Greater Cape May Historical Society

Greater Cape May Historical Society Steward of The Colonial House Museum, located in the first period Memucan Hughes house, c. 1730. Restored tavern room, common room and Gallery Exhibit Room

The museum is open June 16, 2021 to September 15,2021
Wednesday through Saturday- 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and during Victorian Week in October. The museum is also open by appointment. Send email to [email protected]. "THE GREATER CAPE MAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY RECEIVED A GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT REGRANT FROM THE CAPE MAY COUNTY DIVISION OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE. THESE REGRANT FUNDS CAME F

ROM A GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT GRANT THAT THE CULTURE AND HERITAGE DIVISION HAD RECEIVED FROM THE NEW JERSEY HISTORICAL COMMISSION, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE".

Osborne StreetOsborne Street does not appear on any list of historic Cape May walking tours because only one of its pre ...
05/29/2026

Osborne Street

Osborne Street does not appear on any list of historic Cape May walking tours because only one of its pre 1900 houses is still standing.

In fact, an internet newspaper search for “Osborne Street” turns up very few items. The people who lived on Osborne Street were not the owners of major local businesses, nor were they prominent in social circles. They were the people who worked behind the scenes.

One newspaper source of information is the annual list of people who owe real estate taxes, and whose property will be put up for sale if the taxes are not paid. Being named on these lists does not necessary mean that the property owner does not have the money to pay the taxes, because the names of some of Cape Mays prominent residents appeared on these lists. Many wealthy people did not pay bills until the last possible day. They gathered wealth by keeping money in their bank accounts as long as possible. Some less wealthy people did the same, and some people just did not have the funds available. The earliest tax sale found was for 1888, and the property owner was Elizabeth James. The location of her property on Osborne is not mentioned.

The 1890 Sanborn fire insurance map shows about fourteen dwellings on Osborne Street. They were all of wooden construction, and most were 2-story. (Photo 1) The 1909 Sanborn map shows about sixteen dwellings, some of which have spaces for multiple families. Some lots contain two or three structures. (2) In November 1905, James J. Doak was awarded the contract to build a double cottage for Edward W. Dale, on the corner of Jefferson and Osborne. This cottage is shown as 812-814 Jefferson, on the 1909 map.

It was not until 1915 that a water main was installed under Osborne Street. This came about after a May 31, 1915 petition was received. The petition was signed by Osborne Street residents P.H. Hunt, George Ogden, Mrs. T.S. Stevens, Mrs. Lucy Edmunds, Wilamina Shiner, and Mrs. M. E. Ruffings.

On Christmas Eve in 1921, an overheated stove in a house on Osborne Street set fire to the woodwork. Firemen extinguished it before much damage was done. This event made the paper, but does not mention the house number.

In 1922, an ordinance established the distance that a building had to be set back from the street. On Osborne Street, from Franklin to Jefferson Street, the set back was five feet.

There is only one house on Osborne Street for which a photograph has been found, and that is a recent Google one. A circa 1920s aerial view includes Osborne Street. Allen AME Church, on the corner of Franklin and Osborne, is toward the lower right. The two story, gable roofed houses on Osborne are above the church, in this view. (3)

Visits to the homes that have been found in newspapers, and in the 1950 US Census, will provide a bit of information about a few of the Cape May residents who, over the years, lived on Osborne Street. {NOTE- the 1950 census is hand-written and in some case difficult to read, so my misspellings may happen}

703 - Which was probably built after 1909, had Ralph W. Loft living there in 1950. Mr. Loft was 53, separated from his wife, born in Georgia, and was a preacher at the African Methodist Church.

707 - Douglas Coleman, and his wife Clarabelle, lived here in 1950. Mr. Coleman, 35, was born in New Jersey and worked as a laborer. Mrs Coleman, 33, was born in South Carolina.Walter O. Knight, a nephew lived with them.

