LEWES, Del. - The Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse in Lewes is now a part of the United States Postal Service’s Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses forever stamp collection. The new tower of The Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse has called the Delaware Bay home for 95 years. An unveiling ceremony took place on Monday at the Lewes Ferry Terminal overlooking the lighthouse.
“This lighthouse is a local lighthouse that the local Mariners depend on, and even the commercial trade depends on,” said Red Moulinier, Past President of the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation.
A process 8 years in the making, that the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation played a large role in.
“A lot goes into this, we get thousands of submissions yearly, and we have a team and a board that reviews what goes on our stamps, so it’s a long time coming,” said Gary Vaccarella, District Manager for the United States Postal Service.
A celebration with the US Post Office, local leaders, and Delaware Senator Tom Carper, who expressed his love and appreciation for the postal service.
“I am the last veteran serving in the United States Senate, and for us the times we were in Southeast Asia, the best day of the week is the day the mail came, we got letters, postcards, greetings, care packages, magazines, newspapers,” said Senator Carper.
The Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses are the 7th and final installment in the Postal Service’s lighthouse series.
“I think this just underscores how beautiful Lewes is for many people to come and see and experience in other ways, and I suspect we will see an uptick as a result of the stamp being out there,” said Lewes Mayor Ted Becker.
The collection also includes lighthouses from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“The name Delaware is on people’s minds more than ever, now when they mail someone a bill or a note or love card, to remember their families, they'll be reminded ‘Where is ‘Loos?’ Where is ‘Loos?’ That's not “Loos,” That's Lewes, Delaware the first town in the first state, over 400 years old,” said Senator Carper.
The price of forever stamps always remain the same, even if stamp prices rise in the future. You can purchase the stamps at any post office location and online. A sheet of 20 only costs $11 dollars.