DEP PRESERVES
HISTORIC CARIBBEAN MOTEL
(05/91) TRENTON -- New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today announced
that the Caribbean Motel, located in Wildwood Crest in Cape May
County, was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.
The motel’s inclusion on the Register is part of Acting
Governor Richard J. Codey’s “Coast 2005” Initiative
to preserve the Jersey Shore’s natural and historic resources
and the character of Shore communities.
“The Jersey Shore is one of our greatest natural resources
and most important economic engines,” Governor Codey said.
“Listing the Caribbean Motel reaffirms the commitments made
in the coastal initiative to improve the Jersey Shore experience
for future generations.”
“Sites such as the Caribbean Motel have contributed greatly
to the tradition of fun and style that attracts visitors to the
Jersey Shore year after year,” said Commissioner Campbell.
“Preserving the architectural integrity of this historic
area is necessary for maintaining the landscape and the character
of the Wildwood Crest community.”
The Caribbean Motel was built in 1956 as one of the “Doo
Wop” style motels popular in the Wildwoods during the post-World
War II era. The design incorporated ultra-modern architectural
elements like a futuristic "levitating" ramp, canted
glass walls, and recessed "spaceship" lights along with
"exotic" landscaping and thematic decoration. These
design elements provided a vacation destination that indulged
the 1950s fantasy of tropical paradise despite the economic constraints
typical of post-War times. This combination of attraction and
affordability triggered the development of the Jersey Shore as
a popular resort destination.
The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is a list of properties
and areas worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural,
cultural or archaeological significance. New Jersey Register sites
have some measure of protection from state, county or municipal
undertakings. The New Jersey Register is administered by the New
Jersey Historic Preservation Office, which is a subset of the
Division of Natural and Historic Resources within DEP.
Commissioner Campbell will also recommend that the property be
placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination
will be sent to the National Park Service of the U.S. Department
of the Interior to be considered for National Register listing.
The National Register listing offers a measure of protection from
federally sponsored or assisted undertakings.
|