709 - Isaiah Wilson lived here in 1921. Anne Harris was living here in 1950, when the Census was taken.
In February of 1958, Mr. & Mrs. George F. Carter lived at 709, and on February 19, Mrs. Carter gave birth to their son Michael George Carter.

712 - Minerva Ruffings was living here in December,1915.

714 - This 2-story house, which is shown on the 1890 and 1909 Sanborn maps, is the only original house on the street. The 1950 Census lists it as vacant. (4)

715 - In 1908 John Crowell was living here. That December he placed a For Sale advertisement in the Cape May Star & Wave. (5) On Sunday May 16 of 1909, someone living here lost their black cape between the Presbyterian Church and home. The lot at 715 contained several buildings including an ice house, and probably a stable. In 1910, John Crowell held a public auction on the property, which included three horses and a wagon. (6) In 1914, Arabella Rogers owed taxes on her “1 -4 interest in a stable lot, Osborne street adjoining Crowell’s and others.” Mrs. Rogers lived in Camden, NJ, and owned the Marine Villa in 1900.

717 - There were two houses on the property at 717. The 1950 Census lists Erma Ludlow, 74, living in one house. Kenneth Hickman, 29, his wife Isabel, 30, and their son Charles, 3, lived in the other house. Mr. Hickman worked as a county detective in the police force. By 1971, Kenneth Hickman was county detective in charge of police training.

719 - Daisy Edmonds, 39 lived here in 1950.

720 -721 - Elizabeth James was the owner in 1903. In 1914, Charles Pollard was living here when he placed an Employment Wanted ad in the Star & Wave. He was seeking “Jobs of all kinds.” In 1915, he advertised for work Whitewashing and Calcimining {painting}.

In 1908, A. E. Ruffings, husband of Minerva Ruffings was working as a janitor in a Cape May City building. He died October 25, 1917. In 1919, Minerva Ruffings advertised in the Star & Wave that she did laundry. (7) In 1921, Minerva Ruffings was living in 721, and owed property taxes for 1918 and 1919. The 1950 Census lists Minerva Ruffings as 100 years old, and having been born in North Carolina.

725 - John Vance owned 725 in 1905, and owed taxes for 1903 and 1904. By 1921, Patrick Hunt was living in 725. Patrick Hunt and Frank Green bid on the contract to haul garbage for the city in 1921. They may have been the low bidder, but for some reason the contract went to Robert H. Keith. They then sued the city. No newspaper articles about how that turned out have been found, but Mr. Hunt was still hauling garbage for the city in the summer of 1922. In 1933, Charles Hunt, who was Patrick’s son, was hurt when his car skidded on ice and hit a tree. A fire that destroyed the stable at Broad and Elmyra streets in July 1935, resulted in the death of two horses owned by William Scott and Patrick Hunt, that they used for general hauling.
The 1950 Census lists Patrick Hunt as age 78, and having been born in North Carolina. His son, Charles, was 40, and worked as a janitor in a theater.
Patrick Henry Hunt died July 10, 1954. At that time he was living in Whitesboro. His age is listed as 88, so either the Census or the newspaper is incorrect. His funeral was held at Macedonia Baptist Church and he was buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, in Cold Spring. A October 1984, article in the Press of Atlantic City, describes the founding of Whitesboro in 1900. This article mentions that Patrick Hunt was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Whitesboro.
In 1960, the family of Charles Plummer, Sr. was living in 725 Osborne. Charles Plummer, Jr. was a 22-year-old private in the Army, who had just graduated from the 82nd Airborne Division jump School at Fort Bragg, NC. Sadly, Pfc. Charles Plummer, Jr. was killed in October 1960, when his car ran off the road and hit a tree at Fort Bragg.

727 - John Vance owned this house in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906. Georgiana Vance is listed as the owner in 1909 and 1914. In 1919 and 1921 Jacob Boyer was the owner.

