" Folks have been resorting to Cape May, New Jersey, in the summers since the 1700s. It wasn't until The Great Fire in 1878 that much of the wonderful Victorian architecture that we see today was built. We're looking down the gingerbread tunnel, a series of front porches on a bunch of houses here. Right now, we'll get together with Barbara Mytell, who's the director of the Cape May, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, and we're gonna take a little tour. Come on. New Jersey doesn't have much of a reputation for historic preservation."

" Except for Cape May which is the best preserved 19th-century seaside resort in America."

" Tell me about these cottages we're driving by."

" Okay, these are the Stockton street cottages. They were formally part of a hotel complex which was pulled down in 1913. They're built in 1869."

" And there're 8 of them all identical except for the paint schemes."

" Yes. Some of the paint schemes are Colonial Revival, the green and white American."

" Uh-hmm."

" And the others are authentic Victorian colors that people have decorated."

" Love the detail."

" Lots of them are bed and breakfast."

" Love the detail."

" Bob, this is the Chalfonte Hotel. It's the oldest operating hotel in Cape May City. It was built for prisoners of war by Civil War hero, a Union soldier, Henry Sawyer, and he was an exchange prisoner for Robert E. Lee's son. This hotel every spring and every fall, the University of Delaware's students come down here and paint it up and clean it up for a free work week."

" They helped maintained it. It certainly is an exuberant piece of Victorian with all the bracketed detailing and the gingerbread. Now, tell me about this beautiful yellow house on the corner."

" Okay, Bob. This is Mainstay. It's a bed and breakfast today but it started out as Jackson's Club House in 1872."

" It sounds like fun."

" It was a gentleman's gambling palace and a bordello."

" Really?"

" Yes."

" This is our last stop. Beaver Cottage and Nancy Thorenson is waiting to greet you to give you a tour of a great Victorian interior."

" Terrific. So what's the age of Beaver Cottage and why is it called Beaver Cottage?"

" Beaver is about 100 years old now as you see it. It was named after Thomas Beaver, an iron master."

" Uh-hmm."

" And it was like this? I mean it's in beautiful condition."

" No, when we purchased the house, it was a boarding house. It had become quite rundown. The staircase was covered with paint."

" Really. All this beautiful oak. And was this stained glass window here?"

" The stained glass is original to the house."

" Yeah. Well, at least you have the staircase to restore. So many have been lost. I love the stickwork here. Instead of having regular spindles, they have this detail all the way up and the parlor is this way?"

" Yes, come on in. As you know, this was a boarding house when we got it. Terribly rundown. All the walls were covered in paint."

" Uh-hmm."

" The woodwork was all painted. The fireplace was closed up."

" Really."

" We opened it up."

" This is new then?"

" The tile is new. It's imported."

" Yeah, it's beautiful."

" The mantle itself is old but not original to this house."

" Oh, so your mother found it elsewhere?"

" Yes, she did."

" Yeah, it's a beautiful mantelpiece."

" Thank you."

" And she collected all the beautiful antique Victorian furniture?"

" Yes. She enjoys collecting furniture. This Victorian settee. The leaded glass lamp with all the detail."

" Uh-hmm."

" Very, very nice stuff and of course, it goes so nicely when you put it all together."

" Yes, it does."

" What's through the pocket doors?"

" Inside here is the formal dining room."

" Very friendly, isn't it? It's nice and bright."

" Yeah."

" You often think about Victorian houses being dark. This is very bright."

" Yeah, the sun comes in. It's very nice."

" Again, more leaded and stained glass that was original?"

" This glass was original to the house."

" Yeah."

" Very pretty."

" In here, she put this mirror up to brighten up the room."

" Where is it? A picture of her? A scene of----"

" This is of Mystic, Connecticut."

" And it's actually wallpaper? It's not painted on the wall?"

" No, this is wallpaper. "

" Spectacular. And again, she's done wonders with finding antique furniture, huh?"

" Yes, she has."

" Yeah."

" Can we see one of the bedrooms?"

" Sure. Come on up."

" Bob, we're really lucky we didn't lose any of the stained glass."

" It's a beautiful window, yeah. And you have to restore the woodwork, no doubt?"

" The wood was all painted."

" What about that old phone?"

" The phone is a reproduction."

" Oh, yeah it's phony."

" But it works."

" It works. Then, this is the master bedroom?"

" Yes, it is."

" Wow, look at this bed."

" The bedroom is done at Eastlake furniture."

" Yeah, all this is Victorian Eastlake who was a designer. Basically they try to get Victorian furniture toned down, right?"

" Yes. He was tired of it being so heavy."

" Yeah."

" That's how high the headboard is on this bed. Yet, the bed itself is very short."

" Oh, the Victorians weren't as tall as people nowadays."

" No, they weren't."

" It's a beautiful set of furniture though. It's a nicely proportioned room. It's not too huge."

" No, come on in and see the back."

" The door looks like it's grainy to look like oak, but it is."

" Yes."

" Beautiful paint job."

" The bathroom is all new except for the tub here, the ball-and-claw foot."

" Uh-hmm."

" That is original to the house."

" Uh-hmm."

" And then you've got all of the oak throughout?"

" Yes. Everything else is reproduction. Even the water closet."

" Can we take a look at the third floor?"

" Sure. Come on up."

" The scale up here on the third floor is really low, huh?"

" Yes, you noticed how low the ceilings really are from here to the first floors."

" Wonderful. I love the way she's done this. She's wallpapered up any wall right across the ceiling to the other side."

" Yeah."

" And of course the scale of the furniture is really kiddie size, right?"

" Yes."