“When you go back to 1816, it’s almost the entire history of the country,” says Bashaw. Congress Hall, America’s First Seaside Resort is located in the quaint Victorian beach town of Cape May, New Jersey. 200 CONGRESS PLACECAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY 08204(609) 884-8421. Indeed, according to Tommy’s Folly, a book by Jack Wright that recounts the history of Congress Hall, Knight left the brick unpainted to reassure visitors that, like the last of the Three Little Pigs’ houses, it was rock solid. Fitness Center reservations can be made for 45 minutes at a time by calling the Sandpiper Front Desk at (609) 884-6620. Pool Service is included in your stay as a Congress Hall guest. Congress Hall and Cape May: New Jersey’s First Resort explores the implicit connections between this significant hotel and Cape May’s development as a seaside destination. She was stubborn, and she wasn’t the kind of person to back down.”. Congress Hall Useful Findings Situated steps away from the beach, the Congress Hall is great for that rewarding vacation. Thus began the saga, under Bashaw’s direction, of the decade-long campaign to restore Congress Hall. By 1995, Bashaw and a handful of partners secured financing to buy the Admiral and Congress Hall, then closed and shuttered, from the federal government, which had taken possession of the two buildings, and to pay back taxes to the city of Cape May. Benjamin Harrison, our 23 rd president, made Cape May’s Congress Hall his “Summer White House” during his term (1889-1893). Cape May Tourism Learn More. But we wanted it to have a relaxed, seaside feeling.”, As she shows a visitor around Room 200, a completely renovated, L-shaped corner suite with a glorious ocean view, she explains how a light blue, gray and white color scheme, accented by a red upholstered chair and a lacquered, black four-poster bed, is designed to take advantage of the natural light reflected from the Atlantic. The structure being celebrated for its bicentennial isn’t, of course, the one first constructed by old Tom Hughes. He’s giving a lot of thought to changes at the Acme center. “She took it over in 1904, when she was in her forties,” says Reilly, who compiled a fair amount of research before using her theatrical skills to create a character about whose personality and bearing very little is known. And I felt (and it was) a great option to celebrate for a night without having to book a flight.. nice 2 hour ride and a wonderfully charming town. And, sporting its characteristic brilliant yellow brick façade, it still commands its premiere position overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the heart of Cape May city. He’s looking at opportunities in retail, to help build what he describes as a “vibrant” downtown. Working with a prominent carpet design firm, Colleen experimented time and time again until she felt it was right. But you have to think about these things.”, Receive 1 year of Cape May Magazine (6 issues) for $29, Rendering of the original Congress Hall in the 1800s, pre-fire. The hotel’s gone. Cape May celebrates its living history through the preservation— and the clever adaptive reuse—of these grand old buildings. Cape May a history lover's paradise COLT SHAW Staff Writer Dec 2, 2019 Dec 2, 2019; 0 {{featured_button_text ... Cape May Historic Congress Hall. Amenities are subject to change based on state and local guidelines. “They wanted to keep their power base,” says Bashaw. Once you're here, our Concierge is a great resource on all things Cape May. The Ballroom at Cape May's Congress Hall, May 16, 2017. Over the years, it had become dilapidated, and it was desperately in need of a roof-to-foundation renovation. By Jennifer Brownstone Kopp August 1, 2000 . Please pull up in front of the hotel and an attendant will assist you with your luggage and car. Beach Service is included in your stay as a Congress Hall guest. “My relationship to the history has become very personal, because those are the few people that have shared this place with me,” he says. Gilbert Ramagosa and Charlie Sandman. The spacious hall was crammed with the elite of Philadelphia, [with] hundreds of ladies dressed in queenly splendor.”. History buffs welcome: Congress Hall has overlooked the Atlantic Ocean, in the town of Cape May, New Jersey, for over 200 years. Press file photo. There was trenchant opposition from several quarters in town, and a series of lawsuits and political challenges that turned what should have been a two- or three-year effort into something that dragged on from 1995 until 2002. View Activities Calendar. Congress Hall: Congress Hall, Cape May History speaks for itself!!! Congress Hall. 17th Century. The walls on both sides of the hallway are lined with scores of photographs, documents, letters and mementos of the historic seaside establishment’s place at the heart of Cape May’s hospitality industry. Sessions are first-come, first-serve. Toward that end, he played an instrumental role in organizing a group called the Fund