G. L. Long and Delmar

Above George Lorenzo Long

George Lorenzo Long was one of the people who left his mark on Delmar. Produce grower, packer and shipper, largest carload hauler of Holly in the winter, the town' largest property owner at the time, builder of homes, he owned sawmills, trucks, and warehouses, a director of Bank of Delmar, on a number of boards, and a member of the town council (couple of terms). Long was one of a number of people who had a great influence on Delmar from Elijah Freeney, Elijah Holloway,, T. A. Veasey with his hotels and car lots, The German family and Brickrow, Liborio Villani and his Delmar manor, and the John M. Disharoon Family and Houihan family with their Holly Oaks.

G. L. Long was born November 20, 1876 near Frankford Delaware. His family later moved to Melson. When he married Amanda Ellen Penuel in 1897 he moved to Delmar. Prior to 1930 he was one of the most successful men in town, but by 1930 the great depression put him out of business. Altho Delmar avoided some effects of the depression because it was railroad town not every one worked for the railroad and they could not escaped the effect of the great depression. G. L. Long was one of those who did not. In 1933 he moved to Salisbury, at age 57, to start over again. He achieved success once again altho not to the level he had achieved in Delmar.


G. L. Long was a builder of homes and by 1921 he had built 42 homes in Delmar, most of these were of the American Four Square Style. Matter of fact a high percentage of the American Four Squares in Delmar were built by him. Above is a photo from The Peninsula News (Delmar newspaper) in 1921 showing Pine street and a row of homes he built.


This is Pine street today as you can see the homes are pretty much the same as in 1921. Today the street is paved but it was paved along time ago and to walk it or drive it you can feel the effect of lack of maintenance on the Maryland side of town.