Greater Cape May Historical Society, 653 1/2 Washington Street, PO Box 495, Cape May, NJ (2026)

Name: Greater Cape May Historical Society
Address: 653 1/2 Washington Street, PO Box 495, Cape May, NJ, 08204, US
Telephone: +16098849100
Price range: Not applicable

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 FROM 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".

10/19/2026

“Racing scene on Beach Drive at Cape May”

The December 29, 1900, issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer contains a photograph with that title. At first glance you might find it heard to believe that the photograph was actually taken in Cape May. (Photo 1) The section on the left has a lattice- work fringe above the column. Next to it is a section with five arched openings on two floors. The section on the right appears to be a tower with arched openings. Beyond that are some more distant buildings.

This is an example of not being able to see the trees for the forest. It is all in the point of view. If we view the forest {buildings} from other points of view, the trees {individual buildings} all become clear.

A circa 1900 postcard view reveals two of the buildings. The one with the lattice-work above the column, was a store selling Oriental goods. Next to that, is Arnolds Hotel. The 5th archway is the left side of the porch, where it returns to the building. (2) The part that looked like a tower, is the top of the veranda on the end of the beach front wing of the Lafayette Hotel (3) The building on the far right is the photograph studio at the Stockton Baths.

The same area of Beach Avenue in 2025, shows how some changes have taken place, while the Arnold’s Hotel building remains much as it was. (4)

The horse race on Christmas Day is the subject of the photograph. It was a series of races witnessed by several thousand people. The race drivers were limited to people who lived in Cape May County. Clifton Homan and F. W. Wolf were the prize winners. (5)

In 1902, a Thanksgiving Day race was held on Beach Drive.

Information sources:
1900, Dec.29, Philadelphia Inquirer - Racing photo.
1900, Dec. 26, Philadelphia Inquirer Race winners.
1902, Nov. 29, Cape May Herald - Thanksgiving race.
Google Maps - 2025 view.

10/15/2026

Regent Beach

When the 100-room Windsor Hotel burned to the ground on May 18,1979, a large part of the postcard views of Victorian Cape May disappeared. (Photo 1)

The beachfront location is ideal, and was of interest to the Barness Corporation of Warrington, PA. The Barness Corporation was a group of Philadelphia businessmen headed by Herbert Barness. This corporation had recently purchased the Seaport Motel, on Jackson Street, and converted it to condos.

In November 1908, the City Planning Board gave preliminary approval to plans for a four-story, 52-unit condominium on the site.

In December 1980, the Barness Corporation purchased the Windsor property from Reverend Carl McIntire’s Christian Beacon Press, for $790,000. Construction was to start in spring 1981.

Barness selected the Philadelphia architectural firm of Bass & Elias to design the building. The architects faced a number of challenges. They needed to create space for as many condos as possible, while keep the scale and overall appearance similar to the Victorian look of the former Windsor. They needed to include off street parking for all the units, plus staff and guests, with ingress and egress to Windsor Avenue and Congress Streets, which were both one-way. There needed to be a swimming pool included.

Architect Bernard Elias solved these challenges by making the building the same L-shape as the former hotel, but moving the Windsor Avenue wing back to the rear property setback line. The Congress Street/ Beach Avenue wing ended about where that wing of the hotel had been. The Condo entrance was placed on the Congress Street facade, near Congress Place. The auto challenge was solved by creating an enclosed garage that was slightly below grade under the L-shaped section, with entrances that serviced both streets. 30-space visitors parking, and the in ground pool were place in front of the condos. The top floor has a Victorian-style mansard roof with dormer-like windows. Four-story square concrete columns reflect the Victorian exterior detailing used on Congress Hall, and the original Lafayette and Stockton hotels, but with low maintenance fire resistance construction. Decorative white shutters flank the windows, along the brick facades. (2)

The $4 million construction contract was under way in July 1981, when a property owner charged that zoning was improperly given to allow a 45-foot elevation in an area zoned for a maximum elevation of 35 feet.