In 1968, twenty eight low cost housing units for people 65 and older, on limited income, were built on Osborne Street. They replaced the older houses that had been there. This new housing complex consists of 12 efficiencies and 16 one-bedroom apartments. This was the final section of three, built with $1 million in federal funds. Charles Plummer, Sr., who had formerly live at 725, was living 27 Osborne Court by June, 1979. Mr. Plummer died Friday June 23, 1979. He was born in North Carolina, but had lived in Cape May since 1932.

Information sources:
Princeton University Library - Sanborn fire insurance maps.
1905, Oct. 5, Cape May Herald - Vance taxes on 725.
1905, Nov. 2, Cape May Herald - Double cottage for Mr. Dale.
1915, Jul. 17, Cape May Star & Wave - Water main.
1921, Dec. 24, Cape May Star & Wave - House fire.
1922, Sep. 30, Cape May Star & Wave - Building set back.
1958, Feb.27, Press of Atlantic City - Michael Carter born.
Google Images- 2022 view of 714 Osborne.(4)
1908, Dec. 26, Cape May Star & Wave - Crowell ad.
1908, Feb. 15, Cape May Star & Wave - A. E. Ruffings.
1909, May 29, Cape May Star & Wave - Lost cape.
1910, Feb. 5, Cape May Star & Wave - Public Sale. Crowell.
1914, Dec. 12, Cape May Star & Wave - Arabella Rogers.
1914, Nov. 21, Cape May Star & Wave - Jobs, Pollard.
1915, Feb. 13, Cape May Star & Wave - Whitewashing.
1915, Jun. 5, Cape May Star & Wave- Water petition.
1919, Jul., Cape May Star & Wave - Laundry, Ruffings.
1920, Oct. 23, Cape May Star & Wave - A. E. Ruffings memoriam.
1921, Apr. 2, Cape May Star & Wave -Ruffings, taxes owed.
1971, Dec. 14, Press of Atlantic City - Kenneth Hickman in charge of training.
1922, Apr. 8, Cape May Star & Wave - Patrick Hunt garbage suit.
1922, Jul. 29, Cape May Star & Wave - Garbage inspector.
1933, Feb. 11, Press of Atlantic City - Charles Hunt.
1935, Jul. 3, Press of Atlantic City - Stable fire.
1954, Jul. 15, Cape May Star & Wave - Hunt obit.
1984, Oct. 13, Press of Atlantic City - Whitesboro.
1960, Jun. 19, Press of Atlantic City - Charles Plummer.
1968, Dec. 21, Press of Atlantic City - Low-cost Osborne St. project.
1979, Jun. 25, Press of Atlantic City - Charles Plummer, Sr. obit.

05/25/2026

The information posted about the Lobster House being sold was false. The Lobster House has not been sold. I regret the error, and any misunderstanding it has caused. Thanks to everyone who quickly pointed out my mistake. I should have attempted to verify the information before including it in the article. Please accept my apology. Larry Paul

Cape May steps back in time so that it can move forward. Part 7 Curtis BashawCurtis Bashaw grew up in, and around, some...
05/25/2026

Cape May steps back in time so that it can move forward.
Part 7 Curtis Bashaw

Curtis Bashaw grew up in, and around, some of Cape May’s most important historic architecture.
Around 1963, he began spending his summers living, and later working in the Christian Admiral, and Congress Hall. These hotels were part of the Cape May properties owned by his grand father, Reverend Dr. Carl McIntire. As a teenager, in the 1970s, Curtis Bashaw spent his summers working at Congress Hall. He began as a bellhop, moved up to waiter, then to front desk clerk.

In the summer of 1982, before his senior year at Wheaton College, his grandfather ask Curtis to manage Congress Hall. (Photo 1)

After graduating from Wheaton, Mr. Bashaw was name one of three graduate scholars at the Rutgers School of Law in Camden.

From 1983 through 1985, manager Curtis Bashaw headed up a restoration of Congress Hall. A bit of stenciled ornament discovered in the lobby was copied and reproduced on the lobby walls by Cindy Becker. Much of this restoration work was done by volunteers. Mr. Bashaw’s mother made all the curtains.

