Restoration
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Belle of the Ball
Text by Bill Godfrey | 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 structure that, like Cape May, the South, and even America itself, has survived tough times only to come back stronger than ever.
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The Delsea Gets a New Look
Text by Susan Tischler | Published January 1st, 2005 in B&Bs • Cape May • Innkeeper Profiles • Restoration
In a year when Cape May has been a whirl with changes in the accommodations arena, one Columbia Avenue address remains constant – The Delsea.
The gingerbread-coated house has had the same owner since 1969. In fact, Rosemary Stumpo is only the fourth owner in the Delsea’s 137-year old history.
Like many who settle in Cape May, [...] -
Cape May’s New “Little Star”
Text by Susan Tischler | Published January 1st, 2005 in B&Bs • Innkeeper Profiles • Restoration
From the beginning, Joe and Chris Asterino weren’t shy about change. The first thing they did when they purchased The Open Hearth Guest House in June 2003 was to change the name to the Majestic Star Inn. Not to say it’s unheard of, but certainly not the norm. It had been the Open Hearth for at least 30 years.
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Tips on How to Buy an Old Home
Text by CapeMay.com | Published January 1st, 2004 in Cape May • History • Restoration
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.
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Renovating the Woodleigh House
Text by Susan Tischler | Published January 1st, 2004 in Cape May • Innkeeper Profiles • Innkeeping • Restoration
When it comes to buying an old house and renovating it, Joanne Tornambe has one guiding principle – “In life you have to be flexible.”
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Congress Hall’s Grand Re-Opening
Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | Published July 1st, 2002 in Cape May • Hotels • Restoration
Hundreds of people line the lawn, stroll through the ballroom and dally on the verandah. I’m among them.
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Congress Hall in 2002
Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | 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.
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Giving the Past a Future: Naval Air Wildwood
Text by CapeMay.com | Published March 1st, 2002 in Cape May County • Museums • Restoration • World War II
A step through the doors of Hangar #1 is a step back in time. Music from the 1940s drifts in the background, and the smell of engine grease fills the air. Aircraft mechanics banter with each other as they tend to a flock of planes and helicopters left behind by generations of innovation. A resident cat, Kittyhawk, laps cream as she waits to fulfill her duty of chasing birds.
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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
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.
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Renovating a Relic
Text by Jennifer Brownstone Kopp | Published September 1st, 2000 in Hotels • Restoration
It’s been a long time coming. There were Department of Interior rules and regulations to follow, million-dollar funding to secure, lawsuits to brave, mountains of paperwork to wade through and endless rolls of red tape to unwind. Now, long overdue according to some and beyond belief to others, rehabilitation of Congress Hall has begun.