The August 30, 1981, Philadelphia Inquirer contains a large article, with photos and a drawing, about the plans and construction of the Regent Beach. (3-4-5)

The zoning challenge was settled and construction was again moving forward by February 1982, with Bob Brown as Barness’s construction supervisor.

In mid-June 1981, a temporary sales office was installed along Beach Avenue. It displayed floor plans and artist concept drawings. By April 1982, furnished model residences were open within the building. (6)

The Regent Beach opened in August, 1982. At that time the one bedroom condos were selling for $124,000. (7) The two bedroom and den corner units were $202,500.

The Regent Beach contains three different size condos. The one-bedroom models have a window and sliding glass door with access to their balcony on the beach view facade. The two-bedroom models have the living room, and one bedroom on the beach view facade. The largest units have two bedrooms and a den. These condos are on the ends of both wings. (8) All units are accessed by open covered walkways that connect to the enclosed elevator lobbies on each floor.

By 1986, prices began at $140,000. (9)

When it opened, the Regent Beach atrium elevator lobby was decorated with super-sized green leaf wallpaper, and a large hanging chandelier. (10) The one-bedroom unit kitchen cabinets were ivory, with wooden recessed pulls. They have a view of the ocean through the living room. (11)

By 2024, the big leaves in the entrance lobby had been replace by trees in planter wallpaper, and the chandelier was gone. (12)

Information sources:
1979, Oct. , Fire Engineering magazine - Fire into.
1980, Nov. 8, Press of Atlantic City - Plan approval.
1980, Dec. 31, Press of Atlantic City - Barness purchase of site.
1981, Jul. 17, Press of Atlantic City - Height ruling on condos.
1981, Aug. 30, Philadelphia Inquirer- Design and construction article.
1982, Feb. 24, Cape May County Herald - Bob Brown, supervisor.
1982, Apr. 30, The Record - Model residence ad.
1982, Oct. 13, Cape May County Herald - New construction award.
The Record, newspaper - Ads.(3) (4) (6)
Regent Beach website- Exterior and interior photographs.(2) (7) (9) Floor plans. (5)
Card Cow - Windsor postcard. (1)
Larry Paul collection. (8)

10/12/2026

James Gay Gordon Taylor
Hazel Hebenthal Taylor

James G.G. Taylor was born in Philadelphia on July 14, 1915. His family, which included his brother Samuel, and sisters Florence, and Irene, moved to Cape May in 1931. He graduated from Cape May High School, around 1933.

When he first enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1936*, his ambition was to become an accredited engineer. His four years of Marine Corps service gave him a good start in that direction.

After that enlistment, James Taylor spent a year as a Diesel engine troubleshooter with the Public Service Co-ordinated Transport New Jersey, and took a correspondence course in advanced Diesel engineering.

On December 8, 1940, a year before the war broke out, James Taylor was called back into active duty by the Marine Corps. During his first year back in the Marines, he served as an instructor in small arms and as a drill instructor. When WWII broke out, Taylor was acting as an assistant line chief in aviation maintenance. To his commanding officers suggestion that he apply for flight training, James Taylor turned a deaf ear. “For some unknown reason I could not quite picture myself as a Marine aviator. With the experience I had with aviation mechanics and engines of all kinds, I figured this was the field for me to stick with.” he told S/Sgt. Pen T. Johnson, a Marine Corps combat correspondent, in October, 1943. “It was only after I lost a couple of life-long friends in the battle of Wake Island, that I decided as a Marine flyer I would have a better chance to serve my country.”

On February 20, 1942, James Taylor started his flight training to become a Marine aviator.

By May 1942, James Taylor had become a Staff Sergeant.

In June 1942, James Taylor earned his wings at Pensacola, Florida. He was serving in the 1st Division, 4th Marine Air Base Defense Wing, Flight Squadron 214.

Three months later he was transferred to the South Pacific, where he joined other “Flying Sargents” as a F4-U fighter pilot. (Photo 1)

In July 1943*, James Taylor was given his officer’s Commission of 2nd Lieutenant.

After the capture of Munda airfield from the Japanese in August 1943, First Lt. James G. Taylor was photographed by the Associated Press with a group of fellow Marine Corps pilots. He is standing on the left, partly behind the bus. (2)

In October 1943, the ‘Swashbucklers’, a Marine fighter squadron which boasted three aces, shot down a total of 33 Japanese planes. 10 of which were shot down in a single air battle.

