While long overlooked, the rich and varied history of West Cape May is being discovered and celebrated.  West Cape May is one of four small towns that comprise Cape Island in Cape May County. West Cape May was settled by Mayflower descendants, riverboat pilots, whalers and former slaves (the Borough has reported ties to the Underground Railroad and became home to many African Americans who found sanctuary from slave hunters).
 
The Borough’s history goes back to pre-Colonial times when the inhabitants were the Lenni Lenape Indians. The architectural heritage boasts structures dating to the Colonial period, the Victorian era and some fine examples of the early 20th Century. Make sure you walk along the side streets to see examples of Victorian workman’s cottages. From 1881 to 1931, the Hastings goldbeating company was located in the Borough employing women to pound one-inch strips of gold into gossamer-thin sheets used for the decorative arts. The site is marked on Goldbeaten Alley. It was this business along with real estate speculation and subdivision of the land that led to the borough’s incorporation in 1884.

The core of West Cape May is included in the National Registry of Historic Districts for Cape May and Cape May County NJ.  The historic significance is Architecture, with many fine examples of the late Victorian era.  The period of historic significance is from 1850 to 1924.  The Cape May Historic District includes Cape May and West Cape May, consisting of 3800 acres and more than 600 buildings and was added to the National Registry in 1970

The historic area includes most of Broadway and goes from Park Boulevard to Pacific Ave. and from Sunset Boulevard to Leaming Ave.  Although West Cape May was established as a separate town in 1884, some homes date back many years before then.

Take a stroll through the past and see 19th Century Victorian homes and bungalows at every turn. Some of the best times to enjoy West Cape May's architecture are Fall, Winter and Spring - before our many trees leaf out. Spend an afternoon wandering some of the side streets, looking up at our beautiful gables and gingerbread trim.