</s> ▁or ▁▁ ▁was ▁a ▁short - l ived ▁Dutch ▁colonial ▁settlement ▁in ▁Del aware . ▁It ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 1 . ▁The ▁name ▁is ▁arch a ic ▁Dutch ▁for ▁" sw an ▁valley ." ▁The ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁settlement ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Lew es , ▁Del aware . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Two ▁direct ors ▁of ▁the ▁Amsterdam ▁chamber ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁West ▁India ▁Company , ▁Samuel ▁Bl om ma ert ▁and ▁Samuel ▁God yn , ▁b arg ained ▁with ▁the ▁n atives ▁for ▁a ▁tract ▁of ▁land ▁reaching ▁from ▁Cape ▁Hen lo pen ▁to ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁Del aware ▁River . ▁This ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 9 , ▁three ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁char ter ▁of ▁Maryland , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁de ed ▁for ▁land ▁in ▁Del aware . ▁Its ▁water - front ▁nearly ▁coinc ides ▁with ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Kent ▁and ▁Sus sex ▁count ies . ▁The ▁purchase ▁was ▁rat ified ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 0 ▁by ▁Peter ▁Min uit ▁and ▁his ▁council ▁at ▁Fort ▁Amsterdam . ▁ ▁The ▁estate ▁was ▁further ▁extended , ▁on ▁May ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 6 3 0 , ▁by ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁a ▁tract ▁twelve ▁miles ▁square ▁( 3 1   km ² ) ▁on ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Cape ▁May ▁opposite , ▁and ▁the ▁transaction ▁was ▁d uly ▁att ested ▁at ▁Fort ▁Amsterdam . ▁ ▁The ▁Dutch ▁West ▁India ▁Company ▁was ▁formed ▁to ▁colon ize ▁the ▁tract ▁that ▁included ▁Bl om ma ert , ▁God