James G. Taylor was credited with shooting down one plane over Vella Lavella Island. It was one of 30 Japanese planes trying to bomb American forces that were attempting to land troops and supplies on the opening day of the battle.

Lt. Taylor’s log book showed that at the end of his second trip to a combat zone in the South Pacific, he had logged better than 200 hour as a marine fighter pilot. On numerous es**rt bombing and strafing missions against Japanese -held territory, his Marine fighter squadron played an all-important role in the softening up process, and the eventual occupation of Rendova Island, New Georgia Island, and Vella Lavella Island, in the Northern Solomon group.

For his action against the Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II, James G.G. Taylor earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.

In 1942, James Taylor married Hazel Hughes, {nee Hebenthal}, who was born in Cape May in 1901. This was Hazel’s second marriage. She married Walter P. Hughes, Sr. in 1920, and they had a son, Walter Phillips Hughes, Jr., who was born in 1921. Hazel received a divorce from Walter B. Hughes in February 1942.

In April 1943, Mrs. Taylor was living at 414 Bank Street. 414 Bank Street was a 2-story frame duplex house that had been built in 1901 for James E. Taylor. James E. Taylor was a city councilman in 1905, and he may have been a relative of James G. Taylor.

In 1955, Major James G. G. Taylor was head of Marine Maintenance Squadron 35, at Cherry Point, North Carolina. His job, with a crew of 27 technicians and enginemen, was to keep two squadrons of Marine cargo plane in flying condition.

In 1959, Lieutenant Colonel James G. C. Taylor retired from the Marine Corps after 26 years of service. He then went to work for the Acadia Mutual Life insurance Company, in Arlington, Virginia.

In 1963, James and Hazel Taylor returned to Cape May. James Taylor was named chairman of the Cape May 1963 Boy Scout Finance Campaign. That same year he was President of the Cape May Business Men’s Association, a member of the Kiwanis Club, associate member of the Harbor Insurance Agency, and business agent for the Sewing Box. In May 1963, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor donated the three trophies that were presented in the Miss Cape May Beauty Pageant.

Hazel Taylor was a member of the Soroptimist Club of Southern Cape May County. In 1969, Mrs. Taylor was club president. In 1967, Hazel Taylor was treasurer of the Cape May Chapter of the USO.

1967 and 1973 issues of Pennywise contain advertisements for the Blue Coach, which Hazel H. Taylor was operating at 414 bank Street. (3)

By 1969, the Taylors were living at 509 Franklin Street.

Hazel H. Taylor died in February 1989.

In 2001, James G. Taylor sold his house at 509 Franklin Street. He then moved to Fort Myers, Florida. By 2006, James was married to Eileen Hill Taylor.

James G. G. Taylor died on May 1 2008, at age 92. James and Hazel Taylor are buried in Cold Spring Presbyterian Cemetery. (4)

A photograph of James Taylor appears in his obituary notice. (5)

A photograph of Hazel Taylor appeared in the March 29,1964, issue of the Press of Atlantic City. (6)

* There are different dates given in different newspaper articles about when James Taylor did things, and received promotions. In some cases the differences are in months, other times it is a difference of a year.

