Pole barns and barndominiums in Galestown, Maryland.
Building in Galestown.
Galestown’s history is tied to Gales Creek and the old Galestown Millpond, and the land was once part of a 1714 deed called Harpers Delight. Wheatley’s Methodist Episcopal Church, the town’s historic church, is still active. The Town’s mailing address is in Seaford, Delaware, and part of the area shares the 19973 ZIP code, but Galestown is in Dorchester County, Maryland, and Maryland rules apply.
At about 47 miles and about 74 minutes by car from our Dover office, Galestown is one of the nearer Eastern Shore towns in Dorchester County for us. Right now timing matters as much as drawings, so we talk with the Town first, then prepare the site plan the Commissioners ask for and carry it to the County permit.
- County
- Dorchester County, Maryland
- Population
- 111 (2020 Census)
- ZIP codes
- 21659, 19973
- From our office
- About 1 hr 14 min (47 miles) by car
- Permits
- Galestown Town Commissioners
- Main roads
- Galestown Reliance Road, Old School House Road
Permits and rules in Galestown.
The Town’s website says every building, renovation or subdivision project, including electrical or plumbing upgrades, must first be reviewed and approved by the Galestown Town Commissioners (617-680-0168). You submit a letter of intent and a site plan. With that approval, Dorchester County Planning & Zoning issues the building and trade permits and handles floodplain review. Zoning and Critical Area review are not County services in Galestown, and the Town works with the County on the Critical Area rules.
On September 8, 2026, the Town adopted Resolution No. R-26-1, a six-month moratorium on accepting, processing and approving land subdivisions, land divisions, commercial site plans and major land use modifications while it drafts its first comprehensive zoning ordinance. Standard repairs, interior renovations and minor residential modifications that add no housing units are exempt, as determined by the Town, and hardship waivers can be requested in writing. Whether a new accessory building counts as a major modification is the Town’s call.
Who issues the permit
Galestown Town Commissioners
- Address
- 5538 Old School House Rd, Seaford, DE 19973 (Town mailing address)
- Phone
- 617-680-0168
- Website
- Permit information(opens in a new tab)
Where this comes from
- galestown.com (opens in a new tab)
- galestown.com (opens in a new tab)
- dorchestermd.gov (opens in a new tab)
- dnr.maryland.gov (opens in a new tab)
- fema.gov (opens in a new tab)
Permit details checked October 2026. Rules change, so we confirm the current requirements for your parcel before anything is drawn.
What people build around Galestown.
On a home lot in Galestown, the buildings that fit are personal ones: a detached garage, a workshop, or a storage building for a camper or a boat. While the moratorium runs, a commercial building or anything that divides land waits out the six months unless the Town grants a hardship waiver. A barndominium, a post-frame home, adds a housing unit, so the minor-work exemption won’t cover it; ask the Commissioners how they will treat one.
Galestown questions.
Have a question about your property? Call 302-399-4420 and we’ll look it up.
Does the Galestown moratorium cover a new garage?
It depends on how the Town classifies it. Minor residential modifications that add no housing units are exempt, while major land use modifications are paused. If a project lands on the wrong side of that line, the resolution allows a written hardship waiver request. We ask the Commissioners before anything is drawn.
Who checks the flood maps for a building in Galestown?
Dorchester County Planning & Zoning, as part of its permit review. Galestown takes part in the federal flood insurance program with a flood map effective March 16, 2015, and County staff at 410-228-3234 can tell you a parcel’s flood zone and base flood elevation.
My mailing address says Seaford, Delaware. Which rules apply?
If the parcel is inside Galestown, Maryland’s. The town is in Dorchester County even though its mailing address is in Seaford and part of the area uses the 19973 ZIP code. We check which side of the state line you’re on first.
How far is Galestown from your office?
About 47 miles from our office at 575 N Dupont Hwy in Dover, or about 74 minutes by car. We handle the site visit, the Town and County paperwork and the build.
Let’s plan your building in Galestown.
Tell us what you’d like to build and where, and we’ll come back with drawings and a free quote.
- info@pbuincde.com
- Office
- 575 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901 (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
- Hours
- Mon to Fri, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
- We build in
- Galestown and all of Dorchester County