Who Were They? – Margaret Mace School

“Who was that masked man?” That question was part of the mystique of “The Lone Ranger,” a 1950s TV western that had viewers pondering the answer. The Herald continues the occasional series, “Who Were They?” to enlighten readers on namesakes of local buildings and grounds, bridges and roads whose names are commonplace, but about whom many know little, if anything. It is a tribute to Cape May County residents who laid the groundwork for the place many today call home.
Dr. Margaret Mace was born in England in 1871, settled in Anglesea in the 1880s, and graduated Women’s College of Medicine in Philadelphia in 1905. She crusaded for a county health service and a county hospital. In 1911, she and J. Thompson Baker along with some Five Mile Beach businessmen incorporated to open Samaritan Hospital of Cape May County. In 1915, she bought the Frederick Sutton Mansion and opened Mace Emergency Hospital at 2410 Atlantic Ave., with 25 beds. She operated there until 1950, a year before her death. It is estimated she delivered 6,000 babies during her practice. In 1950, Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital opened in Court House. The North Wildwood’s elementary school at 12th and Atlantic avenues bears her name, a tribute to her caring for and about children.