April & May 2019
April & May 2019 Color Issue
April & May 2019
Color Issue
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Drinking In History<br />
This past winter, it received a top-to-bottom renovation,<br />
featuring a magnificent new bar. But one thing that hasn’t changed<br />
about The Brown Room? Those walls could tell a LOT of stories.<br />
article jack wright<br />
photography jessica orlowicz<br />
Ease yourself into one of the comfy new chairs in The Brown Room,<br />
which nestles in the bosom of Cape <strong>May</strong>’s magnificent Congress Hall<br />
hotel, and, as you sip on your drink and take in the Gatsbyesque feel<br />
of the room, you might get the feeling that you’re steeping yourself in<br />
a little bit of history. Some rooms do that to you. In the case of The<br />
Brown Room, there’s a LOT of history within these four walls. If you’re making<br />
the acquaintance of this classy joint for the first time this summer, you’d be<br />
forgiven for not realizing it’s a brand-new space — even though it was gutted<br />
this winter and renovated from top to bottom, it feels like it’s been this way for<br />
years. That’s the beauty of good design.<br />
If you’ve been a regular here over the years, you will, however, notice a huge<br />
difference. First of all, the bar took a 90-degree turn and was moved against the<br />
wall overlooking the lawn, where it used to sit in the 1960s before the bar was<br />
tossed on to the lawn by firebrand (and teetotal) preacher the Reverend Carl<br />
McIntire, who bought Congress Hall in 1967. The bar was also greatly enlarged<br />
and completely rebuilt, featuring bar stools all the way around, which always<br />
produces the most convivial lounge vibes.<br />
The brown-and-white Schumacher flocked wallpaper has divided opinion in<br />
town — some think it delightful, while others think it’s way too busy. Either way,<br />
it’s definitely different and lends a charm to the old room.<br />
Four sitting presidents drank at this place (a couple of them much more