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Entries in Architecture & History (6)
Making Gingerbread Trim
Cape May's famous Pink House is the ultimate example of Victorian sawn ornamentation known today as Gingerbread trim. Those of you who read my article about the Cape May Stage building and its paint color know that the Pink House was probably not historically pink with white trim. More than likely it would have been painted in a mixture of earth tones accentuating the trim elements. Most of Cape May's wood trim was not designed by an architect, but was created by local carpenters who competed to make each home unique and romantically appealing. Copying another's design was unheard of, so each home had, and fortunately still has, it's own personality.
Cape May Paint Colors
Specific Cape May color selection click Who selected the colors for Cape May Stage? I'll come clean - Dave Clemans and I did and for good reasons. This is one of Cape May's most historic structures and we wanted to set an example for correct use of colors and their placement. The Victorians liked their earth tone colors that would help a structure blend with the natural environment. No more Greek temples like the White House! Grays, greens, browns, buffs and deep reds were some of the most popular colors. Today authentic Victorian colors have been confused with popular "boutique colors" like fire-engine red, baby blue and bumble bee yellow. Colors were commonly used to accentuate design elements such as cornices, window and door trim and in the case of Cape May Stage, the pilasters on the front corners. Frequently a deep rich color was reserved for the action parts or moving parts like windows, shutters and doors. In our case, the deep red matches the red tin on the onion shaped dome, an interesting design influence from the Orient, that popped into American architecture. We hope you like the new/old look and we will complete the painting project right after Labor Day.
GFS Surfing Lemon Heads
Original Header photo run yesterday (click for full)
We ran this photo as a main graphic yesterday. I was strolling on the beach and noticed the pod of yellow capped girls bobbing in the waves. Having witnessed the scene over years, I was curious. So I perched on the beach, took a few photos and met the woman in charge — Jill Brzezynski. She shared with me the interesting back story. That the lemon heads, as she referred to them, refers to the funky yellow caps worn by girls from the Girls Friendly Society (GFS). And they are on a week long visit to the historic Cape May institution. I was happy to learn that my photo captured a piece of enduring Cape May history.
A great way to experience Cape May history
Take the family to learn about Cape May Point's history A friend suggested I check out the Cape May Point Lighthouse Museum (or it's more official name Cape May Point State Park). My immediate reaction was "Nah, I don't need to. I live here". How many times do we miss out because it's just easier to stick to our routine? It's too bad (for me) because you (I) miss out on some hearty learning and fun. Plus, venturing out to learn new something makes you pay attention. Well, I realized that not only was that response lame, but I'd never even seen the CMP Museum. So I jumped in my truck and sped (35mph) down Sunset to see what I could learn...
Michael Longfellow
in Family Fun/ Kids, Architecture & History
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Taking the plunge photo
Updated on Sun, July 2 by
Michael Longfellow
Taking the plunge (click)
This photo appeared in the about me section of capemayX.com. I'm jumping off the pier in the back of Morrows Nut House in 1975. I received quite a few emails asking about it, so I thought I'd include it as a daily dose post.