Gone with the Wind

It stands to reason that the first seaside resort in America is going to have a rich and varied history. Visitors new to Cape May may not realize that the Tides Condominium on historic Jackson Street was once the site of the fashionable Baltimore Inn. Or that Cape May Point once boasted of several hotels, a railroad line and a trolley line, both of which ran into Cape May, all the way to Sewell’s Point at the eastern end of town. The Christian Admiral had a number of personality changes before its ultimate demise and it is an elite few who know that in 1852, the largest hotel in America and one of the largest in the world, was located right here in Cape May. If that isn’t enough for bragging rights, Cape May also held the distinction of having one of the most elegant hotels for the African-American clientele in the nation.  All are now gone with the wind, but as long as we have local historians to remind us, they will never be forgotten.

The Christian Admiral

The Christian Admiral was its name at the end. One of Cape May’s great landmarks, it started as Hotel Cape May when it opened its doors for the first time April 11, 1908. During World War I, it was turned into an Army convalescent hospital. Between World War I and World War II, it again operated as a hotel and was renamed The Admiral. With the advent of World War II, it would again go back into the government’s hands – this time under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Navy with a lease signed on May 15, 1942.  It was used for naval operations, officer’s quarters for the Naval Air Station Cape May and inshore patrol headquarters. It was also used by the Joint Operations Center. 

After the war it again went back to being a hotel with many financial problems. After the great March 1962 storm, property values dropped. The hotel had stood vacant for several years before the storm. The Reverend Dr. Carl McIntire stepped to the plate to save the great hotel. He bought it on May 30, 1963, renaming it as the Christian Admiral with the intent of using it as hotel and retreat for his followers. At one time, he also had a small college housed there called Shelton College. He too would fail financially and, during February of 1996, the Christian Admiral was torn down.  

The Baltimore Inn

According to The Book of Cape May, published by the Albert Hand Company, the Baltimore Inn “was added to the resorts hostelries in 1893.”  Although there is no proof, legend has it that the Baltimore Inn was originally constructed to serve as the Swiss Pavilion at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. After the fair, it was taken down in pieces and transported to Cape May by train. The hotel fronted on Jackson Street and ran all the way through to Decatur Street. It stood where The Tides Condominiums are today.  It was four stories tall, 65 feet across and of frame construction. Early advertisements boasted that it was only 36 yards from the boardwalk and beach. It also advertised that it had shuffleboard and table tennis. 

During the late ’50s the dress code was relaxed. The Inn’s literature read, “At the request of many guests, the Inn is accepting Bermuda shorts in the dining room and lobby at breakfast and luncheon. Gentlemen are expected to wear their coats. Luncheons on the lawn are attractions for those who wish to live in their bathing suits.”  Rooms rented for about $10 per night in the early ’60s. The Baltimore Inn fell victim to Urban Renewal in the mid 1960s and was torn down.  

The Windsor Hotel

The Windsor Hotel started out as the Whitney Cottage. After two additions, it became the Windsor Hotel.  Built in 1879, the architect was Stephen D. Button and the builders were Hoover and Hughes. Thomas Whitney asked Button to build the new hotel by adding two new wings to his existing cottage. One wing would be added to the south side of the house along Congress Street. Another longer wing would be added to the rear of the house which would run parallel to Beach Avenue. The Windsor was often called the “Queen of the Cape May hotels” because of its classic Cape May look. The L-shaped hotel stood three stories high with a mansard roof. Different from Congress Hall and the Lafayette’s high pillared verandas, the Windsor’s verandas were only one story high. 

Around 1900, along with some renovations, an elevator was added. The Windsor derived its name from England’s Windsor castle. Over the years there were many notables who stayed at the Windsor including celebrities such as Gloria Swanson, Joseph Kennedy, Sr., William Randolph Hearst, and Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco.  In the late ’50s the hotel was purchased by the controversial fundamentalist minister from Collingswood, the Reverend Dr. Carl McIntire. McIntire used the hotel to house his followers who would attend his religious conventions. In the early ’70s, the Windsor fell into disrepair and was ordered closed for fire code violations. On May 18, 1979, the Windsor met its death in a dire fire which was of a suspicious nature.  

Note: The Sandpiper Inn stands where the Windsor once did and is built in a similar style.

The Hotel Lafayette

The Hotel Lafayette was built in 1885 by Victor Denizot. It stood on the corner of Beach Drive and Decatur Street until October 1970 when it was torn down. An ad in the December 1888 Cape May Star and Wave announced “the opening of the beautiful hotel Lafayette on January 15, 1889 for the winter season. Mr. V. Denizot will at once prepare the house [hotel] for the comfort of guests, which promise to be many for the very opening day. The hotel does not require any great modifications to fit it for the cold season….”  It appears that even in the late 1800s, local businesses promoted the post-season.  The ad went on to say that opening in the winter would “mark a new era in the history of Cape May when two or three of its fine houses are opened for the winter season.”  The Lafayette was one of the first hotels to have a passenger elevator. 

Note: The Marquis de Lafayette stands in the Hotel Lafayette’s place today.

The Stockton Hotel

In the mid 1860s trains were now running to Cape May and the seaside resort was in high gear. As a result, there seemed to be a shortage of accommodations in the City. John C. Bullitt, a Philadelphia lawyer and a member of the railroad council, and William J. Sewell, a Civil War veteran and now director of the West Jersey Railroad, decided to build the Stockton Hotel. The West Jersey Railroad purchased the entire block on Beach Avenue between Howard and Guerney streets running back almost to Columbia Avenue. Work started in 1868 at a cost of $600,000. In the spring of 1869, the mammoth hotel opened for business with the railroad holding an inaugural ball. The hotel was named after Commodore Robert F. Stockton, who had formerly worked for the West Jersey Railroad.  A large painting of the commodore was given a place of honor in the new hotel. His son Senator Robert F. Stockton was a guest of honor at the inaugural ball. 

Another dignitary attending was General William J. Sewell, superintendent of the railroad. When the Stockton opened, it was able to brag that it was the largest hotel in the United States. The structure stood four stories high, facing Guerney Street. In the style of the times, it had high columns which wrapped about the veranda. The lobby was big enough for a regiment of soldiers to assemble in close formation. The dining room could seat more than 800. There were 475 guest rooms and an amusement hall. A notable event occurred at the hotel when President Ulysses S. Grant paid his first visit to Cape May. He came to Cape May by steamboat. He and Mrs. Grant were guests of Mr. Gardner of the Stockton Hotel. Those performing for the President included the Gray Reserves who entertained with exhibitions of close order drills. The West Jersey Railroad sold the Stockton in 1888 to F. Theodore Walton who resold it in 1895 to John F. Betz, Jr.  In 1910 it became unprofitable and the show place of its time was torn down.