Congress Hall in Cape May hosted four US presidents over the years, and one of them, Benjamin Harrison, liked the place so much he ran the country from it, calling it his official summer White House. That history is the subject of this South Jersey Matters video, filmed around America's 250th birthday.Four Presidents Who Stayed at Congress HallUlysses S. Grant, James Buchanan, Benjamin Harrison, and Franklin Pierce all spent time at Congress Hall. Franklin Pierce celebrated America's birthday on the beach in Cape May back in 1855, which makes the connection between this stretch of shore and the Fourth of July a lot older than most people realize.An Official Summer White HouseBenjamin Harrison's relationship with Congress Hall went further than a vacation. During his presidency in the late 1800s, he called the hotel his official summer White House and conducted the business of running the country from there. It's a detail that turns a seaside hotel into a genuine piece of national history, not just a nice place to stay in Cape May.What You'll Find There TodayCongress Hall today still offers the recreation and dining that draw people to Cape May every summer, alongside the history. Anyone who has visited already knows the layout and the stories that get told on the property. Anyone who hasn't is missing a piece of South Jersey history that predates most of what people associate with the shore.The Stories That Don't Make the TourNot every piece of Congress Hall's history makes it into the official tour. As the video's host puts it, one of the tour guides mentioned that "some of the stories from Ulysses S. Grant's time there, they can't be made public because they were that saucy." Make of that what you will. It's a reminder that a place with this much history has more stories than any single video, or tour, can hold.Why It Matters for America's 250thThe video opens with a nod to barbecues on the beach, which is exactly how a lot of South Jersey families mark the Fourth of July. But Congress Hall is a reminder that the shore hasn't just been a backdrop for celebrations, it's actually been part of the country's history for a long time. Four presidents chose this stretch of the Jersey coast to spend their summers, and one of them ran the country from a hotel room in Cape May. South Jersey has been part of the story the whole time.Kensington's RoleThis is a South Jersey Matters piece, part of an ongoing series where Kensington Furniture, a family-run furniture and mattress store based in Northfield, highlights the towns, history, and seasons that make the shore what it is. Kensington isn't the subject here. Congress Hall is. Key takeaways Congress Hall in Cape May hosted four US presidents: Ulysses S. Grant, James Buchanan, Benjamin Harrison, and Franklin Pierce. Benjamin Harrison called Congress Hall his official summer White House and ran the country from there during his presidency in the late 1800s. Franklin Pierce celebrated America's birthday on the beach in Cape May in 1855. A tour guide told the video's host that some stories from Ulysses S. Grant's time at Congress Hall are too saucy to make public. The video is part of Kensington's South Jersey Matters series, which covers shore towns, history, and traditions rather than store products. Questions people ask Which presidents vacationed at Congress Hall in Cape May? Ulysses S. Grant, James Buchanan, Benjamin Harrison, and Franklin Pierce all spent time at Congress Hall. Why was Congress Hall called a summer White House? Benjamin Harrison liked Congress Hall so much that he ran the country from it during his presidency in the late 1800s, giving it the nickname of his official summer White House. Did any president celebrate the Fourth of July at Congress Hall? Franklin Pierce celebrated America's birthday on the beach in Cape May in 1855. Are all the historical stories about Congress Hall public? No. A tour guide told the video's host that some stories from Ulysses S. Grant's time there are too saucy to be made public.