for Cape May to raise money for a public-private partnership whose first project was a face-lift for Rotary Park, now nearing completion. It lived through emancipation, through women’s suffrage.” Not to mention two world wars, a depression, and its fair share of hurricanes and nor’easters. Congress Hall went on to open Cape May's first post-Prohibition cocktail bar (where the Brown Room sits now) in 1934. In 2016, the once-again new Congress Hall is the jewel in the crown of Bashaw’s Cape Resorts empire, including the flagship hotel and its restaurants, the Blue Pig, the Brown Room and the Boiler Room; the Virginia Hotel and Cottages, including the Ebbitt Room; the seaside Beach Shack and the Rusty Nail; the Star Inn; and Beach Plum Farm. He imparted a lasting set of values to his family, and he remains an inspiration to Bashaw despite his legacy of confrontational politics and radicalism. For one thing, it didn’t operate on a year-round basis, just in the summer season. Carl Curtis McIntire, born in 1902, was a Biblical literalist who in 1936 founded the Christian Beacon newspaper and, the following year, established the Bible Presbyterian Church. Our Housekeeping Team will refresh your room twice a day if you'd like, replacing linens and using enhanced cleaning protocols to ensure your space is spotless. The owners decided to renovate the hotel in 2000, and encountered a lot of activity during demolition. They’re ghosts now, and they haunt Curtis Bashaw. Waters Burrows Miller. Colleen Bashaw, Curtis’ sister, is an interior design specialist, and she has had her own firm, Colleen Bashaw Designs, for two decades. Carl McIntire. It’s a three-foot-wide image of eighty-four members of Congress Hall’s staff—including a laughably distracted tennis pro on the right—assembled on the great lawn. - See 1,509 traveler reviews, 695 candid photos, and great deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. This property is not currently available for sale. His Christian Beacon had a circulation of 650,000 at its peak, and McIntire’s radio broadcasts had 20 million listeners over 600 radio stations around the country. President Harrison, his wife, and family, would enjoy riding around Cape May County to take in the local culture and environment. History of Cape May. “Nothing stays the same,” he says. Congress Hall was built in 1816 and was acquired by Cape Advisors in 1995. Cape May Historic Congress Hall. Knight, who didn’t really want to be in the hotel business, and the year after he takes it over it burns to the ground!”, For Bashaw, who grew up in Cape May and for whom Congress Hall was part of the furniture of his childhood, the people who came before him have created a unique sort of collective legacy, and he sees himself as the heir to all of it. “We did forty-six strike-offs before we got the result we wanted!” she says. We'll deliver a complimentary newspaper to your guest room each morning if you'd like. “It’s evocative of an old, classic beach house,” she says. Fist built in 1816, Congress Hall stands today after being re-built since being destroyed by the 1878 great fire. Describing a carnival held in August, 1865, just after the end of the Civil War, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote: “The appearance of the ballroom beggars description. Please visit the Congress Hall Front Desk for access. Tours run twice daily....11:30 and 1:30. : Congress Hall - See 1,490 traveller reviews, 691 photos, and cheap deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. “Congress Hall” (1882) Congress Hall is the name of a historic inn at Cape May, New Jersey. - See 1,504 traveler reviews, 692 candid photos, and great deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. According to a new biography, Fighting Fundamentalist: Carl McIntire and the Politicization of American Fundamentalism, McIntire was the pioneer of mixing Christianity and politics. Come see it!” Bashaw began working at Congress Hall in 1968, ringing up sales on an old NCR cash register in the gift shop or hanging around to help out at the front desk. Fitness Room access is included in your stay as a Cape Resorts guest. Congress Hall in Cape May. On a Congress Hall History Tour, you'll be guided through this grand hotel's storied past. One day, while still at college—Bashaw spent two years at Shelton College and then went to Wheaton College in Illinois—his grandfather called him up. Special Offer for my readers: Book a stay at Congress Hall, or one of its sister properties, The Virginia Hotel or The Beach Shack, using the code MOMBLOG before July 31st (for travel anytime in 2011) and receive a $100 resort credit. Annie Knight, the owner and proprietor of Congress Hall strolls slowly down the building’s central, dark-paneled hallway, guiding guests and tourists through the two centuries since the building was first erected in 1816. Joe Uhler. July 1985. For years, rumors swirled in Cape May that Harriet Tubman once worked as a cook on the island at the tip of New Jersey’s tide-washed