Glenville is a small abandoned town along the Delaware state Route 4 west of Newport. The town was not like other mining boom towns or railroad towns, its survival relied on Bread and Cheese Island. The town existed for more than 9 decades until the late 20th century when several hazardous events led to its closure and abandonment.

Heaven on earth

Glenville town began as a small community near Red Clay Creek that relied on fishing and small-scale farming for sustainability. It was on a relatively loamy and fertile soil supported by surplus water from the nearby rivers and lakes. Glenville was a typical communal town where everybody knew each other and shared their produce with each other. One would say that they lived like the heyday communities and kingdoms. However, with time this changed with development and modernization colonized the small town. It was at this developing phase that permanent residences, hotels, a post office, two schoolhouses, and several stores were established. The town was soon one of the towns to watch in Delaware. Over the years the town did well enough that no one thought that one day it would be completely deserted by its residents.

Flooded Glenville

Glenville's location was prone to floods and flash floods, which were occasionally managed. Though the authorities made every effort to mitigate the consequences of flooding on the community, they never found a long-term solution. This eventually came back to haunt them and the community as a succession of hurricanes, storms, and floods struck the town over a three-year period. It all started with Hurricane Floyd, which hit the town in 1999, causing massive devastation to both property and life. 3 years later, Tropical Storm Henri finished the work that his close friend Hurricane Floyd was unable to complete. This too claimed a fair share of destruction and lives. The aftermath of the Tropical storm left the flood flooded and the residents had to be relocated to safer grounds. All their properties were bought by the local and state government.

Restricted townsite

The town was completely deserted when the local and state government took over the town and relocated the residents to other towns and cities. The government seeing a threat in the townsite, fenced the whole townsite with concrete walls to bar curious onlookers from endangering their lives as they tour the area. Demolition of some of the structures that looked weak and obsolete began shortly after the abandonment. Some of the buildings were left to serve as a historical reminder of a town that once was. Glenville town is out of bounds to any local who may want to visit the town.