Information sources:
Wikipedia - Munda airfield info.
Pinterest. com - F4U-1A photo.
Associated Press Wirephoto - 1943 Munda airfield photo.
Military Times, Hall of Valor website - Distinguished Flying Cross.
1942, May 7, Cape May Star & Wave - Staff Sergeant Taylor.
1943, Sep. 21, Daily Record - Taylor of Swashbucklers.
1943, Oct. 29, Press of Atlantic City, article by S/Sgt. Pen T. Johnson - James Taylor bio.
1943, Nov. 21, Indianapolis Star - 10 planes in 1 battle.
1942, Feb. 28, News of Cumberland County - Hazel Hughes divorce.
1901, Nov. 23, Cape May Herald - 414 Bank built for James Taylor.
1905, Sep. 14, Cape May Herald - Councilman James E. Taylor.
1953, Dec. 6, Press of Atlantic City - Marine Major, wife Hazel at 414 Bank St.
1955, Oct. 17, Corpus Christi Times - Major Taylor.
1963, Jul. 26, Press of Atlantic City - Retired in 1959, Arlington, Boy Scouts.
1963, May 29, Press of Atlantic City - Miss New Jersey Pageant trophies.
1964, Jan. 7, Press of Atlantic City - 2nd vice president, Kiwanis Club
1964, Oct. 23, Press of Atlantic City - Hazel Soroptimist Club.
1967, Jun. 29, Press of Atlantic City - USO treasurer.
1989, Feb. 17, Press of Atlantic City - Hazel Taylor, obit.
2001, May 6, Press of Atlantic City - 509 Franklin sold.
2006, Apr. 24, News-Press - Eileen Hill Taylor. 2008, May 8, News Press - James Taylor, obit.
Find a Grave website - James & Hazel Taylor info.
1964, Mar 29, Press of Atlantic City - Hazel Taylor photograph.

10/10/2026

Prohibition in Cape May
Part 2 - Around town

Yes Cape May had speakeasies. During Prohibition, Charles H.Collier operated a speakeasy in one of the buildings on Mansion Street.

In August 1923, a Philadelphia man was arrested and charged with possessing and transporting liquors. He was captured after a chase through the Reading Railroad station, dodging between railroad coaches until finally captured by Traffic Policeman John J. Spencer. Officer Spencer said that the police had been tipped off about the mans arrival, and Officer Spencer was placed at the station to await him. The Philadelphia man had a suitcase and a parcel which contained 25 bottles of Gordon’s Gin.

On January 18, 1924, Mayor Frank B. Mecray said “they {City Commissioners} intended to keep on following the “Moses” of Philadelphia General Butler, and drive out every speak-easy and dive from the city.” The day before a raid had been made on one speakeasy in Cape May.

In July 1924, Mayor Mecray made a personal visit to all the cafes and dance halls in the city to notify them that they must close their doors at midnight on Saturday nights and at 12:30 AM on other nights. “We intend to break up the sale of ‘white mule’.’block and fall’ and ‘undertakers delight’ regardless of whose toes we tread upon”, he said.

In May 1926, two raids, both in less than two hours, were conducted by County Detectives Charles W. Unfreed, Wardell Higbee, and State Trooper Cox, at Schellenger’ Landing. Two men were charged with law violations. In the first raid, two slot machines were confiscated. Shortly after the first raid, they went to the nearby filling station and a store. They found 20 quarts of assorted liquors in the gas station. The station owner was placed under arrest, and held under $2,500 bail,

22 ‘Rum Raids’ were conducted throughout Cape May County in April 1931, and 30 people were arrested. In Cape May City, two places were raided. One was at 1280 Washington Street, where they found b**r and home brew. The other raid was on a grocery store at 605 Broad Street, where w**e and home-brew was found.

In August 1932, a fight broke out in a local speakeasy, and one man died because of the fight. The survivor, who was the owner of this speakeasy, was charged with atrocious assault and battery. When the police raided his home they found 150 bottles of home brew.

There was some of the forbidden liquid hidden away in private homes around Cape May. A house on Windsor Ave. had a “Scotch Locker” which was made with sliding boards over the basement window in a back room.

Information sources:
1923, Aug. 3, Cape May County Times - Arrest at Reading station.
1924, Jan. 18, Press of Atlantic City - Mayor Mecray.
1924, Jul. 9, Press of Atlantic City - Mayor Mecray visits cafes.
1926, May 23, Press of Atlantic City - Raids.
1931, Apr. 27, Press of Atlantic City - Raids.
1932, Aug. 3, Evening Courier - Death probed.
1932, Aug. 4, Evening Courier - Speakeasy fight.

10/08/2026

Prohibition in Cape May
Part 1 - Keeping the Coast Guard busy

The Eighteen Amendment that was passed in 1919, is better know as ‘Prohibition’. It was an attempt to make life better and safer, but when you tell someone that they cannot have something they want, the brain starts devising ways to get around the rules.