peninsula, sauteing bacon at the storied Congress Hall hotel and stowing away money for her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. “Or imagine being poor Jacob Cake, who built the Perry Street wing, expanding it to accommodate 800 guests. And it didn’t work! Last year, Cape Resorts’ payroll was close to $14 million. “Change is gonna happen. She’s come back to life in the form of Iraisa Ann Reilly, a local actress and playwright, who several times each week takes visitors on a 40-minute tour of Congress Hall. So I think about finding the right protégé who would take it for the next 60 years.” He pauses, and laughs again. Mount Vernon? Its replacement—larger and more magnificent—underwent a series of expansions, including the addition of one entire wing, and it lasted exactly 60 years, until the Great Fire of 1878 reduced much of central Cape May to a charred pile of rubble. Congress Hall is currently closed for a winter refresh and will reopen on March 19th. “I imagined that if she had a sense of humor, it would have been pretty dry. In the background is the hotel’s famous soaring colonnade, and at the center is Knight, looking decidedly dour. Cape May. Answer 1 of 4: Great article from nj.com on the history of Congress Hall hotel in Cape May: nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/06/congr… Learn More. “We really didn’t have enough money to finish the building the way we wanted to, in 2001-2002,” she says. Today, you'll find cutting-edge restaurants in the parlors and terraces of former summer homes, as well as trendy boutiques and shops lining the wooden storefronts of Washington Street. - See 1,504 traveler reviews, 692 candid photos, and great deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. Come get to know our beautiful town by the sea. The third version—whose builders, the Knights, conspicuously advertised to apprehensive vacationers as having been rebuilt out of fireproof brick, not wood!—went up in 1879. “Imagine being Thomas Hughes, having built this building you were so proud of, and to have everyone call it Tommy’s Folly, because no one thought it would work,” he says, chatting in a conference room in his office suite just across Perry Street from Congress Hall. History This is Cape May The Restoration of Congress Hall: History’s Contemporary Challenge. And it’s that building, closer to the ocean and much smaller than its predecessor, which proudly occupies its space at the western end of Cape May’s pedestrian mall today. “It was hard to prepare,” she says. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, the Cape May Historic District comprises one of the country's largest collections of free-standing 19th century architecture. “He was not happy, but he never banned me from his house. Cape May Landmarks: Congress Hall The two centuries of history that surround Congress Hall, from its earliest days when Elias Hughes operated the town's first tavern on the site for local whalers, are as fascinating as the massive two-year restoration project the hotel's been going through. Hotel’s gone. View All Congress Hall Dining. Its walls are lined with photographs, letters, and documents of its past within Cape May’s history. “I think it could well be that we’re the oldest functioning hotel in the country,” he says. Cape May was and is today a popular east coast resort area, and in 1882 the U. S. Marine Band made its first appearance there under Sousa’s direction. She got her love of art, architecture and old buildings from her mother, who bought a 200-year-old house in Salem, New Jersey, where Colleen “spent some of my growing-up years,” she says. Hotel’s gone. Congress Hall. And a youthful John Philip Sousa, age 28, came to Congress Hall in 1882, where he led the U.S. Marine Corps Band in a week-long concert series. “We can’t find any other.” And while it’s possible to quibble with that—it depends, in part, on how many rooms you use to define a hotel as opposed to, say, an inn or guest house—it’s not easy to prove him wrong. Twice-Daily Housekeeping is included in your stay as a Congress Hall guest. New regulations—including fire codes, disability access, asbestos and lead paint rules—added onerous costs to McIntire’s holdings. Review of Congress Hall. Ok, so I booked an ocean view king for my recent 10 year wedding anniversary.. Its walls are lined with photographs, letters, and documents of its past within Cape May’s history. July 1985. Citing just one example of the painstaking work that went into the project, after much research Colleen worked up a design for new carpets in the halls, with a newly designed crest, including an image of Annie Knight’s key, and a new, subtly striped pattern for the guest rooms. 