The Colonnade Inn is one of the oldest historical buildings in Sea Isle City

Sea Isle City, New Jersey

Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. It stands as the last Old Style Victorian

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 building in Sea Isle City, and serves as the sole testimony to the city's rich architectural past.

History

When it was built in 1883 as a summer hotel, the Colonnade Inn was referred to as "The Colonnade Hotel." The Hotel was one of many that served the summer visitors from the metropolitan center of Philadelphia who were seeking a way to cool down from the summer heat (this of course was before air conditioners!).

The Colonnade Inn is the last surviving hotel from the pre-1900's era. It is a Victorian architectural masterpiece that has not only survived many coastal storms but also the wrecking ball of progress.

The Colonnade Inn was purchased in 1943 and run by the Dorsem family. The Dorsem's ran the hotel until 1992 when it was purchased by Dr. Carolyn Crawford and run as a bed and breakfast

Bed and breakfast

A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...

. In 2004, The Colonnade Inn was fully restored with the interest of preserving its original architectural features as well as its place in history.