Historic Odessa, about 10 km east of Middletown, is one of the best-preserved 18th-century villages in Delaware and one of the most rewarding small historic sites on the Delmarva Peninsula. Four historic houses and a Quaker meeting house are maintained by Winterthur Museum and are open to visitors, presenting an unusually complete picture of life in a prosperous colonial port community.
The standout is the Corbit-Sharp House, a Georgian mansion built in 1774 that has survived virtually unaltered — original woodwork, original flooring, original hardware, and an outstanding collection of Delaware-made furniture. The Wilson-Warner House next door gives a contrasting view of a more modest merchant's life in the same period. The Federal period houses along Main Street round out the picture. The village has a human scale that makes it very easy to absorb: you can see everything significant in two or three hours, which is exactly the right amount.