In 1985, Curtis Bashaw was director of finance and development for Rev. McIntire’s properties.

In 1986, Curtis Bashaw got a chance to create the type of vacation resort hotel he envisioned. One of Dr. Carl McIntire’s properties was the 3-story Virginia Hotel, that opened in 1879. Its location on Jackson Street was ideal, with the Washington Street Mall at one end, the beach at the other end, and beautiful Victoria houses on both sides of the street. The hotel was vacant because it did not meet fire and safety codes.

The most important thing to have before undertaking any restoration project is enough money to fund even the unexpected problems. It was going to take $2 million to completely renovate and restore the Virginia. Curtis Bashaw’s father, who was an attorney and real estate developer, offered to help with the needed financial support. The Chamberlin Hospitality Group was formed to restore and operate the hotel.

The exterior had under gone a number of changes over the years. (2) The asbestos siding was removed to expose the original wooden clapboard. The wooden trim on the porch posts was replicated.

On the interior, a fire safety sprinkler system was installed, with the water supply pipes hidden behind walls and ceilings. 24 guest rooms with elegant custom-designed furnishings that pay homage to the hotel’s Victorian heritage without being limited to it, were created. The rooms were equipped with 5-star quality amenities like goose-down comforters on oversized beds; private bathroom with toiletries and terry cloth robes; individual climate control; and 25” TV with access to a library of videos.

Curtis Bashaws vision for the Virginia went way beyond just operating a historic hotel that was updated with all the modern creature comforts. He wanted to “exist to sell memories.” An outstanding restaurant that was open year round to guests and the general public, was the key to making the Virginia Hotel a first class resort that could create these ‘memories’. Early in the restoration process Mr. Bashaw began working with chef Joseph Lotozo to create a selection of regional American and international cuisine for the dining room that was to be named The Ebbitt Room, in honor of the original owner of the hotel.

After 18 months of work, The Virginia opened on June 2, 1989, and began selling Cape May vacation ‘Memories’.

Curtis Bashaws next historic restoration project was much more involved and controversial. In 1990, Rev. Carl McIntire’s Christian Beacon Press, Inc, owner of the Christian Admiral Hotel, filed for bankruptcy. The Christian Admiral closed in the fall of 1991. In 1993 Christian Beacon Press applied for a demolition permit. By 1994, $800,000 in back taxes was owed. Several conversion plans were suggested, but none got beyond the looking for financing stage. In January of 1995, the City Council accepted a plan to demolish the Christian Admiral, subdivide the property, and pay the back taxes.

Even though it was a landmark that was visibly impressive inside and out, the hotel had never produced the financial results that any of its owners hoped it would. It was in and out of bankruptcy several times. Some people believed then, and still believe, it could have, or should have, been saved. But the finances to make these ideas happen never materialized. Demolition of the former Christian Admiral began in December, 1995, and was completed in March, 1996.

Curtis Bashaw established Congress Hall Partners, and was working on plans to renovate Congress Hall in 1998, at that time it was estimated to be a $18 million project. (5) Taxes, where to park the guests cars, and even a law suit are in newspaper articles from that time.

The project finally got approved, and the renovation and restoration began in the spring of 2001. (6) By 2002 the total cost was up to $22 million. By the time Congress Hall reopened on June 7, 2002, the cost was $25 million.
All of the problems, challenges, delays, and costs that Curtis Bashaw had to deal with turned out to be well worth it. Mr. Bashaw now had a historic hotel filled with delightful interiors designed by his sister, Colleen Bohuny. (7) With fun dining options like the Blue Pig and the Boiler Room, Curtis Bashaw could now provide everyone with the Cape May memories that he specialized in.

