July 1985. View Activities Calendar. Once known as "The Summer White House," Congress Hall has been a welcome retreat to many throughout the centuries. “The town was asleep, and he’s on a thousand radio stations, the main fundamentalist guy in America, this God-and-country preacher. “My relationship to the history has become very personal, because those are the few people that have shared this place with me,” he says. There was trenchant opposition from several quarters in town, and a series of lawsuits and political challenges that turned what should have been a two- or three-year effort into something that dragged on from 1995 until 2002. “She took it over in 1904, when she was in her forties,” says Reilly, who compiled a fair amount of research before using her theatrical skills to create a character about whose personality and bearing very little is known. Imagine being poor E.C. Except Congress Hall. Over the years, it had become dilapidated, and it was desperately in need of a roof-to-foundation renovation. Today, you'll find cutting-edge restaurants in the parlors and terraces of former summer homes, as well as trendy boutiques and shops lining the wooden storefronts of Washington Street. Eventually, however, the Christian Beacon Press, the company that owned Congress Hall and other properties, began to run into rough financial straits. He imparted a lasting set of values to his family, and he remains an inspiration to Bashaw despite his legacy of confrontational politics and radicalism. Love the history and ambience. Answer 1 of 4: Great article from nj.com on the history of Congress Hall hotel in Cape May: nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/06/congr… “The hauntedness of the place!” he exclaims, when asked what the storied history of Congress Hall means to him. “It’s evocative of an old, classic beach house,” she says. In later years, that building became a Howard Johnson’s, and it is now the home of Uncle Bill’s Pancake House. And he did it all from his headquarters in Cape May. Complete details of this offer can be found here. (Kelly Roncace | For NJ.com) When he was 21 and a junior in college, Bashaw's grandfather asked him to manage Congress Hall. Congress Hall Useful Findings Situated steps away from the beach, the Congress Hall is great for that rewarding vacation. She got her love of art, architecture and old buildings from her mother, who bought a 200-year-old house in Salem, New Jersey, where Colleen “spent some of my growing-up years,” she says. Cape May Tourism Our seasonal Activities & Events will keep the whole family smiling all vacation long. The Ballroom at Cape May's Congress Hall, May 16, 2017. Does the government own it? In 2003, according to the Press of Atlantic City, Congress Hall was assessed for tax purposes, when it reopened, “at a whopping $11 million;” today, Bashaw says, the assessment for Congress Hall by itself has risen to $28 million. According to a new biography, Fighting Fundamentalist: Carl McIntire and the Politicization of American Fundamentalism, McIntire was the pioneer of mixing Christianity and politics. Complimentary WiFi is included in your stay as a Cape Resorts guest. Thus began the saga, under Bashaw’s direction, of the decade-long campaign to restore Congress Hall. Congress Hall and Cape May: New Jersey’s First Resort explores the implicit connections between this significant hotel and Cape May’s development as a seaside destination. Reviewed July 13, 2017 via mobile. He has no children or obvious heirs, and he admits that he can worry about who’s going to succeed him. Press file photo. She was just one of many large hotels in the late 1800s that catered to the elite. Gilbert Ramagosa and Charlie Sandman. The refurbished hotel has quickly established itself as a prime destination for families, featuring annual Easter and Fourth of July celebrations. Cape May Tourism Congress Hall has a rich history and is the premier hotel in the town. Great tour of this historic hotel in Cape May, NJ for only $5.00 per person. If you get too nostalgic about everything staying the same, you lose it all. Other than that, there’s nothing that ties Congress Hall to Washington, D.C.—and no, the building doesn’t have a dome like the U.S. Capitol. President Harrison, his wife, and family, would enjoy riding around Cape May County to take in the local culture and environment. They’re ghosts now, and they haunt Curtis Bashaw. As our guest, you'll be right in the middle of Cape May's historic downtown. The 600 buildings that form the District feature stunning examples of Late Victorian, Eclectic, Queen Anne, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Colonial and French Second Empire style. If there were Three Little Pigs involved, and if the Big Bad Wolf used fire instead of huffing and puffing, the pigs could tell you a similar story. Plan your trip with our online guides of restaurant recommendations and local points of interest. From 1968 until 1995 Congress Hall operated as part of the Cape May Bible Conference led by the Reverend Carl McIntire of Collingswood, New Jersey. “I mean, I’m still good for another twenty years or so! “Imagine being Thomas Hughes, having built this building you were so proud of, and to have everyone call it Tommy’s Folly, because no one thought it would work,” he says, chatting in a conference room in his office suite just across Perry Street from Congress Hall. There's nothing quite like the simple pleasure of room service during your vacation. Please pull up in front of the hotel and an attendant will assist you with your luggage and car. “A quarter century after the country was founded, this hotel was a watering hole, a gathering spot. Using his newfound business acumen, Bashaw started to decide what he could save from his grandfather’s bankrupt empire. He remembers McIntire, in his trademark white suit and white shoes, coming down to the beach one day, back in 1967, saying, “We just agreed to buy Congress Hall. Waters Burrows Miller. Looking back, however, she says that in many ways they didn’t get it right the first time. The Congress Hall of the early 1990s was a vastly different place from the way it is today. Congress Hall is a wonderful, historic resort hotel which offers to quality service in a luxury property. - See 1,504 traveler reviews, 692 candid photos, and great deals for Congress Hall at Tripadvisor. 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