Odessa Historic District

The Odessa Historic District is an area with about 82 buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, showing different styles like Federal, Italian Villa, and Greek Revival. The houses occupy a compact layout between Appoquinimink Creek and Main Street and together form a well-preserved example of town development from that era.

The area was established in the early 1700s and developed into an important trading place with mills and shops along the creek. Buildings from this period were preserved and the district gained national historic recognition in 1971.

The place shows how people lived together in the 18th and 19th centuries, with houses reflecting different craft traditions and levels of prosperity. The streets preserve the feeling of this early trading community with their original layouts and neighborly character.

Visitors can walk through the compact arrangement of buildings since everything is close together. It helps to start with a local map to understand the different house types and their arrangement better.

Several houses in this area, including the Corbit-Sharp House, are individually recognized as national historic sites and have their own detailed information plaques. This dual recognition shows the special importance of certain buildings beyond the district status.