Curtis Bashaw formed Cape Resorts, as a hospitality investment and management company, to own and operate his restored properties. Cape Resorts went on to convert the Coachman from a ho hum 1960s motel to a this is a fun place to stay property, named the Beach Shack. (8)
In 2009,West End Garage, a 1921 auto repair shop, was converted into a fun shopping venue, with around 60 vendor spaces. (9)
A boarding house with added motel section, at 29 Perry Street, was reinvented as an up-scale facility named The Star Inn. It serves as an annex to Congress Hall. (10)
Several of the Atlantic Terrace houses on Jackson Street have been updated and operate as rentals associated with the Virginia Hotel.

The individuals mentioned in this series of posts are but a few of the countless people who have, over the years, invested their time and money in preserving and restoring historic structures in Cape May.

For years and years, the firefighters of the Cape May Fire Department have undergone specialized training in the skills required to fight fires in building of frame construction. They are always on duty and ready to protect Cape May’s historic buildings.

Information Sources:
1984, Sep. 17, Courier-Post - Rutgers.
1985, Jun. 29, Press of Atlantic City - Director of finance & development.
1985, Jul. 23, Press of Atlantic City - Congress Hall restoration.
1986, Sep. 7, Press of Atlantic City - Victorian weekend & photo.
1989, Jul. 16, Star-Ledger - Opening date & Chef
1992, May 3, Scranton Times-Tribune - Virginia Hotel & Ebbitt Room information.
1993, Aug. 9, Star-Ledger - Virginia & Christian Admiral.
1994, Jan. 28, Press of Atlantic City - Demolition problems.
1994, Nov. 11, Staten Island Advance - Christian Admiral plans.
1994, Dec. 31, Press of Atlantic City - Back taxes owed.
1995, Jun. 28, Press of Atlantic City - Deal to demolish Admiral.
2012, Jun., South Jersey Magazine, Man on a Mission article by Nicole Pensiero - “Sell memories” quote & restoration projects.
2008, Apr. 6, The Times, article by Judy DeHaven - Restoration projects.
Congress Hall archives. (1) (7)(9, right)
Virginia Hotel archives. (4, left)
Cape Resorts websites (8) (10)
1997, Jul. 21, Press of Atlantic City - Renovations. (5)
George Rea Sr., photograph collection- Ca 1920s West End Garage (9, left)
1921, Jul. 2, Cape May Star & Wave -West End Garage advertisement.

Cape May steps back in time so that it can move forward. Part 6 Susan and Tom Carroll Tom Carroll’s introduction to Cap...
05/21/2026

Cape May steps back in time so that it can move forward.
Part 6 Susan and Tom Carroll

Tom Carroll’s introduction to Cape May came during his career in the Coast Guard. It happened because the Coast Guard cutter he was assigned to was going to be relocated to California, and he wanted to be closer to his wife, who was living on the east coast. He requested a transfer, and ended up in Cape May, a place he had never seen before. When Tom and Susan Carroll made their first visit, they liked what they saw. (Photo 1) They rented a place to live from Fred Kuhner, one of the founding members of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts {MAC}. Mr. Kuhner invited them to join the effort underway to save the Emlen Physick Estate. As they became more and more involved, their interest in preserving historic buildings grew stronger. In 1973, Mr. Carroll began serving on the Planning Board, where he was a leading exponent of historic preservation for both aesthetic and economic reasons. He served as board chairman for seven years. By 1974, Tom Carroll was corresponding secretary of the MAC.

The Carroll’s first property purchase was the house at 24 Jackson Street. To help with the mortgage they began renting rooms that had small kitchenettes. A vacation trip to Europe introduced them to the traditional bed and breakfast inn concept.

When they returned, the couple looked around for a larger house that they could convert into a bed and breakfast inn.

It took three years for Tom and Susan Carroll to complete the arrangements to buy the Victorian Mansion at 635 Columbia Avenue in 1976. It was built in 1872 as an exclusive private club that encouraged gambling, when playing poker or roulette. (2)

They renamed it The Mainstay Inn, and opened it as a bed and breakfast, which served guests tea each afternoon. In 1977, the March through December daily room rate, for two, ranged from $20 to $28. (3)

Coming up with the funds needed to restore the Mainstay was a challenge. The Carroll’s were offered a federal grant of $2,500, but it came with so many restrictions for 20 years that they turned it down.

