Henry Clay, 1853.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
For the first half of the 19th century, Cape May served as a mutual destination for Northern and Southern vacationers. Rivaling other American seaside resorts, including Newport, Rhode Island and Saratoga Springs, New York, Cape May experienced a building boom during the 1840s. Though a popular destination, there were still only three hotels in Cape May registered in the 1840 census report. It only took a few years before more lodgings appeared, and by 1850 there were over 15 hotels in the city.
The city’s importance during these years is evident through the political visitors who chose to spend their summers in Cape May. In 1847, Henry Clay arrived hoping for a quiet retreat following the death of his son. This was not to be, and his visit saw some of the city’s biggest crowds ever. Clay’s choice of Cape May led to the arrival of other important political figures. In 1855, President Franklin Pierce vacationed in Cape May, and was the first of four presidents to stay at Congress Hall. Sitting presidents, James Buchanan, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Harrison also spent time at the hotel in the second half of the 19th century.
Cape May was not immune to the reach of the Civil War, and its impact proved to be irreversible. As war broke out, the city’s hoteliers foresaw that the summer season of 1860 would be one of its worst. The Southern elite, who had been journeying to Cape May from places as far as Savannah, Georgia for decades, were never to return. Located just east of the Mason-Dixon line, Cape May officially supported the Union, though its unique geographical position and reliance on Southern tourism inevitably led to tension. This was exemplified in an incident that reportedly occurred at Congress Hall in 1861 when the rebel flag of South Carolina was seen flying on the hotel’s lawn.
Note the distinctive L-shape addition, ca. 1869.
Courtesy of Cape Resorts, Inc.
Though the war reduced the number of overall visitors to Cape May, the resort’s business was revived by 1869. That same year, an addition was added to Congress Hall, creating the distinctive L-shape that reaches towards the beach. The next nine years would prove to be extremely fruitful for Cape May and Congress Hall, culminating in the most successful summer season yet in 1878.
Congress Hall and Cape May: New Jersey's First Resort 