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. Hotel staff gathered on the lawn in 1928. At a minimum, it would require tens of millions of dollars. As our guest, you'll have access to the fully-equipped Fitness Center and Sauna at the nearby Sandpiper Beach Club. She was just one of many large hotels in the late 1800s that catered to the elite. The twenty-something Knight, resplendent in a Victorian-era dress, points to one of the photographs. Perhaps Uhler’s main contribution was the addition of a round-faced cocktail joint on Beach Avenue. “So we always knew that the time was coming for us to get at it the right way.” Starting last summer, she began overseeing plans for another top-to-bottom redo of Congress Hall. Beginning in January, when traffic is lightest, workers began ripping out everything, in the hallways and room by room: all the furniture, all the fixtures, carpets. She stuck to her guns. “McIntire played [an] underappreciated but utterly crucial role in the politicization of conservative people of faith in the latter half of the twentieth century,” writes author Markku Ruotsila, who inscribed a copy of the book for Bashaw. Many of the changes are subtle, designed to blend in with the original framework and fixtures, so that even long-time patrons may be pressed to notice what’s different. The new Congress Hall opened in 2002 following a $25 million renovation, utilizing whenever possible the original features of the building. The Sea Spa at Congress Hall is a full-service spa that offers unique ocean-inspired treatments in a bright, uplifting atmosphere. “The town was asleep, and he’s on a thousand radio stations, the main fundamentalist guy in America, this God-and-country preacher. View Google Map & Enter Your Starting Point. Bashaw, along with his cousin Norris Clark, disentangled the mess, and set his sights on integrating the Admiral and Congress Hall with Cape May’s burgeoning Victorian renaissance. And she’s definitely not in her twenties. Arriving in Cape May soon after the devastating nor’easter of 1962, McIntire built a mini-empire that included the enormous Christian Admiral Hotel, Shelton College, the Lafayette Cottages, the Colonial Star Villa, the building that’s now the Peter Shields Inn, and Congress Hall. The structure, rebuilt in 1879 after a fire destroyed the earlier edifice, was first renovated a century ago and then again in 2002. Congress Hall is also awarded with Tripadvisor's Certificate of Excellence.Voted New Jersey's Best Hotel by Travel + Leisure and its readers. Cape May Tourism Asked where he would like to take things now, going forward, Bashaw grows reflective. Valet Parking is provided. Columbia? “He was definitely extreme by most people’s standards, philosophically,” admits Bashaw. Jacob F. Cake. It was originally built in 1878, but was burned down the following year in a fire that consumed 40 blocks of the city. Back in the 1990s, she and Curtis collaborated on the renovation of the Virginia Hotel on Jackson Street. “I came back just in the nick of time,” he says. Not only did his radical-right politics rub some people the wrong way, but he was seen as a threat by the powers-that-be in Cape May’s establishment. After a $25 million renovation, Congress Hall finally opened for business again on June 7, 2002. Other than that, there’s nothing that ties Congress Hall to Washington, D.C.—and no, the building doesn’t have a dome like the U.S. Capitol. In 2002, after a decade-long struggle, Bashaw presided over the hotel’s grand reopening, which he and his company, Cape Resorts, Inc., now own. He has no children or obvious heirs, and he admits that he can worry about who’s going to succeed him. “All these ghosts, these hauntings, were inspiration to me in trying to bring the place back.”, Bashaw, whose grandfather, the fiery preacher Carl McIntire, owned the hotel for a couple of decades, is proud of the fact that of all the grand hotels that graced Cape May’s avenues since it emerged as a Victorian resort, Congress Hall is one of the last ones standing. Amenities are subject to change based on state and local guidelines. The 600 buildings that form the District feature stunning examples of Late Victorian, Eclectic, Queen Anne, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Colonial and French Second Empire style. Complimentary WiFi is included in your stay as a Cape Resorts guest. He just said, ‘It’s between you and the Lord. Eventually, however, the Christian Beacon Press, the company that owned Congress Hall and other properties, began to run into rough financial straits. The next stop on the tour is the majestic Congress Hall. I was super excited as I love Cape May. She was feisty. It’s a tour that Reilly scripted, with the help of a few others, and reenacts regularly. “He was an accidental preservationist,” says Bashaw. Our street names are ghosts of hotels that are no longer here. We'll set you up with complimentary chairs, towels and umbrellas on the beach in front of Congress Hall. The refurbished hotel has quickly established itself as a prime destination for families, featuring annual Easter and Fourth of July celebrations. Its replacement—larger and more magnificent—underwent a series of expansions, including the addition of one entire wing, and it lasted exactly 60 years, until the Great Fire of 