One of Cape May’s enduring attractions is its sense of mystery. Tales of pirates along the coast, ghosts in the eaves, and foreign spies having dinner in town give the city an enigmatic vibe that locals and visitors love to embrace. That mystery also extends to many local historic properties. […]
Deep in the heart of Cape May, on one of the city’s oldest roads, a house stands apart from the rest of the neighborhood. While a few buildings on this street may offer guest lodging today, all but one have apparent histories as single-family residences. Only the Holiday House on […]
As a plant person, I never look forward to winter. No leaves, no flowers, and cold temperatures that keep me locked up inside the house. But the truth is we need winter if we are going to enjoy a beautiful spring. We think things are dead—or at least dormant—for months, […]
December, 1936… Dear Friends, enclosed is a picture of my Cape May cottage to which you are all invited to spend Fourth of July 1937 with me – remain two nights at least. I look forward to your coming with much pleasure indeed. Sincerely, Eleanor B. Gillespie “My mother, Katherine […]
When you’re inspired by interior design, it can be hard not to get swept up in every potential project out there. Whether it’s creating a tranquil bathroom, emulating the design of a boutique hotel, installing built-in cabinetry, or extending your living space with an outdoor oasis, options for well-designed home […]
Word of Cape May’s cool breezes and sandy stretches was spreading north and south by the late 1800s, reaching the ears of visitors and attracting them to escape the city heat of the North and the summer sweltering to the South. And as people built homes, the story of the […]
And finally, we come to the end of our saga. As of the writing of this article, we have “finished” the gardens at 1069. Hallelujah! Well, as finished as any garden ever is. We all know that gardens, by definition, are a work in progress. After all, they are living […]
Beyond where the promenade ends, at the corner of Trenton and Beach Avenues, resides an illustrious structure unlike any other in Cape May. South-facing, toward the Atlantic Ocean, the Peter Shields Inn and Restaurant sits prominently over the dunes and is set back from the street to feature a well-manicured […]
As one of the most photographed houses in Cape May, the John B. McCreary House—known far and wide as The Abbey—has been a stunning property since it was first constructed in 1869. The historic gem is unique not just for its longevity, but for its architecture and design; with a […]
“A local guy told me this house was the only house on the street when he was growing up,” said Jeff Weigel, who with his wife Kristina owns the Red Knot Farm at 1042 Shunpike Road in West Cape May. “All of these homes around us were fields supporting this […]
Designing for myself is an impossible task, especially for this house. This is supposed to be the last house I will build—in other words, my forever garden. We’ll see about that. However, that fact created tremendous pressure to get it right, especially considering this property is one quarter the size […]
One of few remaining bona fide manor buildings in Cape May, the Southern Mansion is an architectural gem. Though it occupies a site only a quarter the size of the Emlen Physick Estate, the building and grounds evoke the same sense of opulence and stateliness. The home was originally constructed […]
We’ve all seen them: glorious outside spaces that are both inspiring and utilitarian, with plenty of options for cooking, gathering, and entertaining. They’re the spaces we dream about, that we see in magazines, and that we wish—and sometimes manage—to have in our own backyards. And whether your version includes a […]
When Suzanne and Eric Krebs were looking at Cape May houses in 1978, they found a vacant, rundown house on Beach Avenue that had possibility. It needed lots of work, but it had ocean views and big rooms, so they thought, “Why not?” What the Krebs got when they purchased […]
A Dream that Almost Turned into a Nightmare My grandmother used to say, “Nothing worth doing is easy.” If you have been following the saga that is 1069 Michigan Avenue, you know she was right. Renovating the building was a project that had been estimated to take six months but […]
In an area once known as the center of a flourishing African American community, anchored by its landowners, and further developed by its business owners, a building stands as a poignant reminder of a significant time in our nation’s history. The Franklin Street School, built in 1927, was constructed as […]
Allison Valtri, of Valtri Interiors, has been in the design business a long time, and she goes deeper than simple interior design. She makes sure that the lifestyle of her clients is addressed before going into a project, and that includes permanent pieces like built-in features. “I’m the second generation […]
One should, at some point, experience a West Cape May festival. Take your pick; there’s the Strawberry Festival in June, the Tomato Festival in August, and the Lima Bean Festival in October. They’re all delightful celebrations that harken to the borough’s farming roots (the summer Tuesday Farmers Market deserves a […]
The latest reports say that up to 35% of U.S. households are now growing something edible. I find that hard to believe, but what we know for sure is that vegetable gardens are experiencing a revival. Perhaps it’s a natural extension of the Farm to Table movement or maybe it […]
Cape May Magazine has been tracking the work that occurred at 106 Decatur Street over the course of the last year, culminating in the cover image and dining review in the 2023 Early Spring edition. Our readers got a firsthand account of the establishment’s new (but familiar) restaurateurs, its vibrant […]
Just over a decade ago, passersby driving on Roosevelt Boulevard in Upper Township wouldn’t even glance twice at the large former home that sat facing the busy road. It wasn’t an eyesore, exactly, but it wasn’t anything that might catch your attention—until 2015, when Victor Dompierre and Jack Griffin opened […]
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,She wore her greenest gown;She turned to the south windAnd curtsied up and down.She turned to the sunlightAnd shook her yellow head,And whispered to her neighbor:“Winter is dead.” A. A. Milne I fell in love with daffodils when I first started to come to Cape May […]
Now that the hustle and bustle—and stress and overwhelm—of the holiday season is behind us, we can get to the really important stuff: relaxation. Ah, Calgon, take us away. Calgon, or at least their famous bubble bath commercials from the 70s and 80s, had the right idea. Amid our chaotic […]
Visitors to Cape May come and go, but the houses, at least in the historic district, tend to remain. These structures, most over a century old, may change hands, change businesses, or change color, but they remain standing. And sometimes they don’t even change color. Notice the Inn at the […]