Unwind and Relax at The Ware House Cape May Bed and Breakfast

Built around 1868, this two-and-a-half-story Gothic Revival style home was designed and constructed by Maskel Ware, a skilled house carpenter and local builder. Ware purchased the lot at the corner of North and Windsor Streets in 1867 and soon after financed and built the residence. Its striking Gothic Revival details—such as the steep cross gables, decorative vergeboards, and elegant porches—make it a fine example of the architecture that defined Cape May during its rise as a premier seaside resort.

Maskel Ware (1822–1910) descended from a long line of Cape May and Cumberland County families, including Mayflower pilgrims through his mother, Harriet Whilldin. After the passing of his first wife, he married Mary Jane Scull Warwick (1841–1929), a widow with a daughter from her first marriage. Together, they raised five children in the North Street home. The family lived here for nearly a century, marking it as one of Cape May’s enduring family homesteads.

Beyond his own residence, Ware left a significant mark on Cape May’s architectural heritage. As part of the firm Hand, Ware & Company, he and his partners built notable structures, including Jackson’s Clubhouse (today’s Mainstay Inn) and several cottages along Columbia Avenue. The firm also constructed 26 life-saving stations along the New Jersey coast in 1872, contributing to both the safety and style of the shore.

Ware was also active in public life, serving as a county freeholder (1876–1882) and running for city and state offices. His obituary praised him as a respected builder, community leader, and devoted church member.

After Maskel’s death in 1910, his widow Mary Jane remained in the house with their unmarried daughter, Lizzie, until her passing in 1929. The home was then inherited by their granddaughter, but by 1963 it was sold out of the family—ending nearly 100 years of Ware family ownership. Since then, the house has been carefully preserved and modernized by subsequent owners, retaining its architectural character while offering modern comforts.

In 2025, the house was renovated from top to bottom and lovingly restored, so a new generation of families and friends can make their own memories here. The kitchen was rebuilt as a bright chef’s kitchen with Thermador appliances, every bathroom is brand new, and central air conditioning and gas heat now keep the house comfortable in every season.

Through it all, we took care to keep what makes the house special: the steep cross gables, decorative vergeboards and elegant porches that Maskel Ware built in 1868. The result is a home that feels just as charming as it did a century and a half ago, with every modern comfort a family could want.