Architecture

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    Beach Theatre Demolition Begins

    Text by | Published September 26th, 2011 in Announcements • Architecture • Look at This

    The City of Cape May issued a demolition permit for the Beach Theatre this morning. Demolition began this afternoon. The theatre stood on Cape May’s beachfront since September 1950, when it opened with Father of the Bride.

  2. Convention Hall facade, 1960. Photograph courtesy Robert W. Elwell, Sr.

    Growing Up on the Pier

    Text by | Published December 1st, 2010 in Architecture • Cape May • Cape May Magazine

    Like every other boy I knew, none of us could ever wait for summer to arrive. Growing up in the summer, my evenings would be spent on the Pier.

  3. Click to enlarge.

    The Passing of the Christian Admiral

    Text by | Published July 1st, 2010 in Architecture • Cape Island • Cape May • Hotels • Restoration

    From the beginning, the Hotel Cape May was doomed. It opened in 1908, several years behind schedule and 100 percent over budget – its final cost of $1 million was nearly unimaginable in those days.

  4. Belle of the Ball

    Text by | Published October 1st, 2009 in Architecture • B&Bs • Cape May • Hotels • Restoration

    The notion of southern hospitality has long held a special place in the American psyche. So it should surprise no one (okay, maybe a few of you) that one of Cape May’s most notable landmarks is the Southern Mansion, a [...]

  5. Franklin Street School: The Past and the Future

    Text by | Published February 1st, 2005 in Architecture • Cape May

    Alumni and descendents of alumni attended the dedication of an interpretive sign in front of the Franklin Street School in April 2004. Left to right: John Nash, Emily Dempsey, Wanda Evelyn, Dorothy Jarmon, Robin Wise, Shirley "Becki" Wilson
    Emily [...]

  6. 150 Years of Firefighting

    Text by | Published November 1st, 2004 in Architecture • Cape Island • Cape May • Hotels

    If any one ever tells you that history doesn’t make a difference, tell them to come to Cape May. Yes, it would have been a seaside resort no matter what, given it’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, but who knew [...]

  7. Which house is the oldest house on Cape Island?

    Text by | Published October 1st, 2004 in Architecture • Cape Island • Cape May

    Which house is the oldest house on Cape Island? Is it the house at 653½ Washington Street, also known as The Colonial House? Or is it the old “Whilldin-Miller House” at 416 South Broadway where Daniels on Broadway Restaurant currently [...]

  8. An Artist Creates a Victorian Home

    Text by | Published July 1st, 2004 in Architecture • Artists • Cape May • History

    Asking Sandy Sheller how she went about bringing the Gallagher House, circa 1882, back to its stately glory is rather like asking Michelangelo how he did the Sistine Chapel. There is no definitive answer – it comes from inspiration.
    “I thought [...]

  9. Tips for Buying That Old House

    Text by | Published January 1st, 2004 in Architecture • Real Estate

    Have you always dreamed of owning an old house, one that dates back to, say, Queen Victoria? If the answer is yes – the next question is what would you be getting into? What better way to find out than [...]

  10. The Sea Mist

    Text by | Published September 1st, 2002 in Accommodations • Architecture • Cape May

    The Sea Mist today looms large on the Cape May beachfront. Whether viewed from land or sea, this red and white “steamboat-style” building with its unique widow’s walk is one of Cape May’s most photographed houses.

  11. Main Street USA

    Text by | Published July 1st, 2002 in Architecture • Cape May • In Pictures

    It’s a perfect day for an early morning walk. I begin with a turn off of Lafayette Street, and onto Sidney for a single block and am at the start of Washington Street. An arch of the greenest leaves in [...]

  12. Congress Hall in 2002

    Text by | Published June 1st, 2002 in Architecture • Cape May • Hotels • Restoration

    On June 7-8, 2002, Congress Hall Hotel opened its doors once again in Cape May. More than a grand momen… it’s a significant step in Cape May’s future.

  13. The Abbey: Gurney Street and Columbia Avenue

    Text by | Published February 1st, 2002 in Accommodations • Architecture • B&Bs • Cape Island • Cape May • Restoration

    If Senator John McCreary were somehow to return to Cape May today, he wouldn’t have much trouble recognizing his summer residence. Standing proudly at the corner of Gurney Street and Columbia Avenue, his home, in its most recent incarnation [...]

  14. The Restoration of Congress Hall: History’s Contemporary Challenge

    Text by | Published August 1st, 2000 in Architecture • Cape May • Hotels • Restoration

    She was just one of many large hotels in the late 1800s that catered to the elite. Massive hotels they were, with broad verandahs and sweeping lawns that faced the ocean.
    John Philip Sousa wrote two songs for Congress Hall. In [...]

  15. The Chalfonte Saga Continues

    Text by | Published August 1st, 2000 in Architecture • Cape Island • Cape May • Historic Figures • Hotels

    What began as a simple boarding house soon grew into a reputable hotel under the direction of Colonel Henry Sawyer. He was a local hero — it was said that every man, woman and child in Cape May could recite [...]

  16. Watching History Go Away: The Christian Admiral Hotel

    Text by | Published July 1st, 1998 in Architecture • Cape Island • Cape May • Hotels

    In a town whose very existence depends on its historic buildings, the loss of one from fire, much less demolition, is felt intensely. The Christian Admiral Hotel was like a living, breathing member of the community and her passing was [...]