Cape May, with all the water around it, became a place that devious minds thought would be perfect for moving the forbidden liquid.

The Coast Guard was tasked with keeping illegal liquor from entering the United States by sea, and they were kept busy in the Cape May area.
The ‘Yarmouth’, a British registry ship, was in New York loading cases of liquor onboard when the 18th Amendment went into effect at 12:01 A.M. The 3000 cases that had not been put onboard were seized by waiting Government agents. After a delay of several hours the ‘Yarmouth’ was allowed to sail with the cargo that had been loaded. When the ship left port it was listing heavily to starboard because of that part of the cargo that had been left behind. She was bound for Havana with $2,000,000 worth of wh***ey, gin, and ch*****ne. By the time the ‘Yarmouth’ was about 35 miles east of Cape May, the forward ballast tank was leaking into the engine room and the ship was in danger of sinking. The Coast Guard cutter ‘Seneca’ towed the ship back to New York.

There were reports of a submarine being used for rum running, spotted of the coast of Cape May in January, 1922. Naval officials were inclined to chuckle at that possibility, because no Navy submarines had been sold, and none had been made for any use other than military.

A Cape Cod mackerel fleet that fished from the Gulf of Mexico to the Bay of Fundy, was being closely watched in March 1922. In 1921, the fleet had been offshore in the Cape May area and was suspected of selling liquor to dealers in small boats that then brought it into Cape May harbor to sell. Coast Guard cutters had orders to keep a sharp lookout on the fleet during 1922.

The Coast Guard cutter ‘Kickapoo’, under the command of Captain Hutson, captured the tug ‘Granville’ fifteen miles off the New Jersey coast on March 11, 1922. The ‘Granville’ was loaded with 2,200 cases of Canadian wh***ey, valued at more than $300,000. It had been loaded in Portland, Maine and was reported to be headed for Havana.

The ‘Kickapoo’ was built as the 150-Foot steel tug ‘Baldridge’ for the United States Shipping Board after WWI. In 1921, it was transferred to the Coast Guard and renamed ‘Kickapoo’. It was assigned to duty at Cape May. (Photo 1)

In August 1922, the schooner ‘Pocomoke’ began using Cape May Harbor, ostensibly as a fishing schooner. Prohibition enforcement officers suspected that she was actually rum running, because there had been a recent deluge of h***h in the Cape May area. Prohibition officers had raided a grocery store and seized $2,000 worth of liquor, and a fruit dealer had suddenly moved.

In November 1923, after a stiff northwest wind, about 50 cases of Scotch wh***ey began drifting to land near Cape May. A mad scramble among the inhabitants for possession of these cases, was reported in papers. One small boy found a case, and ignorant of its value, sold it to a man for a quarter. The Coast Guard suspected a rum running ship had foundered in the Delaware Bay.

Harry Brown, a Cape May butcher was fishing in Delaware Bay in June 1924, when he caught a 50-pound channel bass. When he cut it open he found a quart of Scotch wh***ey. According to the newspaper story, Mr. Brown said “I smashed the bottle, I’m a prohibitionist.”

By 1925, the Coast Guard had 38 craft operating along the Atlantic seaboard blockading the wh***ey ships. Some liquor craft remained off New York hoping for foggy conditions that would allow them to sneak ashore, but most of the wh***ey ships that had operated between Cape Ann, MA, and Cape May, NJ, had given up trying, and moved on.

A recent ‘Throwback Thursday’ item on the Sea Gear Marine Supply Facebook site contains a 1925 photograph of a rum runner boat captured by the Coast Guard. This photograph, from the collection of Joe Boyle, shows the rum runner “Legacy Strukler” from Beachhaven in Cape May harbor after it was captured off the coast of Cape May. (2)

In March 1926, Coast Guard officials reported that they were investigating a report that officers and men of the Federal “Rum Navy”, who were patrolling the south Jersey waters, had accepted bribes from rum runners to allow them to land their cargoes of contraband. Commander Edward S. Addison of base 9 at Sewell’s Point, said in an interview “we are of the belief that the report of the bribes emanated from disgruntled rum runners who have been unable to get their stuff past our 75-foot patrol boats.”