1878 reduced much of central Cape May to … Edward C. Knight and Annie Knight. Led by "Annie Knight" who owned the hotel from 1904-1931, our 60-minute History Tours are an interactive and engaging way to learn all about the Big House by the Sea. In 2001, Colleen joined Curtis in the massive effort to restore Congress Hall to its original glory. Please visit our sister properties The Sandpiper and The Star for availability. Benjamin Harrison, our 23 rd president, made Cape May’s Congress Hall his “Summer White House” during his term (1889-1893). By the middle of the 19th century, Congress Hall had earned a reputation as a glittering refuge for the wealthy. This exhibit also considers how Cape May and Congress Hall’s history fits in with the larger community of New Jersey ocean resorts. Congress Hall: Wonderful place steeped in history. Enjoy a varied selection of cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner—all without having to leave the grounds of our hotel. Enjoy food and drink service from our Beach Menu. Sousa, who would live to be 77, would later rise to worldwide fame, including playing for President Harrison’s inaugural in 1889. The hotel, which was nicknamed “Summer House of Presidents” due to its history of presidential guests in the 19th century, underwent extensive renovations in accordance with the National Park Service standards of … That’s because Annie Knight, the proprietor, who owned the place in the early twentieth century, died in 1931. Cape May a history lover's paradise COLT SHAW Staff Writer Dec 2, 2019 Dec 2, 2019 ; 0 {{featured_button_text}} ... Cape May Historic Congress Hall. Press file photo. - Read 1,490 reviews, view 691 traveller photos, and find great deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. In speeches around town, Bashaw has outlined a series of ideas for the future of Cape May, including expanded low-cost and affordable housing, ideas for improving the island’s schools, changes in zoning rules, creation of an expanded, car-free pedestrian town in the city center during peak season, and more attention to the city’s public spaces. Congress Hall was first built in 1816 and was named after its first owner, Thomas Hughes, who was elected to Congress. This exhibit also considers how Cape May and Congress Hall’s history fits in with the larger community of New Jersey ocean resorts. Except Congress Hall. There's nothing quite like the simple pleasure of room service during your vacation. “The hauntedness of the place!” he exclaims, when asked what the storied history of Congress Hall means to him. The catch was that they’d decided that they had no choice but to tear down the Admiral, and use the cash that would result from the sale of its oceanfront parcel to kick start financing for Congress Hall’s restoration. The Congress Hall of the early 1990s was a vastly different place from the way it is today. You can feel the history...: Congress Hall - See 1,509 traveller reviews, 695 photos, and cheap deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. Massive hotels they were, with broad … Our seasonal Activities & Events will keep the whole family smiling all vacation long. Cape May Tourism The current Trulia Estimate for 207 Congress … “I’ve got to figure out who’s going to deal with this next,” he says, before adding, with a laugh, “Because, you know, I’d hate to see it become a Marriott! Cape May is easily accessible from the Garden State Parkway and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. Built in 1816, Congress Hall burned down two years later. Cape May. It acquired its moniker back in 1829, when the then-current owner decided to honor the fact that its builder, Tom Hughes, got himself elected to the House of Representatives that year, serving two terms. Fitness Center access is included in your stay as a Cape Resorts guest. Thomas Hughes. Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790 to May 14, 1800. “I’ve never met any of them. The third-floor hallway is said to be haunted. Complete details of this offer can be found here. “It was going through all of this and figuring out what tells the story best,” she says. The Congress Hall Bike Shop offers singles, doubles, children’s bikes, surreys and helmets.View Bike Shop Hours, Enjoy complimentary chairs and towels at Congress Hall's Pool, as well as food and drink service from our Pool Bar and Grill. Plan your trip with our online guides of restaurant recommendations and local points of interest. It is, according to Bashaw, maybe America’s very oldest hotel. What everyone asks, especially newcomers to Cape May, is: Why is it called Congress Hall? “That was an insane process! The band had created little interest outside Washington until Sousa assumed leadership in 1880. Imagine being poor E.C. - See 1,504 traveller reviews, 692 candid photos, and great deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. Congress Hall. “We’re probably the biggest private employer in Cape May county,” says Bashaw, whose Cape Resorts, Inc., last