Architectural Observations
The John Wanamaker House in Cape May Point Marks 150 Years
Three stories in height, the Wanamaker House appears to be as wide as it is tall.
Architectural Observations
Architectural Observations
Hangar No. 1 at U.S. Naval Air Station Wildwood
As the lookout tower and bunker were of critical importance to coastal defense, Hangar No. 1 at United States Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) was of critical importance to air supremacy in the Pacific theater.
Architectural Observations
Historic Cold Spring Village: Lesser known, yet near and familiar
When you drive out of town on Broadway and cross the bridge over the canal that separates Cape Island from the rest of the Jersey Cape, Broadway becomes Seashore Road. Go another mile and you’ll come upon Historic Cold Spring Village. The Village’s sylvan setting and its arrangement of more […]
Architectural Observations
Not Just One More Pretty House
Walk around Cape May any time of year and you’ll see people admiring and photographing the unique streetscapes. Their experience is like stepping back into another era when people lived differently than we do today but whose homes, like ours today, reflected the style and manner of their times. In […]
Architectural Observations
The Inn of Cape May
Something claiming to be the anything of anywhere must be sure to live up to the title—which is certainly the case for the Inn of Cape May. The property at 7 Ocean Street is an exemplary sample of both the Victorian architecture and hotel design in Cape May during the […]
Architectural Observations
The Holiday House: 644 Hughes Street
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 […]
Architectural Observations
The Peter Shields Inn: 1301 Beach Avenue
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 […]
Architectural Observations
The Southern Mansion: 720 Washington Street
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 […]
Architectural Observations
The Franklin Street School: 720 Franklin Street
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 […]
Architectural Observations
The Cricket Club: 106 Decatur Street
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 […]
Architectural Observations
The Abbey
34 Gurney St Cape May’s trove of architectural gems is represented by widespread photographs of some of the most recognizable buildings along the beachfront—the Sea Mist and its neighbors, Congress Hall, etcetera—along with a handful situated along the city’s original thoroughfare, Washington Street, including the Physick Estate and Southern Mansion. […]
Architectural Observations
St. Peter’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church
102 Lake Drive Tucked away deep in Cape May Point, situated on a triangular lot pointing toward the sunset, is a small house of worship with a big heart. St. Peter’s By-the-Sea is a tiny church, no greater than 2,000 square feet—including the porches—and has been serving the Episcopal congregation […]
Architectural Observations
City Hall
634 Washington St In the High Summer issue of this magazine published last month, this column examined the composition of Block 1059, between Ocean and Franklin Streets, focusing on the architectural relic that is the Memucan Hughes House (otherwise known as the Colonial House Museum). Another historic structure that has […]
Architectural Observations
The Colonial House
653 1/2 Washington St It could be argued that one of the most contested areas of land on Cape Island, perhaps second only to the Sewell Tract, might be Block 1059, located in the heart of Cape May. Rife with debate regarding historic preservation and land use planning, the area […]
Architectural Observations
Architectural Observations
The Nature Center of Cape May 1600 Delaware Avenue At the northeastern-most reach of Cape May City is a barrier spit, approximately two miles long. The peninsula is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean and Cape May Harbor, which are connected by Cold Spring Inlet to the north. Historically, the area […]
Architectural Observations
The Sea Mist: 927 Beach Avenue
What has long been characterized as the “post card image” could now be rebranded as the “Instagrammable image.” In the year 2022 of the internet age, information is sent and received much differently than it was a century ago. Nevertheless, and regardless of whether you learned of Cape May by […]
Architectural Observations
Architectural Observations
WINTERWOOD | 525 Washington Street As one heads south down Washington Street and approaches the open-air pedestrian mall, two buildings can be identified as those shaping what may be considered the gateway to Cape May’s shopping district. At the intersection of Washington and Ocean, on the southwest corner, sits the […]
Architectural Observations
Wawa turned real estate office
Though the look and feel—and, perhaps the hoagies—of Wawas along the East Coast have changed over time, the one that once stood at the gravitational center of town represented the original archetype of this east coast convenience store. Nevertheless, the building at 502 Bank Street now boasts a drastically different […]