Historic Styles
Architecture, architecture, architecture – for me, that’s what Cape May is all about. The Cape May Historic District includes about twelve hundred
19th and early 20th century buildings. We were the first resort in the United States and still retain the atmosphere of a beautiful small town in 1900. Everything is within walking distance and every street reveals new delights and surprises. Though we have only one Colonial house (before 1776), we have hosts of every other kind; Gothic Revival, Italianate, French Second Empire, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival. One of the great joys of Cape May is wandering around without a plan or structure, just discovering on your own.
Historic District
The whole city of Cape May (and part of West Cape May) is listed as an Historic District on 
the National Register of Historic Places. You can take trolley tours which describe the history and architecture of the town. You can see Cape May in greater detail by taking a walking tour. You can see Victorian interiors either on a tour of Bed and Breakfasts or a a guided tour of our house museum – the Emlen Physick Estate (Elan is the curator)
.
Other Historic Preservation Resources
You can get regular news about Historic Preservation throughout New Jersey from Preservation New Jersey, our statewide not-for-profit group (Elan is a former board member). You can find out who is getting grants to do restoration projects in the state by visiting the NJ Historic Trust (Elan is a trustee).
