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Early advertisement for the historic Cape May Congress Hall hotel...
Early advertisement for the historic Cape May Congress Hall hotel...
Item # 693276
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July 18, 1851
THE DAILY UNION, City of Washington, D.C., July 18, 1851
* Congress Hall Hotel advertisement
* Pre Civil War Cape May, New Jersey
Among the advertisements on page 2 is one for the Congress Hall Hotel, headed: "Sea Bathing, Cape May, N.J." and beginning: "Congress Hall is now open for the reception of visitors..." with various detail.
Congress Hall is a very historic hotel in Cape May, first constructed in 1816 as a wooden boarding house at the new resort of Cape May. When the owner was elected to the House of Representatives he changed the name to Congress Hall. It burned to the ground in Cape May's Great Fire of 1878 but within a year its owners had rebuilt the hotel in brick.
While serving as President, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Ulysses S. Grant and Benjamin Harrison vacationed at Congress Hall, and Harrison made it his official Summer White House. John Philip Sousa was a regular visitor, about which he composed the "Congress Hall March". The hotel remains open to this day.
Four pages, minimal margin wear, good condition.
AI notes: Robert Christgau reviewed Madonna's Like a Virgin album in his Consumer Guide column, published in The Village Voice on December 18, 1984. In this review, he assigned the album a B+ grade. Christgau commented on Madonna's confident persona, noting that she was "so smart she’s inviting both men and women to get off on the image of her as a slut." He also observed that producer Nile Rodgers attempted to make the music less mechanical, but in doing so, made it less catchy.
In 1851, Congress Hall in Cape May, New Jersey, underwent major renovations under Waters Burrows Miller, who expanded the hotel with two new wings and added grand plantation-style columns, shaping its iconic antebellum look. Originally built in 1816 and renamed in 1828 after its founder Thomas H. Hughes became a U.S. Congressman, Congress Hall had by then become a premier seaside resort. It boasted luxurious amenities like beachside bathhouses, live music, and a highly regarded dining hall emphasizing fresh, local ingredients. Its reputation attracted prominent guests, including U.S. presidents, establishing its lasting legacy as a symbol of American elegance and hospitality.
Category: Pre-Civil War
No Longer Available