Coast Guard officials in Washington announced on May 3, 1926, that improved hangers would be established at Cape May for the five seaplanes recently authorized by Congress to aid in the rum war. These seaplanes would work with the Coast Guard craft, as a double assault on the vessels used by rum runners. (3)

As the holiday season of 1926 approached, there were tales of smuggled yuletide cheer being part of the Cape May festivities. Coast Guard Commander E. S. Addison responded that these reports were false because the Coast Guard had almost made Rum Row, off the north Atlantic coast, just as extinct as the dodo bird. (4) He said that “Two weeks ago we sized the schooner under British registry and known as the ‘Charles Edward’ with a cargo which custom authorities value at $200,000.” Commander Addison warned everyone that what they might believe was “genuine stuff in waterlogged cases” may be “imported” from local bootleg denatured stills, and could cause their death.

In 1929, President Hoover ordered the Coast Guard to “Shoot to kill” liquor smugglers. As a result, Rear Admiral Frederick C. Billard ordered the construction of r***e ranges for the training of expert r***e and pistol marksmen. The Cape May range was laid out parallel with the stone jetty marking the entrance to Cold Spring Harbor, with concrete butts to protect passing craft from bullets which might go wide of the ten targets. The work was supervised by Chief Carpenter K. S. McCann. The targets were constructed so that they moved upward and downward similar to the motion of a vessel at sea. When the range was completed, Coast Guards and life saving crews of beach stations between New London, CT and Norfolk, VA, were brought to Cape May aboard cutters and destroyers for practice.

A former Coast Guard patrol boat being used as a rum runner was a new twist to the rum running attempts in 1929. Fishermen reported seeing a former 75-foot patrol boat on the Five Fathom banks, 18 miles off shore. They saw a canvas curtain bearing the numerals “C.G. 316” being dropped over the name of the vessel that was painted on the bow of the ship. They also reported seeing a dummy one pound gun placed in position in front of the pilot house, and the skipper replacing his battered derby with a gold-braided uniform cap.

In June 1930, the cruiser ‘Daisy T.’ was rammed and sunk in Delaware Bay, off Cape May. When the Coast Guard investigated the partly submerged vessel, they found 100 cases of ch*****ne and assorted liquors aboard. The investigators thought that the boat was over powered by hijackers and then abandoned after half the vessel’s cargo had been taken.

The ending of Prohibition with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment in December 1933, did not end the rum running. The Coast Guard was till busy chasing speedboats loaded with alcohol that they were attempting to smuggle as a way around paying the government taxes.

Next time we will snoop around to see what was going on in Cape May City.

Information sources:

Joe Boyle - 1925 photograph of captured rum runner boat.
Sea Gear Marine Supply, Facebook post October , 2026 - 1925 photograph from collection of Joe Boyle.
Wikipedia - Prohibition information.
1920, Jan. 19, Brooklyn Daily Time - Wh***ey ship Yarmouth.
1920, Jan. 20, Daily Morning Oasis- Seneca towing Yarmouth.
1922, Jan. 11, St. Louis Post Dispatch - Sub rum running.
1922, Mar. 10, Evening World - Cape Cod Mackerel boats.
1922, Mar. 12, Brooklyn Daily Times - Kickapoo.
1922, Aug. 9, Atlantic City Gazette -Pocomoke.
1923, Nov. 11, Times Union - Cases of wh***ey come ashore.
1924, Jun. 27, Morning Call - Bass with bottle of booze.
1925, May 13, Madison Daily Leader - Blockade.
1926, Mar. 14, Brooklyn Eagle - Bribe investigation.
1926, May 4, Press of Atlantic City - 5 seaplanes.
1927, Dec. 11, Press of Atlantic City - Smuggled Yuletide cheer.
1929, Mar. 23, Press of Atlantic City - R***e range.
1929, October. 29, Press of Atlantic City - Fake boat.
1930, Jun. 25, The Times - ‘Daisy T.’
1935, Jul. 1, News Journal - Still scene of rum running.