The first floor of the Mainstay has 14-foot ceilings, original chandeliers, and 12 1/2 foot high windows with shutters. Upstairs there were nine guest bedrooms. One of the pieces that was added by 1981, is a Chickering grand piano, built in 1886, that Tom Carroll and a friend, painstakingly restrung.

Along with his restoration skills, Mr. Carroll learned to ride an 1880s English high-wheeler bicycle, which he used in parades and events.

In addition to offering tours of the Mainstay, Tom Carroll did a slide show titled “Cape May - A Restoration Success”. These shows were presented as a fund raiser for MAC, and to help increase awareness to historic preservation in Cape May. (4)

In 1986, Governor Thomas Kean appointed Tom Carroll a “citizen member” of the State Historic Trust. That was the same year that the restoration of the 1859 Cape May lighthouse became another project undertaken by MAC. In addition to being a commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve unit in Gloucester City, Tom Carroll became the chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Lighthouse Committee. After working out a complex lease and sublease with the Coast Guard and New Jersey Heritage, work began on obtaining the needed $200,000 restoration fund. One of the ways they raised money was the sale of bricks at $2 each. Buyers did not get to keep the brick they bought, what they got was a certificate saying they own a brick. Buyers could also purchase one, or more, of the 208 cast iron steps within the lighthouse, for just $100 per step. The step remained in place, but the buyer had proof on paper that they owned it. New Jersey Bell bought one of the $500 stair landings. People who like windows could buy one for $500. You could have title to one of the three gallery rooms for $5,000. MAC hoped to open the lighthouse in 1987 to ground level tours, while the restoration was underway. The extensive lighthouse restoration project was completed in the spring of 1998, and visitors could now walk up the spiral steps for a view from the top.

After 24 years of service,Tom Carroll’s career in the Coast Guard ended in 1994, when he retired with the rank of Captain.

By 2010, the Carroll’s had sold the Mainstay Inn and moved to a house on Hughes Street. Tom Carroll was still a member of the Cape May Historic Preservation Commission, and still very much involved in protecting and promoting the historical importance of Cape May.

In 2012, Mr. Carroll presented an updated version of his former slide show. It was now a 40-minute talk titled “Cape May’s Renaissance through the Eyes of Tom Carroll”. It was illustrated with his personal collection of documents and photographs. It was free to members of the Friends of the Physick Estate, and $5 for nonmembers. As usual, the proceeds went to support the preservation work of MAC.

In 2024, Tom Carroll was still very active in MAC, and was serving as Chair of the Investment Committee.

Information sources:

1977, Jul. 23, Central New Jersey Home News - Room rates.
1978, Mar. 6, Standard-Speaker - Inn details.
1979, Jul. 7, Courier-Post - Federal grant problem.
1981, Jun. 17, Cape May County Herald - Planning Board.
1981 Jun. 10, Trenton Times - Piano restrung, and porch photo. (3)
1982, Jun. 6, Press of Atlantic City - High wheel bicycle.
1982, Jun. 13, The Times - B&B information.
1984, Oct. 3, Cape May County Herald - Slide show.
1986, Jul. 9, Cape May County Herald - High wheel bike.
1986, Dec. 28, Courier-Post - Lighthouse restoration
1987, Jun. 22, Press of Atlantic City - Brick sales.
1989, Oct. 26, Cape May Star & Wave - Governor’s appointment to Historic Trust. (4)
1998, Apr.11, The Star-Leader - Lighthouse restoration completed.
2000, Nov. 1 CapeMay.com, Spotlight article by Cindy J. Kluger - Detailed information about Tom and Sue Carroll.
2010, Apr. 6, Philadelphia Inquirer - Light piers on bridge & photo. (5)
2012, Sep. 19, Press of Atlantic City - Illustrated talk by Mr. Carroll.
2024, Jan. 3, capemaymac.org - Article by Eliza Lotozo about Tom Carroll with photograph.
Library of Congress, Historic American Building Survey (2)
CapeMay.com Mar 2, 2011, Oscar Party at Mad batter. (6)