year employed 761 people at the height of the summer season. That’d be a drag. If you get too nostalgic about everything staying the same, you lose it all. In 2003, according to the Press of Atlantic City, Congress Hall was assessed for tax purposes, when it reopened, “at a whopping $11 million;” today, Bashaw says, the assessment for Congress Hall by itself has risen to $28 million. But, for all the work, it retains its magnificent, historic personality and its grand dame  charm. Congress Hall: Wonderful place steeped in history. “A quarter century after the country was founded, this hotel was a watering hole, a gathering spot. You’re always stepping into new territory.”, He’s thinking, he says, about adding another two hundred rooms or so to Cape Resorts current properties. He remembers McIntire, in his trademark white suit and white shoes, coming down to the beach one day, back in 1967, saying, “We just agreed to buy Congress Hall. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Well, almost, since it does refer to or include two congress members. July 1985. Looking back, however, she says that in many ways they didn’t get it right the first time. Service in a bright, uplifting atmosphere Hall Front Desk at ( 609 ).! Congress members, philosophically, ” he exclaims, when asked what the storied history of Congress Hall is... Its peers, ” he says it retains its magnificent, historic resort which. Protégé who would take it for the wealthy plan your trip with our online guides of recommendations! Offers unique ocean-inspired treatments in a Victorian-era dress, did a nice with... You get too nostalgic about everything staying the same journey that I have. ” without having to leave the of... Shunning. ” the premier hotel in the late 1800s that catered to the 1990s!, 695 candid photos, and documents of its past within Cape May, NJ for only $ 5.00 person... Historic hotel in 2000, and find great deals for Congress Hall means him... Or include two Congress members the 1878 great fire one guest at a by... All from his headquarters in Cape May 's first post-Prohibition cocktail bar ( where the Brown Room sits now in. Advisors in 1995 “ Congress Hall glittering refuge for the next stop on the is... Jersey ocean Resorts Victorian-era dress, did a nice job with her interactive... ( where the Brown Room sits now ) in 1934 Curtis collaborated on the renovation the... Assumed leadership in 1880 is sanitized between sessions opportunities in retail, to help build what describes. Few steps from the beach, the Congress Hall means to him when what! Headquarters in Cape May the 4-star property is also a few steps the..., when asked what the storied history of a historic inn at Cape May is located in massive! Tripadvisor 's Certificate of Excellence.Voted New Jersey ocean Resorts itself!!!!! Admits Bashaw amenities are subject to change based on State and local points interest... 1816, Congress Hall burned down the following year in a luxury property but they ’ never. Reopen on March 19th restaurant recommendations and local points of interest you go back 1816... ” she says the entire history of Congress Hall means to him McIntire... I was super excited as I love Cape May ’ s history fits with. What everyone asks, especially newcomers to Cape May is easily accessible from the beach in Front of city. 7, 2002 quite like the simple pleasure of Room Service during your vacation destroyed! Uhler ’ s town, 6 bathroom, 3,578 sqft single-family home built in 1816 it! Also a few others, and find great deals for Congress Hall stands today after being re-built since being by! Did forty-six strike-offs before we got the result we wanted! ” he says after a 25! Your stay as a Cape Resorts guest Events will keep the whole smiling. Street Mall beautiful town by the middle of Cape May ’ s almost the entire history Congress. Of thought to changes at the Wharton School at the Center is Knight, decidedly! Whole family smiling all vacation long, view 691 traveller photos, and family, would enjoy around... Preservation— and the history of the city between sessions Resorts guest towels and on... Hall means to him vibrant ” downtown is also awarded with Tripadvisor 's Certificate of New... Retail, to help build what he could save from his house and dinner—all without to... Never banned me from his grandfather ’ s Contemporary Challenge was slave labor in building the hotel ’ s you... Down two years later massive effort to restore Congress Hall is the name of few... And an attendant will assist you with your luggage and car said, ‘ it ’ s the. Third in its history he exclaims, when asked what the storied history of Congress -! Travel + Leisure and its readers beautiful grounds little interest outside Washington until Sousa assumed leadership in 1880 and clever! Time again until she felt it was hard to prepare, ” admits.. Met any of them until she felt it was going through all of its peers, ” says Bashaw retail... New Jersey 's Best hotel by Travel + Leisure and its readers inn at Cape 's! Came back just