10/04/2026

Collier’s Liquor Store

Mansion Street is so named because it is on the 4 acre site of the former Mansion House hotel. The 3 1/2-story Mansion House was built in 1832 for Richard Smith Ludlam. It was visited by the rich and famous. President Andrew Jackson stayed there in July 1839. Henry Clay was a guest in August 1847. On July 31, 1849, Congressman Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary, arrived for a week in room 24. On June 17, 1857, the Mansion House burned to the ground. Then the American House was built on this site. It burned on August 31, 1869.

By 1878, there were six buildings on the odd-number side of Mansion Street, and all of Mansion Street was outside of the area that was destroyed in the November 1878 fire.

By 1890, a saloon named ‘Mansion House’ was operating in the 3-story building that adjoined the vacant 2-story building on the corner of Mansion and Jackson Streets. By 1891, J. W. Eagan was operating the ‘Mansion House Bakery’ in this building. The 1909 Sanborn map shows this building as 317 Mansion. (Photo 1)

During the Prohibition era Charles H.Collier operated a speakeasy in one of the buildings on Mansion Street. After Prohibition ended in December 1933, Charles Collier applied for a Plenary Retail Consumption License, which was issued to him on June 29, 1934. Mr. Collier then began operating Charlie’s Bar as a nightclub in the 2-story building at the south west corner of 320 Mansion and Jackson {202-204 Jackson}.(2)

In July 1935, Charles Collier advertised in the Philadelphia Inquirer for a cook who was willing to leave the city and work in Charlie’s Bar, in Cape May.

By 1952, the name had been changed to Collier’s Bar. The sign that hung outside the Mansion Street entrance is now on display inside the Jackson Street entrance. (3) Alvin O.Wing was the bartender for many years.

When Charles’ brother Harry returned from his service in the Navy during WWII, he joined Charles in the nightclub business. In 1947, Charles sold his interest in their Cape May nightclub to Harry, and moved to Philadelphia.

In 1948, Harry Collier converted one corner of the nightclub into a small retail liquor package goods store. As the nightclub business declined the retail store space expanded.

By 1957, the business was operating as Collier’s Liquor Store. Harry Collier {on left} is with a Hiram Walker salesman who has just set up a point of sale display of Imperial Wh***ey in the store in this 1957 photograph. (4) The store exterior was photographed in 1960. (5)

By 1962, A mural had been painted on the side of the building facing the parking lot. With a few minor changes to the wh***ey bottles and a reminder that the free parking was limited to 10 minuets and did not include an afternoon on the beach, the mural remains today. The most recent version was painted by Brian DeMusz before died in 2025. (6)

A giant Schlitz B**r can was a favorite sidewalk photo opportunity, while a supersize Gilbey’s Gin bottle was on display inside in 1967. (7)

A second entrance door was added in 1970 to improve the access. Except for a few changes to the signage and and paint scheme, the exterior of Collier’s Liquor Store remains as it has been for years. (8)

When Perry Collier returned from his service in the Army in 1967, he went to work at the liquor store with his father. When Harry retired, Perry Collier became the new owner. Harry Collier died in 1991.

In 2026, after 92 years in business, Collier’s Liquor Store is still family owned and operated by Perry Collier, Reid Levin, and Alec Collier Levin. (9)

As someone with no interest in alcoholic beverages, I must confess that I was only in Collier’s once. That was back in the 1970s when they had an interesting T shirt displayed in the window. I liked the graphics, and it was the first shirt with a Victorian Cape May theme, so I went in and purchased one. (10)

Information sources:
Princeton University Library -1890 & 1909 Sanborn fire insurance maps.
Collier’s Liquor Store website - Photographs and history of company.
1935, Jul. 30, Aug. 11, Aug. 12, Philadelphia Inquirer - Cook wanted ad.
1943, August. 12, Cape May Star & Wave - Charlie’s Bar ad.
1983, Jan. 26, Press of Atlantic City - Alvin O.Wing, obit.
1999, Dec. 17, Press of Atlantic City - History.
WorthPoint and eBay - T shirt photos.

Address

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

Telephone

+16098849100

Website

http://www.capemayhistory.org/

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