New Jersey {Cape May: Congress Hall, Washington Street Mall & Rusty Nail}

I am positively charmed by Cape May New Jersey – America’s Original Seaside Resort. We’ve only been here a day and I already wish we had a full week. The moment we pulled into town I was in love. Cape May is the most perfect parts of Historic Savannah and Tybee Island rolled into one seaside town.

NEW JERSEY
Cape May
Congress Hall Hotel, Washington Street Mall, Verandah Bar, Rusty Nail, Uncle Charley’s Ice Cream
Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, Shore Day, Verandah Bar, Blue Pig Tavern, Peace Pie, Brown Room
Cape May Lighthouse, The Lobster House

Princeton
Princeton University Tour, Blue Point Grill, The Bent Spoon
Jammin’ Crepes, Thunder Lacrosse, Hoagie Haven, Princeton Cemetery, La MezzaLuna, Halo Pub
Jammin’ Crepes, Thunder Lacrosse, Dinner in Philly

Congress Hall Hotel

It didn’t take much time on the internet to hone in on Congress Hall Hotel as our home away from home. In 2016, Congress Hall celebrated its Bicentennial, marking two hundred years as America’s First Seaside Resort. Located in the heart of Victorian Cape May, and now in its third century, I was drawn to Congress Hall for its simple pleasures of the past with the modern amenities we love.

For more than two centuries this New Jersey hotel has offered hospitality to locals and visitors alike. It began life in 1816 as a simple boarding house for summer visitors to one of America’s earliest seaside resorts. Its owner, Thomas H. Hughes, called his new boarding house “The Big House.” The local people had other ideas, though. Convinced the building was far too large to ever be a success they nicknamed it “Tommy’s Folly.”

In this first incarnation it was a quite different affair. Downstairs was a single room that served as the dining room for all the guests, who stayed in simply partitioned quarters on the two upper floors. The walls and woodwork were bare and supplies of provisions were at times unreliable.

Guests were undeterred by the Spartan conditions and summer after summer the new hotel was packed to bursting. In 1828 Hughes had been elected to Congress and in honor of his new status his hotel was renamed Congress Hall.

As Congress Hall’s reputation grew, so did Cape May’s. By the middle of the 19th Century Cape May had become a booming holiday destination, rivaling Saratoga and Newport for popularity. Congress Hall had doubled in size and was welcoming guests from around the region, but in 1878 the building was destroyed when a huge fire swept through 38 acres of Cape May’s seafront.

Within a year, the owners rebuilt the hotel, this time in brick rather than wood, and business blossomed once again. The hotel and Cape May proved so popular that they gained renown as a summer retreat for the nation’s presidents. Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan all chose to vacation here. President Benjamin Harrison made Congress Hall his “summer White House” and conducted the affairs of state from the hotel.

The famous 19th Century composer John Philip Sousa also loved Congress Hall. After conducting concerts on Congress Hall’s lawn with his Marine Corps band throughout the season in 1882 he composed a march in honor of the hotel, the “Congress Hall March.”

The hotel fell into disrepair and remained closed for more than a dozen years, sometime between 1905 and the early 20s, after a long and bitter dispute between owner Annie Knight and the city council. Finally, an agreement to repave the roads around Congress Hall was reached and the hotel reopened in the early 20s, with a stunning renovation. Congress Hall went on to open Cape May’s first post-Prohibition cocktail bar (where the Brown Room sits now) in 1934.

From 1968 until 1995 Congress Hall operated as part of the Cape May Bible Conference led by the Reverend Carl McIntire of Collingswood, New Jersey. By providing an alternate use for the building Dr. McIntire in effect helped preserve it during a time when many of Cape May’s landmarks were being demolished to make way for modern motels. The present owners purchased the building in 1995 with the goal of undertaking a complete renovation to return Congress Hall to its former glory.

The hotel underwent an extensive renovation in 2001, during which a stash of original china, creamers and sugar bowls were unearthed. Both the Buffalo Pottery Company and D.W. Haber and Sons, which produced the items, are still in business and were able to reproduce them for the hotel’s 2002 re-opening.

Cape May is decked in American flags and buntings every place you look. The lobby of Congress Hall was no exception and felt like walking in Disney’s BoardWalk Resort, in fact. Congress Hall has been called the “Summer White House” and I see why.

The lobby was a buzz with activity, people coming and going and enjoying this lovely space.

We are staying in a suite and were eager to get out and enjoy the resort. We dropped our bags and were back out in mere minutes.

Washington Street Mall

Honey and I decided on an afternoon coffee pick-me-up while we browsed the cutest shops! The boys chose treats from the jerky store for their afternoon snack. :-)

Verandah Bar at Congress Hall Hotel

We dropped the boys back at the room and headed for a cocktail at Verandah Bar on the Grand Lawn. It was absolutely picturesque.

Victorian Cape May

Afterwards, we wandered around town admiring the gorgeous Victorian homes from the early 1800s.

Rusty Nail

We walked along the beach promenade to a casual dinner at Rusty Nail, Cape May’s iconic surfer bar.

“The Nail,” as it’s known by the locals, is the famed iconic surfer bar and restaurant that made a name for itself in the ‘70s. Back in the day lifeguards, surfers and beautiful beach bunnies gathered around the wood bar that was rumored to be the longest in all of Cape May. Now it’s your turn to join in the fun for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

We couldn’t get over the doggy menu and so wish Anna and Elsa had been able to enjoy it!

It was a great night with good food, live music, salt air, a lovely sunset and most importantly family.

Uncle Charley’s Ice Cream

We stopped for ice cream on the way home, as one does at the beach. I almost didn’t get any until Whit had me try his peanut butter pie ice cream sample. I was sold! We all agree – Uncle Charley knows his ice cream.

Sweet dreams!

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