45th Anniversary Commemorative Book November 2015 | 页面 24

MAC and the Rebirth of Cape May
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23)

and crafts shows, to co-sponsor shows
throughout the year; and in 1986, MAC
labor began to flag in the face of an
joined with a local sightseeing boat to
ever-growing public tour schedule. By
offer guided boat tours around Cape
the late 1970s, MAC reluctantly turned
Island.
to hired staff to lead trolley and Physick
While the sum of these
Estate tours, drive the trolleys, handle
experiences was positive and pointed
clerical chores and mow the grass.
to a bright future, it took one particular
The further decision to create a
event to catapult MAC to its next
professional staff truly set off a storm
phase of growth—the “acquisition”
of controversy. As volunteer burn
of the Cape May Lighthouse. The
out began to invade MAC’s Board
Lighthouse project was conceived
leadership, President Herb Beitel (1981by Tom Carroll, who started working
83) led the move to replace the Office
on it in 1983. It took three years of
Manager with its first full-time Director
intensive negotiations, involving the
(this writer) at the end of 1982. The
residents of Cape May Point, the U.S.
following summer, the organization
Coast Guard and the New Jersey
added a full-time Tour Director.
Division of Parks and Forestry, before
After several years of “creeping
MAC received a long-term lease for
professionalization,” a predictable
this 1859-vintage structure. Under the
backlash occurred, and it took all
lease, MAC assumed responsibility for
of President Tom Carroll’s (1985-87)
the restoration and operation of the
strategic skills to steer MAC through
Lighthouse as a museum. In 1987, the
this crisis. Efforts to turn back the clock
ground floor was opened to the public
to a more “pure” volunteer state were
and planning was completed for the
defeated, and the organization was
public safety improvements needed for
committed firmly to its present growth
climbing the tower.
trajectory.
The addition of the Cape May
Nothing cemented this course
Lighthouse to MAC’s roster proved
more than the explosive increase
momentous in a number of ways. It
in MAC’s public programming The Cape May Lighthouse, after its 15-year, offered a new area of interpretation,
throughout this period. As Cape May’s $2 million restoration.
involving lighthouse and maritime
fortunes rose in the 1980s in response
history and technology. It brought
to a national craze for Victoriana, so
major new audiences to MAC’s
did the range and complexity of MAC’s tours and activities.
doorstep (e.g., lighthouse buffs, families with children), with
From the single trolley tour route of the 1970s, a second
the 60,000 visitors in 1988 increasing to a peak of 116,000 by
was added in 1983 and a third in 1985. In 1984, the four-day
2001. Reflecting the Lighthouse’s importance as a heritage
Victorian Weekend in October was expanded to a 10-day
tourism attraction, these numbers significantly enhanced
Victorian Week. Christmas trolley tours were introduced
MAC’s contribution to the local economy. The Lighthouse also
to flesh out the holiday season, and special events were
housed MAC’s first Museum Shop. Finally, the Lighthouse had
launched for February, April and May.
a huge impact on MAC’s organizational structure, more than
This phase also saw the start of MAC’s participation in
doubling its budget between 1986 and 1988.
joint ventures with for-profit partners. In 1981, the owners of
three of Cape May’s leading Victorian landmarks approached
GROWTH TO MATURITY PHASE (1988-2002)
MAC with a proposal to join with the Physick Estate in a
Once through its Adolescent Phase, MAC embarked on
MAC-sponsored Mansions By Gaslight tour. Offered weekly
a period of continuous success as the cultural and heritage
throughout the peak season, this tour proved so successful
tourism engine pulling the Cape May economy. In the process,
that it was joined by a second group of houses (Cottages at
it again more than doubled its organizational scale and budget,
Twilight) in 1983 and by numerous other combinations in the
while offering an ever-wider array of cultural and educational
years since. These ventures have greatly enhanced MAC’s
programming.
ability to interpret the interiors of large numbers of Cape May’s
Central to this mature accomplishment was continuation
restored Victorians for the public, while forging closer links
of the internal “era of good feeling” that was forged during Tom
between MAC and the business community and providing an
Carroll’s first presidency in the mid-1980s. It was achieved
important additional source of earned income. Other kinds
by the transformation of the MAC Board of Trustees from a
of partnerships also took root in this period: starting in 1983,
“working board” to a “policy board,” and the prevalence of a
MAC brought in Don Coffman, a major promoter of antiques
spirit of mutual respect and partnership between the Board
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