Cape Island, NJ, Nov. 9, 1878 — Fire broke out yesterday morning in the summer city of Cape May around 7 a.m. in the attic of the new wing at Ocean House on Perry Street. By the time the flames could be contained, some 11 hours later, 40 acres of prime property lay in a pile of charred ruins. Arson is suspected. No one was injured.
Month: November 2003
199 Steps to the Stars: Climbing the Cape May Lighthouse…again
And how do I climb thee? Let me count the ways… Believe it or not, I found there’s more than one way to approach the Cape May Lighthouse, which by the way, celebrated its 145th birthday on Halloween. Climbing the Cape May Lighthouse is one of our quintessential tourist experiences and people have been indulging… Read more »
What if it all burned again?
The fire that started on November 8, 1878 and spread from the Ocean House on Perry Street to engulf 40 acres of hotels, stores and houses in flames was one of the most devastating and furious fires of the era. If the same acreage were destroyed today, what would no longer exist in Cape May?
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