Cape May steps back in time so that it can move forward. Part 5 Anne Le Duc & Judy Bartella When she was two years old...
05/17/2026

Cape May steps back in time so that it can move forward.
Part 5 Anne Le Duc & Judy Bartella

When she was two years old Anne Le Duc was playing in the lobby of the Chalfonte Hotel, where her parents were spending their summer vacation. She did not know it then, but the Chalfonte was going to be a big part of her life time journey.

Anne Le Duc began playing tennis at the age of six. As a teenager she played tournament tennis at Moorestown Friends School, and won a scholarship to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. (Photo 1) At Rollins, she was an All-American right halfback on the hockey team, and a member of the basketball team. After she graduated in 1947, she switched to field hockey on teams that traveled to several countries. In 1960, Anne LeDuc began a career as girl’s athletic director at the George School in Newtown, PA

In 1969, Miss Le Duc and her friend Judy Lee Bartella, an artist and head of George School ceramic department, began spending their summers managing the Chalfonte. They had met at the Chalfonte as children, and worked there when they were in college. (2)

In 1976, Judy Bartella as able to get a $10,000 state-federal matching grant to stabilize problems with the structure and repair the standing seam metal roof. They had to raise the matching $10,000. They did not have the money, but the grant could also be matched with labor. Thus began the ‘Work Weekends’, where private citizens, for a small fee, could come for a weekend, work on repairing the hotel, have meals and a bed supplied, and have fun in the process. By 1985, the cost of joining the fun was $15, and the May work weekend had a team of 35 people sanding, painting, nailing and doing other repair chores. Jonathan and Hal Sawyer, were part of this team, working to preserve the hotel their great-grandfather built over a century earlier.

Arch 488, otherwise known as the Cape May Summer Historic Workshop, began in 1980. This University of Maryland program was a way for students to help restore the Chalfonte while having some fun and obtaining academic credits. The students spend their week day mornings painting, scraping, sawing and learning to be repair contractors. In late afternoon they attend a two-hour lecture on 19th-century American Architecture. In between, they can enjoy Cape May, the beach, or whatever they want. In return, the hotel provides free room and board to the students. (3) In May 1980, there were 16 University of Maryland students in the program. Another 1980 work project produced about $600 worth of labor for the matching grant. The 1985 programs produced about $25,000 worth of labor. In June 1986, there were 30 student in the program.

In 1976, the Chalfonte received its liquor license that the managers had tried for three years to obtain. Bar equipment was obtained from an Atlantic City hotel that was closing. It was installed in a former storage room off the lobby by Tom Goss, a shop teacher from George School. Mr. Goss then became the hotel’s first bartender.

In 1983, Mary Satterfield, whose family had owned the Chalfonte since 1910, decided it was time to sell it. “We thought someone else would come in and reap all the benefit we had done”, Anne Le Duc said. So they ask if they could buy it, and Mrs. Satterfield said “yes”.

Purchasing a wooden hotel that was over one hundred years old, and lacked many of the features that even a budget motel offered, is not what a financial planner would propose as a way to increase your wealth. Anne Le Duc’s lawyer advised her not to do it, but Judy Bartella and Anne Le Duc used their savings and a mortgage on Le Duc’s house to buy the Chalfonte. (4)

What misses Le Duc and Bartella now owned was a hotel that only operated during the summer, with no central air conditioning, no pool, and no elevator. Only 11 of the 108 guest bedrooms had private baths. The rest had a sink, iron frame beds, a marble top dresser, and a rocking chair. They had no telephone or TV. The toilet and bath rooms were down the hall. (5)

What most hotel owners would say is that they owned a lemon. As you know, when you find yourself with a lemon, the best thing to do is make lemonade, or maybe lemon meringue pie.

