Historic Cape May Home Faces Destruction If Can't Relocate
By Cleve Bryan
CAPE MAY, N.J. (CBS) - One of Cape May County's oldest homes needs a flatbed to avoid the bulldozer.
The house built in the 1720's for a judge was acquired several years ago by the Cape May County Historical and Genealogical Society for $200,000 with the intent of creating a museum.
Budget cuts have forced the Historical Society to abandon the plan and sell the property. There is an agreement of sale with a national company who wants the 1.5 acres on Bayshore Road in Lower Township, but has no interest in preserving the house.
Now the Historical Society hopes to find a private buyer or government entity that will pick up and move the house, which they estimate will cost about $50,000.
"We'd like to have the house saved and someone move it to another location so it's not demolished," said Howard Aaronson, President of the Cape May County Museum.
"There are not many left. They were all just generally demolished as buildings came along and they weren't thought of as saving," said Aaronson.
Officials believe there is about a six-month window to come up with a plan to move the house or it will be razed.
