A former retreat home for nuns in Cape May Point is now a science center

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A former retreat for nuns in Cape May Point, New Jersey, has been transformed into a science center that studies migratory patterns of butterflies, birds, crabs, and marine life.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philadelphia-based Sisters of St. Joseph were forced to close the St. Mary by-the-Sea Retreat House. As the health emergency dragged on, they decided to demolish the building and apply for Green Acres funding and preserve the 1.5 acre property. Longtime Cape May resident Bob Mullock, 74, had a better idea.

Looking to save what he described as “an absolutely gorgeous building,” Mullock spoke to the sisters and proposed using the grounds as an environmental center.

“We had those discussions for a good period of time, the sisters are tough negotiators,” he said. “But I’ve always had great respect for them and we ultimately reached an agreement.”

Mullock created a non-profit organization, and the historic building at the bottom tip of Cape May, between the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean was purchased in April of 2022 for $5.5 million. Then came the conversion of the once private nuns’ retreat home into the Cape May Point Science Center.

“We’re right in the middle of the Atlantic flyway, all types of birds get funneled down the peninsula,” Mullock, who serves as president of the science center, said.

A rich history

The retreat has a storied history dating back to the early 1800s, when it served as a landmark for enslaved people escaping Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

“On moonless nights people would escape from the Delmarva Peninsula, row boats across the Delaware Bay, and then they would land on the site, located next to the Cape May Lighthouse,” he said. “That was the guiding light to not drift out in the ocean.”

Mullock said the 38,000-square-foot science center is three stories high with 135 different rooms, and it was originally constructed as the Shoreham Hotel, which attracted famous visitors and tourists from all over the country.

“President Harrison stayed here and his wife stayed here, his wife actually had an art show here,” he said.“It was thought that because of its location that this was the healthiest air you could breathe.”

In the early 1900s, the hotel was converted into a senior home. Then in 1909, the Philadelphia-based Sisters of St. Joseph bought the property and used it as a retreat home for nuns until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. For a brief period, during World War II, the United States Army also used the building to monitor ship movements.