“Historic Residue”
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Each year, 50,000 people flock to the beaches and Victorian town of Cape May, New Jersey. They come for the laid back, relaxing atmosphere as an escape from their day-to-day stressful lives. They look forward to the sights of the historic, brightly colored houses, the smells of their favorite guilty-pleasure foods and the sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the sandy shores. Not so long ago, those shores told a very different story.
In the late 1600's and early 1700's, Cape May once hosted the likes of pirates such as Stede Bonnet, Captain Kidd and even Blackbeard. Legendary stories tell the tall tales of buried treasure in the sands along the coastline.
After the construction of the grand Congress Hall hotel, people from Philadelphia began vacationing here in the mid 18th century. Congress Hall itself has hosted four United States Presidents. Benjamin Harrison, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Ulysses S.Grant each spent time at Congress Hall.
Railroad tycoon Diamond Jim Brady, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, U. S. Ambassador Joseph Kennedy. newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, Philadelphia-born actress Grace Kelly, and car maker Henry Ford have all spent time relaxing in Cape May.
In March 1926, ground breaking ceremonies were held for the construction of a ferry dock using 3 decommissioned, post World War I ships. The first ship obtained was The Atlantus. The plan fell through in June when a powerful storm hit Cape May, breaking The Atlantus lose and running aground 150 feet off the coast. Attempts to recover the concrete ship were unsuccessful and The Atlantus became part of the unique scenery. Being that the bulk of the ship could be seen, it was once used as a billboard for boat insurance. Over the years, the ship sank further and further into the ocean. Today the bow of the ship is only visible at low tide.
When The United States entered World War II, it was thought that our coastline defense was weak or non-existent. As a means to protect Fort Miles and keep enemies out of Delaware Bay, Fort Miles Battery 223 was constructed in front of the Cape May Lighthouse. Armed with guns with a nine-mile range and the capacity to withstand direct hits from battleships and aircraft, all concealed by completely covering it with earth. The only firing Battery 223 ever did, was in practices and never had to fire on enemies. Decommissioned in 1944, and scrapped by 1950 Battery 223 became part of Cape May State Park in 1962. Over the decades, erosion took away what was left of the earth covering and Battery 223 now sits on the shore, abandoned, serving as a reminder of very different time, a very different story, as Historic Residue.
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Photographer's Guide (EXIF):
Camera: Canon Rebel T-6
Aperture: F11
Shutter Speed: 1/250
ISO: 100
Exposure Bias: 0
Focal Length: 55mm
Mode: Manual
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All photographs by Keith J. Fisher
©2023 Grazie Santangelo. All Rights Reserved.