What the Chalfonte did have was Helen Dickerson, who along with her daughters, Lucille Thompson and Dorothy Burton, knew how to bake a super lemon meringue pie. They prepared southern-style comfort food. The Chalfonte menu had changed little during all the years that Helen Dickerson had been in the kitchen. Many of their entrees were no longer featured on most restaurant menus.(6)

Instead of trying to hide the things the Chalfonte did not have, Anne Le Duc and Judy Bartella decided to promote them. They started selling an experience. For the price of a room, guests could be transported back to a 19th and early 20th century summer stay in Victorian Cape May. They got a room that was cooled by a breeze off the ocean, with your peace and quite undisturbed by electronics. Guests learned that the earlier generations only used the bed rooms to change clothes and sleep in. The public spaces were where guests spent their time. The dining room was where you enjoyed delightful meals and conversation with fellow vacationers. And yes, it was possible to live with a walk to the room down the hall that you could go in, lock the door, and enjoy a long soak in a bath tub.

This ‘Experience’ promotion concept began to pay off. In 1993, the Chalfonte’s revenue was over $85,000. However that was not all money to stash away, there were major expenses that constantly pop up. In the 1980s, new kitchen stoves were installed at a cost of $6,000. In 1991, the 40 yard long porch floor had to be replaced at a cost of $27,000. And new awnings were purchased for $2,800. In May 1994, a new $1,200 steam table was installed in the kitchen. That same year, up to $40,000 was spent to replace the metal roof. With all of these ongoing capital expenses the hotel was virtually a break-even situation, financially. The hotel had 108 guest rooms in 1994. 70 were rented to guests. The rest were used for staff. During summer weekends, occupancy was close to 100%, and about 70% at other times. The midweek rental for two, in a room without bath, was $80. A weekend, for two, in a room with bath, was $145, meals included.

In 1997, a four course prix fixe dinner for non guests was $21.

By 2003, the hotel operation was losing money, and the losses began accelerating. Anne Le Duc contacted Bob Mullock about purchasing, and continuing to operate, the Chalfonte. She had prospective buyers who wanted to turn it into condominiums. (7)

In the fall of 2008, Bob and Linda Mullock purchased the Chalfonte. They kept all of staff including Nancy Granick, who had been the general manager for 16 years.

Anne Le Duc died October 3rd, 2020, at age 95.

Information sources:
1941, Aug. 10, Press of Atlantic City - Photo of Anne Le Duc. (1 left)
1942, Aug. 26, Evening Courier - Photo of Anne Le Duc. (1 right) & tennis info.
1944, Jun. 2, Orlando Sentinal -Rollins basketball
1954, Jan. 26 , Woodbury Daily Times, Woodbury NJ - Sport history, banquet speaker.
1976, Jul. 15, Philadelphia Inquirer - State-federal grant.
1977, Jul. 6, Press of Atlantic City - Victorian weekend.
1980, May 16, Press of Atlantic City - University work program.
1980, Jun. 12, Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Southern cooking and Le Duc & Bartella history.2 -1981, Oct 1, The Morning News-Le Duc & Bartella photo (2)
1983, May 27, USA Today - Le Duc & Bartella buy hotel.
1985, May 13, Press of Atlantic City - Work weekend.
1985, Aug.,28, Houston-Post - Helen Dickerson and Dot Burton. (6)
1986, Jun. 17, Philadelphia Inquirer - Student Arch 488 program.
1994, Aug. 8, Philadelphia Inquirer - Anne Le Duc bio & hotel information.
1997, Apr. 20, Tampa Bay Times - Dining room & hotel information.
2008, Oct. 21, Press of Atlantic City - Purchased by Mullock.
Library of Congress, Historic American Building Survey - Drawing & photo (4) (5, left)

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653 1/2 Washington Street, PO Box 495
Cape May, NJ
08204

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+16098849100

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