Cape May Court House in Middle Township in Cape May County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Historic Cape May County Court House
The Cape May County Court House was completed on this site in 1850 by local master builder/architect, Daniel Hand. Shamgar Hand, his ancestor, had settled on this same site in 1695.
Cape May Court House has been the County seat since 1765. The County was formally created by an act of the General Assembly of the Province of West Jersey on November 12, 1692. The Cape takes its name from Dutch Captain Cornelius Jacobsen Mey, who so named it when he sailed the local waters between 1616 and 1624. English settlers changed the spelling to May. Prior to the Europeans’ arrival, the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Indians lived in the region.
Erected 2008 by Cape May County Culture and Heritage Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • Government & Politics • Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1695.
Location. 39° 5.021′ N, 74° 49.384′ W. Marker is in Middle Township, New Jersey, in Cape May County. It is in Cape May Court House. Marker is on North Main Street, 0.1 miles south of Church Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located directly in front of the subject courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15 East N Main St, Cape May Court House NJ 08210, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Cape May Revolutionary Patriot Memorial (a few steps from this marker); County Seat (a few steps from this marker); Ankole-Watusi (approx. 1.1 miles away); Ostrich (approx. 1.1 miles away); Ring-Tailed Lemur Conservation (approx. 1.2 miles away); Ring-Tailed Lemur (approx. 1.2 miles away); Barred Owl (approx. 1.2 miles away); Red Panda Conservation (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Middle Township.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Cape May Court House. Living Places entry:
The neoclassical court house on Route 9, for which the Cape May Court House was named represents a history dating back to the seventeenth century. In 1695, Shamgar Hand purchased the land located inland from what is now Stone Harbor, where the town of Middletown, now Cape May Court House, developed. Almost fifty years later, the growing county required municipal facilities more dependable than local citizens' homes. County officials chose the first Baptist church constructed in the county, built in 1715, for use as a government building until funds were obtained for the first real courthouse, erected in 1774. (Submitted on May 29, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Cornelius Jacobsen Mey - Director of New Netherland. New Netherland Institute entry:
Cornelius Jacobsen Mey left a larger legacy behind than most of the succeeding directors of the DWI, largely because of the name he made for himself because of his explorations, especially in the Delaware Bay area. Cape May [sounds like Mey] was named after him, as well as the city of Cape May, New Jersey and Cape May County, also in New Jersey. (Submitted on May 29, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 750 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 29, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 7, 8. submitted on August 30, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.