The Mason Cottage

Historic Accommodations in Cape May, NJ

In 1869 Edward Warne, a wealthy Philadelphian Developer and Attorney, purchased the vacant lot at 623-625 Columbia Avenue and began construction on his summer home.  During the construction of the home, Edward and his wife Elizabeth decided to divide the house into two homes (which is why you will  notice two sets of elaborate stairwells at the inn), which would accommodate the Warnes as well as their son John and his new wife.  The Warnes’s new home was completed in 1871, just in time for the summer season.   Over the years, family tensions arose which caused the Warnes to put the cottage on the market for sale.

The home was purchased in 1940 by the Mason family (hence the Mason Cottage) and it was not long after that Wilber Davis Mason, Sr. opened his home as a guesthouse to weary travelers.  The current owners acquired the cottage in early 2009 and have lovingly renovated the inn blending history with modern sensibility.