CAPE MAY POINT — Few locations are as desirable as the small, abundantly blessed village of Cape May Point.
Beaches spread out between jetties like the spokes of a wagon’s wheel from the protected lands west of Cape May’s Cove to the stunning westward view at Sunset Beach.
Wild coastal forest surrounds the streets of this little haven, still so old-fashioned and showing the original lines of its development; and bird sanctuaries vie with the elegant Cape May Lighthouse for best focal point on the island.
Two main roads to the borough depart Sunset Boulevard through decorative gates, reminding all passers-by that this little hamlet was once the private summer enclave of wealthy Philadelphian Methodists, led in more ways than one by department store owner John Wanamaker.
These upright and deep-pocketed folk wanted the health-inducing weather, the spiritually uplifting views, the perfect neighbors and, above all, to have it at a remove from the seedy debauchery of that well-known den of liquor, vice and iniquity — Cape May.
While much has changed since the late 19th century, the charm of Cape May Point has never wavered from the first rugged tents (more like glamping than one might expect) to the heavily gingerbread-laden toy cottages that lined streets named for the colleges that produced these healthy-minded captains of industry. Their boat races were particularly lively, it seems, the wholesome sport of rowing also creating a social peak to the season.
Recently, maintaining that charm has required a different kind of contest. The southeastern spoke of the neighborhood has long been anchored by the long red horseshoe-shaped roof of the building most familiarly known as St. Mary’s.
The building has been a fashionable hotel, a hospital and a nun’s retreat. It commanded enough respect and affection that when the nuns threatened to tear it down to return the land beneath it to nature, people responded with coordinated emotional fireworks until the place was purchased to become a center for migratory bird research, joining a network of facilities dedicated to saving the birds within just a few blocks of each other. Without a doubt, this only enhances the natural beauty and desirability of the immediate area.
Now, two new homes have been built directly across the street from the reborn St. Mary’s building; both modern, both designed more with the rugged natural beauty of the cape in mind — as opposed to a mimic of the Victorian styles that used to dominate — and both right across the narrow street from the beach access at Lehigh Avenue.
The first of these houses is this week’s House of the Week: 101 Harvard Ave., a two-story wood house on a surprisingly large 5,000-square-foot lot, already enclosed with a new wood fence.
At first glance, this is an exceedingly modest house, almost minimalist, but there is a shocking amount of finery hiding inside. No doubt even the Wanamakers would have been agog at how much luxury is hidden within.
From the curb, a short front yard is paved to become a curved space for three cars. The recessed front door waits atop a flight of stairs that echo the horizontal lines of various architectural details, from stained wood screens creating shade from the baking western sunset to the finished panels of the boathouse-like carport beneath the home.
There’s a surprising variety of textures and riffs on the rectangular shape for a house that seems so simple at first glance. Once the front door is open, a hallway ushers one up to the top floor where the living spaces make the most of the views and breezes.
This skips past three bedrooms and two full bathrooms on the lower floor (there’s a powder room upstairs) finished in a series of wood, paneled and tiled textures that echo the natural colors and plants outside.
The primary bedroom suite has oak flooring, white paneling, a large picture window facing the dunes and built-in cabinetry creating additional storage.
The ensuite bath is a calming retreat: hexagonal tiles shimmer in jewel tones on the floor and shower while the rest of the space is kept simple with clean white wood finishes, a dash of translucent subway tile,and rough touches of natural wood.
The shared bath down the hall incorporates more blue in the variety of custom tile that delineates each space from the wide vanity to the sunny shower.
The hallway that connects all of them is panelled in even more dramatic wood tones, kept from spilling into anything untidy by spruce white trim.
There’s a nautical influence, but it’s only there to rein in the colors and textures of nature that surround this house and spill in through the windows when the blinds are open.
The two guest bedrooms are large enough for multiple beds and are simply finished with white paneling. A surprisingly good-looking laundry and utility room is halfway up to the living spaces: patterned walls and vinyl-wood finishes keep it all waterproof and easy to clean, but it could have been a particularly nice doctor’s office if not for the washer and dryer, because this house has no unfinished or shabby spaces. This should provide an inkling of what awaits on the top floor.
Upside-down houses make the strongest argument for their arrangement in locations with a great view, and here it’s nearly overwhelming.
The deep front deck overlooking the dunes to the choppy waves of the Atlantic just beyond allows so much sunlight and glinting reflections into the sparkling great room that it seems a pity to turn on the lights.
The same design elements seen on the first floor continue in this space, only now there’s an addition of gleaming white marble: in the waterfall countertop of the island, in the backsplash that stretches up to the ceiling with only a few natural wood shelves as interruption, in the countertops that spread over half the room.
The kitchen frames the cook like an art gallery wall, and gives away the plan in one fell swoop: this is a home meant for entertaining, probably on the basis that the views would be a crime to keep to oneself.
The simple but effective use of natural elements draws the eye outward, all but summoning guests to the deck where another surprise awaits: a spiral staircase to another deck just below the level of the roof … and the roof itself.
Star gazing, wave-peering and the obvious bird-watching can all be achieved comfortably and in the style of the swells, if the new owner decrees it.
