Originally opened as Hotel Cape May, the Christian Admiral Hotel had a long history of ups and downs. Construction began in 1905 and the hotel opened on April 11, 1908—extremely over-budget. The Cape May Real Estate Company, the developer, intended to bring wealthy visitors to the area. They wanted Cape May to compete with Newport, RI, and the Hamptons on Long Island. In 1908 it was the world’s largest hotel with 333 rooms.
It changed hand many times in its early days. It was generally unused until the start of World War I. It was used as a Navy hospital and then a Navy administrative building during World War II. It would undergo five bankruptcies and ownership changes during its lifetime.
In 1962 the hotel was purchased by the Christian Beacon Press, lead by the Rev. Dr. Carl McIntire, for use as a bible study center. Substantial money was put into updating the building to comply with building codes.
In 1991 the building was closed by the Cape May government. In 1996 the hotel was destroyed.
Do you remember the Christian Admiral? Send us a comment.
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