Ryves Holt House Museum & Mercantile

The Ryves Holt House Museum & Mercantile is a remarkably early surviving building in Lewes, with construction dating to about 1686. Historic Lewes identifies it as Delaware's oldest building still standing on its original foundation. Built for Quaker immigrants Phillip and Sarah Russell, the property functioned as both a dwelling and a place of business, including an early licensed ordinary, or tavern.

The house later became the residence of Ryves Holt, who served as Naval Officer for the Port of Lewes and held prominent colonial offices including High Sheriff and Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. Today the restored house operates as a museum exploring its layered history and its connection to Commodore Jacob Jones, a noted U.S. naval officer of the War of 1812, while the mercantile supports Historic Lewes' preservation work. Its intimate scale and unusually early fabric make it one of the strongest places in Delaware to encounter the colonial-era built environment directly.