Rehoboth Beach  

 Sundial: 321
State/Province:  Delaware Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Horizontal Dial Condition:  Fair
  Latitude and Longitude: 38° 43.500' N  75° 5.150' W
Location:
  • In the garden behind the historic Homestead House at the Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
 
Description:
  • A bronze horizontal dial about 18 inches in diameter. The sundial was designed by Col. W.S. Corkran in 1930 and placed in the Homestead House garden, a 3 1/2 acre site maintained by the Rehoboth Art League since 1938. Col. Corkran died in 1962. The sundial was restored in 1999, set atop a capstan from an old sailing ship. Since 1999 the salt air has continued to deteriorate the plaques and gnomon. The dial face is still quite readable, with Arabic hours from 6am to 6pm delineated in 5 minute intervals. Symbols of the zodiac decorate the dial in a circular arc.

    Below the rather extravagantly large gnomon is a graph of the equation of time. It is sad that this dial cannot tell correct time since the gnomon base is truncated and its projected foot falls well south of the 6am-6pm line expected for an accurate sundial.
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: Rehoboth Art League
  • The equation of time graph reads: Sun Time at the Homestead Rehoboth Beach
    Latitude 38° 43'31"
    Longitude 75° 05' 09"

    A small plaque above the equation of time states: Designed by W.S. Corkran 1930

    A plaque near the sundial says: The Capstan Sundial given in loving memory of Mary Virginia and Joseph L. Bateman
  • Designer: Colonel W.S. Corkran
  • Builder:
  • Construction Date: 1930, restored 1999
 
References:
  • IAPS Listing, May 95

Last Revised: 2015-10-27 00:31