wallen, "educating people is really why I love being here."
"There was purpose here," said Carrow. "Being able to connect those stories with the folks that come here, whether they're local, whether they're from New Jersey or from some other state, it really makes it so there's this nice connection."
The Delaware History Trail was created by the state's tourism department encouraging people to visit all of Delaware's historic landmarks for the chance to win a very cool prize.