Cape May County Chamber of Commerce

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The History of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce

The mission of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce is to be voice of the business community by promoting tourism and economic development through legislative advocacy, marketing services, networking opportunities and educational programs for member businesses.

The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, in continuous service since 1944, actually dates its origins to 1916 when it was called the Seashore Association Chamber of Commerce, a group formed by the resort towns of Cape May, Ocean City, Sea Isle, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Cape May and the Wildwoods to promote tourism along the Jersey Cape. After the outbreak of World War I, the chamber was inactive for a short time. It regrouped and remained active through the late 1920s to around 1931 when the full effects of the stock market crash of 1929 were evident in the county and the chamber again fell into decline.

In 1944, Daniel Dawson of Cape May Court House and William C. Hunt of Wildwood gathered business, civic and political leaders together to reform and reactivate the County Chamber. On January 28, 1954, the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in the State of New Jersey. Charles W. Sandman, a local attorney who later served in Congress, prepared the legal documents.

George Carter was the first part-time executive secretary (1957-59) working in a one-room office in the court house building. Carter was followed by Stewart Gray, a retired commercial realtor who also owned a motel in Stone Harbor. By then the chamber office was on the second floor of the old historic Court House and was combined with the county’s Economic and Industrial Development Commission.

On February 6, 1967, Robert C. Patterson was hired as executive secretary, a designation later changed to executive director. Prior to Patterson’s arrival, the chamber prevailed upon the Cape May County Freeholders to buy the historic Jonathan Hand house at 10 North Main Street in Cape May Court House for the chamber office and information center and also as a way for the county to preserve a historic building.

The chamber quickly outgrew the Jonathan Hand house and began making plans to enlarge it. After much opposition from neighbors and zoning variance problems, the building plans were scrapped and a committee was formed to find a more appropriate site.

The committee and chamber’s board of directors agreed that a new building location with easy access to and from the Garden State Parkway would be ideal. The site at Crest Haven Road and the Garden State Parkway was selected and negotiations with the freeholders culminated with a 25-year land lease signed October 12, 1971. Construction started in the spring of 1972 and on June 12, 1973, the dedication of the new -and current -building was held.
Earlier, in 1960, the Chamber opened a seasonal information center on the Garden State Parkway near the Ocean View/Sea Isle City exit at Mile 18. This location has since become a year-round visitors center operating seven days per week year round with the participation and help of the state Office of Travel and Tourism.

The first edition of the Jersey Cape Vacation Guide, a 72-page black and white publication with a full color cover, was published in 1968. Over the years, this guide has grown to a 144-page full color publication. Only 25,000 copies were printed in the early years of the Jersey Cape Vacation Guide; now 100,000 copies are printed each year.

Both the Chamber staff and Chamber membership have grown over the years. The chamber now employs 5 full time people 1 part-time year round employees plus 3 seasonal employees. In 1967 there were 168 members; today, in 2005, there are nearly 900 members. The annual budget, which was $11,000 in 1967, is now over $600,000 for the 2004-2005 fiscal year.

Since 1944 there have been 32 business representatives who have served as president of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce.


Phone: (609) 465-7181	Fax: (609) 465-5017	E-Mail: Send e-mail

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