Beach One and Beach Two in Lewes have officially been renamed. Beach One will now be called Savannah Beach, and Beach Two will be Johnnie Walker Beach.
Lewes Mayor Theodore Becker and City Council gave the final stamp of approval during Monday night's meeting. There were several ideas being tossed around, but they felt the two names they chose make perfect sense.
Savannah was chosen because the beach is located at the end of Savannah Road. Johnnie Walker is named after a local African-American man who owned a business on Beach Two.
Johnnie Walker Beach is a name that symbolizes a lot of history and emotion for many. Lewes Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Kay Carnahan, says that it's more than just a name.
"Hopefully, tonight you see a way to do this and then we can move forward, so in the spring and crowds come back we have things set up and people can know what happened. We are such a resilient community. That's what I think I'd like the story to tell," Carnahan said to the council.
They also plan to rebuild the pavilion that once stood on Beach Two during the Johnnie Walker-era to honor its history. Details on when the official name switch could happen are to come.