vacationers from
Philadelphia in the mid 18th century and is recognized as the country's oldest
seaside resort. It became increasingly popular in the 18th century and was
considered one of the finest resorts in America by the 19th century. In 1878 a
five-day-long fire destroyed square blocks of the town center and as part of
the reconstruction efforts replacement homes were almost uniformly of Victorian
style. As a result of this and of more recent preservation efforts, Cape May is
noted for its large number of well-maintained Victorian houses — the second
largest collection of such homes in the nation after San Francisco. In 1976,
the entire city of Cape May was officially designated a National Historic
Landmark as the Cape May Historic District, making Cape May the only city in
the United States wholly designated as such. That designation is intended to
ensure the architectural preservation of these buildings.
U.S. Navy support during World War II
Because of the World War II submarine
threat off the East Coast of the United States, especially off shore Cape May
and at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, numerous United States Navy facilities
were located here in order to protect American coastal shipping. Cape May Naval
facilities, listed below, provided significant help in reducing the number of
ships and crew members lost at sea.
Naval Air Station, Cape May
Naval Base, Cape May
Inshore Patrol, Cape May
Naval Annex, Inshore Patrol, Cape May
Joint Operations Office, Naval Base, Cape
May
Welfare and Recreation Office, Cape
