Column celebrates Cape May Harbor area
From its inception, the intent of this column has been to present maritime-related topics pertinent to the “other side” of Cape May, which is to say, the harbor side of the Nation’s First Seaside Resort.
The column has focused on the harbor, as well as its geography, environment, economy and history. It also highlights the people who live, work and play here on this oft-neglected side of the city.
This is not meant to denigrate the fine work Cape May MAC (Museums + Arts + Culture) has done to showcase the city’s Victorian culture and history, but to simply bring awareness to the vital role that the harbor has played in Cape May’s maritime history, economy and culture.
Other Side readers have come to learn that there is so much more about Cape May than its fine Victorian heritage, and its maritime legacy is every bit as rich, varied and interesting.
Every great seaport has a museum that houses and relates that city’s unique maritime history. New York has its Seaport Museum, Boston the Waterfront Museum. On the West Coast, San Francisco’s Maritime National Park is without equal, as is Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum on the East Coast.
Unfortunately, Cape May lacks a brick-and-mortar edifice that houses the city’s rich and storied nautical past. About as close as it comes to a maritime museum is portrayed in the models, exhibits and photographic images that adorn the lobby walls of the Lobster House.
I confess that more than once while researching a particular story, I’ve gleaned relevant information from those very walls.
In a sense, a maritime museum does exist in the form of a particular vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Motor Lifeboat 36538. Restored by a group of dedicated and skilled volunteers, MLB 36538 is a legacy vessel that plied the waters between Bay Head and Cape May from 1952 through 1972.
While it is hoped that 36538 will someday be home-ported here on Cape May’s Other Side, for now it will be a land-based static display at the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum in Lower Township.
Until a dedicated museum arrives here on the Other Side, those who are interested will find that coastal New Jersey’s rich maritime history has been thoroughly captured and well-recounted at the New Jersey Maritime Museum in Beach Haven.
The underrated museum houses a plethora of interesting exhibits and novel displays including authentic models, uniforms, nautically themed artifacts, hundreds of shipwreck artifacts, navigation equipment, archival records and countless photographs.
Every month, the museum hosts a guest speaker at Buckalew’s Tavern in Beach Haven. Situated an hour north at the very southern end of Long Beach Island, the museum is located at 528 Dock Road. More information about the museum can be found at njmaritimemuseum.org.
Another aspect of the region’s rich maritime history is epitomized by the state’s lighthouses. Some, such the Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May Point, were built to warn mariners about hazardous inlets and other obstructions. Not so familiar are seven other lighthouses in Delaware Bay.
Constructed during the 19th century, these lighthouses were built to identify shoals and mark the main shipping channel, from Harbor of Refuge in the south all the way up to Ship John Shoal near Salem.
Each bay lighthouse has its own unique story, history, style and construction method. Although some are now owned privately, most are suffering from neglect and disrepair.
Twice every summer, the Delaware Bay Lighthouse Keepers and Friends Association organizes guided cruises to the lighthouses. The group meets four times annually at different locations in southern New Jersey. The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 25 at the Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Ave.
The Other Side will host this meeting that commences at 11 a.m. All are welcome and recommended to bring a bagged lunch.
Visit delawarebaylightkeeper-friend.org for more information.
Mark Allen is a retired lieutenant colonel with 27 years’ flying experience with the U.S. Marines and Air Force National Guard. The Other Side radio show is broadcast at 1 p.m. Fridays on WCFA-101.5 FM