This small central Delaware town 10 miles south of the state capital of Dover has a long history tied to the water and agriculture. Frederica's history begins in 1681 when Boneny Bishop received a grant for 1,400 acres of land that included Johnny Cake Landing, later renamed Federica. The town was laid out in 1770 by Jonathan Emerson. It was incorporated in 1826 when the population reached 600 persons, the first of several disincorporations and reincorporations. Shipbuilding played an important role in town history as upwards of 42 three-masted schooners were built between 1844 and 1887 along the banks of the Murderkill River just outside town. Frederica also served as a port shipping farm produce and canned goods to Philadelphia. Later, industries such as a mattress factory and cast plow factory opened, only to close in time. The most historic site in the region is Barratt's Chapel east of town where the Methodist Church of America was organized in 1784. Today, Frederica is a quaint village that looks much as it did generations ago, but its biggest employer is ILC, manufacturer of space suits worn by American astronauts.