At the east End of the 500 block of the Washington Street Mall is the CAPE MAY sign that has served as a focal point for visitors to capture a souvenir photo for about 40 years.
Hanging from the sign is the ship’s bell from the SS Cape May, which according to the plaque beneath the bell, was a World War II vessel built in 1943. Other research indicates that the USS Cape May was a WWI cargo vessel that was decommissioned in 1918, but went into commercial use as SS Cape May in 1920.
The bell and the simple all-caps sign are easy to identify and can only be found in Cape May… because it’s a Cape May thing.
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