Promoters of the boom town built several hotels that catered to business travelers as well as excursionists. This wedge-shaped, Federal-style brick edifice is one; another was the Delaware City Hotel on the same street, at Number 30 (1829). The celebration in 1927 for the opening of the widened canal was held at Central Hotel, but subsequently the hostelry declined along with the town, and today it stands empty and dilapidated, though still a reminder of flush times. Recent improvements nearby include a massive seawall and promenade alongside the canal. Old storefronts along Clinton Street, which are gradually being restored, show the “layon-your-belly” third story windows typical of antebellum Delaware (small windows that sit close to floor level).