The George Allen House

Known today as the Southern Mansion - a popular Cape May B&B - the main section of the building was originally designed by nationally known architect Samuel Sloan for George Allen and constructed in 1863.

The home remained in the family until the mid 1940s when the last Allen relation died and her husband reportedly sold the house and all the antique furnishings for $8000.

When I purchased my cottage in Cape May in 1986 we would walk by the boarded up house with our young children and called it the haunted house. It was very scary especially at night.

In the 1990s it was purchased and lovingly restored and a large wing was added to the original house.

The new owners christened it the Southern Mansion because Sloan featured the plans for the house in a builder pattern book for folks who could not afford an architect and he called it the Southern Mansion.

My First Post After Facebook

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Thanks to all of you who have registered to follow me on this blog. Hope more of you will join soon.
Google gives me "insights" so I can see the amount that of you that view a post even if you are viewing but did not register.

Here is a fun image of the entrance to the Steeplechase Pier in Atlantic City.
George Tilyou from Coney Island, NY started the Steeplechase Park franchise and the trademarked franchise eventually spread to the Jersey Shore.
His theme was innocent fun where the sexes could mix in the time before internet dating.
A teacher or shopkeeper from a city could meet and have fun with the opposite sex in a time when it was frowned upon without a chaperone back home.
BTW..the famous Tillie in Asbury Park originated from George Tilyou's demonic clown logo.

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If you are reading this you were probably a fan on my Facebook site: Tales of the New Jersey Shore.
As recently posted on Facebook, after reaching the 20,000 fan milestone, I will be posting stories and photos on this blog from now on.

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