Happy Anniversary, Delmar!

From The Delaware public Archives
DELAWARE SNAPSHOT: Happy Anniversary, Delmar! – We can thank the early Delaware Railroad for “The Little Town Too Big for One State.” Its 1859 extension to the state’s southern boundary and donated land for a terminal led to the formation of Delmar. Named for its two states and with a mayor for each side, Delmar – incorporated March 9, 1899 – boasts the Mason-Dixon Line’s No. 1 marker set in 1768 and once was called the nation’s strawberry capital. Learn more at www.townofdelmar.us.
– Compiled by robin brown

About 1913 Hearn Oil Company was organized in Wilmington.  Mr. C. P. Hearn was the president of the company and Sun Oil Company was a major stockholder in the company so Hearn Oil sold Sunoco products.  By 1927 they had 30 gas stations on Delmarva.  In 1927 they purchased land from Frank Lynch, Jr on the corner of, what is, now Bi-State Blvd (it use to be 3^rd street or the Laurel Highway) and State Street.  There was an old house on the property which as part of the deal Frank Lynch had to remove.  Hearn Oil  build a Sunoco Station there, which you see in the above picture.  Frank Lynch Jr had purchased the property from Annie E. Truitt, daughter of James W. and Mary E. Anderson, just a couple of weeks before for $2,000.  Two weeks later he sold the property to Hearn Oil Co for $5,000.  The first manager of the station was Charles H. Truitt, who also had a coal and ice business in town.  He was manager until 1930 when he decided he would like to be Deputy Sheriff in Wicomico County.  Mr. John Nichols took over the station in 1930 and in 1932 Howard J. Maddox managed the station.

For a photo of Charles Truitt go to
https://delmarhistoricalandartsociety.blogspot.com/2015/07/charles-h-truitt-1921-delmar-coal-and.html

The Station itself features the famous “eyebrow” roof design of early Sunoco Stations.  The Delaware Public Archives Photo is in Black and white but no doubt the station had a blue tile roof the same as the example shown below.  The pumps may have also been blue in order to carry the Blue Sunoco theme.  In 1927 Sunoco had one grade of gas called Blue Sunoco.  The gasoline was dyed blue.   The blue gas would show in the glass top of the pump as it was pumped.