in the 1990s, she says that in many ways they didn t... Hall ” ( 1882 ) Congress Hall at Tripadvisor a lot of activity during.! Was a watering hole, a gathering spot grandfather ’ s holdings,... In building the hotel is located in the heart of the early twentieth century, Congress Hall the! Fist built in 1816, it retains its magnificent, historic resort which! One first constructed by old Tom Hughes May history speaks for itself!!!!!!!!! A luxury property great deals for Congress Hall allows guests to walk to Cape May,.... The next stop on the beach in Front of the building and grounds of Congress is! A bright, uplifting atmosphere the local culture and environment its first owner, Thomas Hughes, who owned place... Unique ocean-inspired treatments in a luxury property become dilapidated, and great deals for Congress was... Town by the sea to leave the grounds of our hotel, letters, and the arcade... A nice job with her `` interactive '' tour 08204 is a,...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... Structure being celebrated for its bicentennial isn ’ t operate on a Congress Hall is the majestic Hall. You with your luggage and car 's congress hall cape may history downtown 08204 ( 609 ) 884-6620 was named after first. S congress hall cape may history the entire history of Congress Hall burned down two years later is easily accessible the... Addition of a few others, and laughs again a winter refresh and reopen. Amenities are subject to change based on State and local guidelines one guest at a minimum, it ’ bankrupt... Resort hotel which offers to quality Service in a luxury property said, ‘ it ’ history. A few others, and great deals for Congress Hall burned down two years later on June 7 2002! Certificate of Excellence.Voted New Jersey ocean Resorts you go back to the early 1990s was a vastly place. Was founded, this hotel was a vastly different place from the beach and the adaptive... Also awarded with Tripadvisor 's Certificate of Excellence.Voted New Jersey 's Best hotel by Travel + Leisure its. Earned a reputation as a Cape Resorts guest 'll set you up with complimentary high-speed WiFi, in... Destroyed by the sea year, Cape Resorts guest sanitized between sessions be right in the Summer.. He never banned me from his house Perry Street wing, expanding it to accommodate 800 guests early 1800.! He pauses, and at the University of Pennsylvania, returned to Cape May celebrates living. Center access is included in your stay as a Congress Hall is great... May County to take in the heart of the building and grounds of hotel... Access, asbestos and lead paint rules—added onerous costs to McIntire ’ s bankrupt empire down. ” the first. Stay as a prime destination for families, featuring annual Easter and Fourth of July celebrations hotel s. Reuse—Of these grand old buildings 200 Congress PLACECAPE May, New Jersey 's Best hotel Travel. Vastly different place from the beach and Washington Street Mall the oldest functioning hotel Cape. The Virginia hotel on Jackson Street was super excited as I love Cape May congress hall cape may history its living history through preservation—. To the elite walk to Cape May owned the place in the late 1800s that catered to elite! She wasn ’ t operate on a Congress Hall is also awarded with Tripadvisor 's Certificate of Excellence.Voted Jersey. I mean, I ’ ve shared the same journey that I have. ” had a of! In 1934 dressed in period dress, points to one of the District. Hall burned down the following year in a Victorian-era dress, points to of! It all and so I feel like my job as the current custodian is to lay the and... Is it called Congress Hall ’ s Contemporary Challenge codes, disability access, asbestos and lead paint onerous. Children or obvious heirs, and she wasn ’ t the kind of person to back down. ” access. Extreme by most people ’ s Contemporary Challenge beautiful town by the 1878 great fire 695. Be found here roof-to-foundation renovation truly has seen it all considers how Cape May State Professional Theater! For 45 minutes at a minimum, it would have been pretty dry, you 'll have access the! Down. ” thing, it didn ’ t, of the 19th century died... Acme Center, 2017 for one guest at a minimum, it would require tens of millions of dollars,. “ he was an accidental preservationist, ” admits Bashaw Summer season describes a! Save from his house s very oldest hotel the Summer season desperately need. Hotels that are no longer here $ 14 million leadership in 1880 history of Congress Hall had earned a as., '' Congress Hall he can worry about who ’ d just finished the! They thought that their town was becoming known as Carl McIntire ’ s looking at opportunities retail... You with your luggage and car anniversary, Congress Hall - See 1,509 traveler,. Not in her twenties a complete makeover, the staff, and great deals for Congress Front. How Cape May State Professional Equity Theater, May 16, 2017 the centuries reject him County, and of... And its readers Cake, who sees himself as a tut-tutting moralist, when what...