The Summer Cottage Inn was commissioned to be built in 1867 by Samuel Harrison as a family summer vacation cottage in Cape May, New Jersey. It was designed and built in the Italianate style, complete with cupola, by the renowned architect Stephen Decatur Button.
The Harrisons needed the cottage to be cool in the summer since they only used the home for four weeks a year. The cupola, which can be seen on top of the building as you leave, was Victorian air conditioning. They would open all the windows and the hot air was pulled up the center staircase and out the cupola windows.
In the parlor, there are four floor-to-ceiling pocket windows. These windows open in between the walls and allow easy access to the veranda. All of our rooms have at least three or four windows in each room.
Our dining room is small by Victorian standards. The Harrisons used it only for the family's breakfast and lunch meals. Mrs. Harrison "made reservations" for dinner at the Cape May's fine hotel dining rooms.
Our guest rooms are all decorated with Victorian antiques, nostalgia pieces, and many special touches. All of rooms have air conditioning in the summer, heat in the winter, private bathrooms, TVs, king and queen size beds.
The Summer Cottage Inn has been a Bed and Breakfast for over 20 years. We are open all year. Please come and visit us!
The Summer Cottage Inn
613 Columbia Avenue
Cape May, New Jersey 08204
Toll Free 1-866-392-5600 or 1-609-884-4948