Rushlight Club Spring Meeting
April 18 to April 21, 2024 in Cape May, New Jersey
The 2024 Spring meeting will be held in the historic Cape May, New Jersey area April 18th through April 21st. Friday activities start at 9:30 AM in the morning so plan your arrival accordingly. Our hotel is The Grand Hotel. The address is 1045 Beach Ave., Cape May, NJ 08204. The hotel telephone number is: 609-884-5611. Details on room reservations and rates are shown on the enclosed registration form. The cutoff date for our rate is March 29, 2024.
Thursday Afternoon / Evening the Rushlight members begin to arrive. Starting at 6 PM, the hotel lobby and nearby restaurant/bar will be available to gather. Registration packets will be available there. Dinner is on your own.
Friday Morning we will visit the home and collection of members Brett and Sheryl Ewald in Villas, NJ – approximately 20 minutes north of Cape May. The collection includes lighting from whale oil to kerosene and associated accessories and ephemera. Lunch is on your own.
Friday Afternoon we will tour the Southern Mansion in Cape May (1 PM). The Southern Mansion is the largest and most opulent Cape May bed and breakfast. This historic mansion, built circa 1860, is set on one-and-a-half acres of award-winning gardens in Cape May’s historic district. The estate has been completely restored to its original glory of genuine Southern hospitality. The Club Board will meet from 3:30-5:00 PM at the Grand Hotel.
Friday Evening dinner will be on your own. Suggestions will be in your registration packets. In the evening, registrants will be able to gather in the hotel lobby or bar area.
Saturday Morning we will tour the Emlen Physick Estate Museum in Cape May for an in-depth look at the Victorian period and one Victorian family’s lifestyle. Built in 1879, the 18-room mansion was built by famed American architect Frank Furness and is one of the best examples of Victorian Stick Style architecture in the country. From the estate, we’ll depart on an Historic Cape May trolley tour. Lunch is on your own.
Saturday Afternoon we will visit The Antique Doorknob (and its owner Bill Causey), a long-standing antique store in Cape May that features an extensive amount of early lighting, with an emphasis on gas, early electric and combo lights. There are also other interesting items such as stained glass windows, furniture and hardware.
Saturday Evening we will have a buffet dinner and Club membership meeting at The Grand Hotel in Cape May. Events will include a show and tell session and a silent auction. We are currently making arrangements for the keynote speaker at the dinner.
Sunday as members travel home, we will have the opportunity to visit the internationally acclaimed arts community of the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center (WheatonArts), including the Museum of American Glass, housing the most comprehensive collection of glass produced in America. WheatonArts is located in Millville, NJ, the center of the nation’s first glass industry, about 50 minutes north of Cape May.