Think you’ve scoured all the unique shops in Cape May County? Not until you’ve experienced shopping as it was in a 19th Century village.
Take a short trip to Historic Cold Spring Village where you’ll find a very different shopping adventure. Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit educational institution in the form of an open-air living history museum. It is an historical, educational, artistic, and literary foundation that presents interpretive programs, displays, publications, live performances and more, representative of the Early American period in history.
Among the 26 authentic, restored buildings, is the Village Country Store where they sell souvenirs like bonnets and soldier hats, wooden toys, dolls and candy. In addition there are artisans’ wares from the Village (goods made by blacksmith, basketweaver, tinsmith, woodcarver, etc.), braided rugs, locally made soy candles, diffusers, a full line of jams and jellies, quilt throws and bags, and craft-making kits.
The building that houses the store, like all the others at the village, makes for a fascinating mini-history lesson. It was originally named the Sharp Homestead and it stood in Marmora on the north side of the Tuckahoe Marmora road. The building is actually two houses that were mortised together at an early date. The exact construction date is not known, but a 1797 penny was found in the stairwell during renovation.
The house has been significantly altered. One of the two chimneys was too deteriorated to move. In addition, the second floor has been opened up, the front door has been relocated, and a wrap-around porch has been added to re-create the appearance of a mid-19th century country store. Period shelving and counters were added from Thomas Fleming’s store in Middletown, Mass.
Shop here and you’ll acquire a reputation for bringing home the most interesting gifts and souvenirs.
