About one mile before you approach the Slaughter Beach area, you will see a historical marker commemorating Fort Saulsbury. This coastal defense fortification, completed in 1917, is named for Senator Willard Saulsbury, who achieved notoriety for his pro-South views during the Civil War.

In 1943, Fort Saulsbury was used to house German prisoners of war who were sent out to work on farms and in chicken factories in Sussex County. After World War II, the federal government put this land up for sale, and it was purchased in 1948 for private use. Two batteries remain on private property.

The Mispillion Lighthouse, located at the mouth of the Mispillion River and the Delaware Bay, is the sole surviving wood-frame lighthouse in Delaware. It is the third wood-frame lighthouse to stand in this spot, the first of which was built in 1831. Damage caused by erosion necessitated rebuilding the lighthouse in 1843. That lighthouse was taken out of service in 1857 and later moved to Milford.

In 1873, a new lighthouse was built by Congressional order. In 1929, it was again deactivated and replaced by the 60-foot skeleton steel beacon tower which remains standing beside the lighthouse. The lighthouse has been damaged over the years by storms, but it remains standing. Both the lighthouse and the beacon tower are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As you drive on Road 203, notice the Cedar Creek unit of the Milford Neck Wildlife Area. Take this opportunity to look for a variety of shore birds, including osprey, who fish the waters of the Delaware Bay.

Founded in 1681, Slaughter Beach is located southeast of the Mispillion Lighthouse at the end of Route 36. The flag of Slaughter Beach displays a horseshoe crab; a walk along any Delaware Bay beach lets visitors know the appropriateness of this symbol. The beach is open to the public, but please respect the private property of the residents who live along the beach. Parking for the beach is available on the side streets.

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