Happy 250th, America: A Toast to Congress Hall in Cape May This Fourth of July wasn't just any Fourth — America turned 250. Down the shore, that means what it has always meant: barbecues on the beach, flags on the porches, fireworks over the water. But a milestone like this also felt like the right moment for a little gratitude toward a South Jersey landmark that has been around for a remarkable share of those 250 years: Congress Hall in Cape May. Here's the latest from our series on the South Jersey that shaped us. (And yes — this was supposed to be one of those point-of-view videos. It clearly didn't work out, so the voiceover version won. "Creative decisions," as Dan calls them.) Here's the part that gets us every time: four U.S. presidents vacationed at Congress Hall. Ulysses S. Grant, James Buchanan, Benjamin Harrison, and Franklin Pierce all spent time there. Pierce celebrated America's birthday right on the Cape May beach back in 1855 — a Fourth of July on the same sand where families plant their umbrellas today. Benjamin Harrison liked Congress Hall so much that he didn't just visit — he ran the country from it, using it as his official Summer White House during his presidency in the late 1800s. And if you ever take the tour, ask about Ulysses S. Grant. One of the guides told Dan that some stories from Grant's time there still can't be made public, because they were — her word — that saucy. Cape May keeps a few secrets. If you've never been, go. The building is gorgeous, and between the history, the recreation, and the dining — with the ocean right across the street — it's one of the easiest day trips in South Jersey. If you have been, you already know. Happy 250th, America. South Jersey has been here the whole time — Cape May since the country's earliest beach summers, and Kensington since 1912. Around here, we like things that last. About Kensington Furniture — Kensington Furniture is a family-owned furniture and mattress store on Tilton Road in Northfield, New Jersey. Founded in 1912, it's one of the oldest retail businesses in Atlantic County — if not the oldest — and has served South Jersey families for more than a century, from first apartments to forever homes. Visit the showroom in Northfield or shop online at kensingtonfurniture.com.
