Cape May Stage

In January of 1853, the trustees of the Cape Island Presbyterian Church purchased a lot on the north side of Lafayette Street, at the corner of what is now Bank Street.  Local builder, Peter Hand, designed and built their church.  He designed a Georgian-vernacular style building with an oddly graceful, onion-curved, mosque-like belvedere.  For the rest of the summer, Cape Islanders and visitors alike thronged the beautiful new church.  In the fall of 1853, the Cold Spring trustees sold it to the Methodists.

The church served the congregation until 1898 when they moved to their new church at Hughes and Decatur Streets.  The trustees sold the old church to Annie Knight.  She bought it for the local Episcopalians, who had no building.

In the mid 50’s, one of the City’s proposed solutions to the increasing automobile problem was to tear down the church and an old fire station next to it to create a parking lot.  The City purchased the Church for $2,000 and began demolition plans.  However, an early Cape Island preservationist, Tom Harris, intervened to save the building.  He pointed out that Cape May did not have a much-needed Central Community House.  The City fathers agreed to support Tom’s effort. Incorporation papers were drawn up for the Historical and Community Center of Cape May (HCC), Inc.  The Board declared the building available for art shows, dances, plays, association meetings, banquets, etc.

After running the center for 17 years, Harris grew tired of the job and its responsibilities.  In 1973 Mayor Bruce Minnix suggested that the City take over operating the Center.  The City converted its primary use into a Visitor Welcome Center, though it still served for meetings, plays and such.

In 1988, Michael Laird descended upon Cape May and incorporated Cape May Stage as an Equity theatre company.  Laird, self-described as ‘an Equity actor and a director and producer and a sculptor and a playwright and a poet and a clown’ launched the first Cape May Stage production Sea Marks featuring Tom McCarthy at the Chalfonte Hotel in August, 1989. Ably assisted by Executive Director Angel Conran, during the theatre’s formative years, Laird produced plays at various venues in the Cape May community.