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Architecture

Beach Theatre Demolition Begins

Text by CapeMay.com | 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.
Growing Up on the Pier

Text by Robert W. Elwell, Sr. | 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.
The Passing of the Christian Admiral

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

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.
Belle of the Ball

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

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 structure that, like Cape May, the South, and even America itself, has survived tough times only to come back stronger than ever.
Franklin Street School: The Past and the Future

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

Emily Dempsey doesn’t remember her first day at Franklin Street Elementary School. “But I do remember my mother holding my hand on my way to school and I remember that my (older) sister Florence took me to school shortly after that.” Emily Dempsey doesn’t remember any one particular day at Franklin Street School but she [...]
150 Years of Firefighting

Text by Susan Tischler | 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 that a fire in 1878 would ensure National Historic Landmark status nearly 100 years later? And, who knew that the impact of that same fire that occurred on Nov. 9, 1878 leveling 39 acres of land right in the heart of the city could still be felt on a sunny Sunday afternoon in October, 2004?
Which house is the oldest house on Cape Island?

Text by Susan Tischler | 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 resides?
An Artist Creates a Victorian Home

Text by CapeMay.com | 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 of it in layers- it was like a gestalt,” she said standing by the [...]
Tips for Buying That Old House

Text by CapeMay.com | 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 to ask some of the people in Victorian Cape May who have already undergone the task.
The Sea Mist

Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | 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.
Main Street USA

Text by Stephanie Madsen | 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 town welcomes me. Flowers seem to jump forward to get a better look at who is coming. Homes that were built over 100 years ago seem as if time has stopped just for them.
Congress Hall in 2002

Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | Published June 1st, 2002 in Architecture • Cape May • Hotels • Restoration and Preservation

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.
The Abbey: Gurney Street and Columbia Avenue

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

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 as renowned bed and breakfast inn, The Abbey, appears very much as it did when McCreary and his family occupied it one hundred and thirty years ago during their summer holidays.
The Restoration of Congress Hall: History’s Contemporary Challenge

Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | Published August 1st, 2000 in Architecture • Cape May • Hotels • Restoration and Preservation

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 fact, he introduced them on her lawn. For she was well-known across the nation [...]
The Chalfonte Saga Continues

Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | 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 Sawyer’s “Lottery of Death” story by heart.
Watching History Go Away: The Christian Admiral Hotel

Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | 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 mourned as such.