Cape May ยท Beachfront
Peter Shields Inn
Developer Peter Shields's 1907 Georgian Revival summer house at the east end of Beach Avenue: nine rooms and a restaurant facing the Atlantic.
- Built
- 19071907 Georgian Revival mansion, built as the summer home of developer Peter Shields.
- Style
- Georgian Revival
- Type
- B&B
- Rooms
- 9
- Area
- Beachfront
- Credentials
- Inside a National Register historic district
The story
Peter Shields, president of the Cape May Real Estate Company, built the oceanfront house as his summer home while the company was building the massive New Cape May Hotel. His 15-year-old son Earle died in a hunting accident in 1907, and Shields left Cape May in 1912. Today the inn has nine guest rooms and an award-winning restaurant facing the Atlantic. Former chef Carl Messick returned in 2025 and leads a new ownership team from 2026.
The ghost story
Psychic medium Craig McManus, writing in Cape May Magazine, reports that the inn is haunted by Earle Shields, the builder's 15-year-old son, who died in a 1907 hunting accident and is said to wait for his father's return.
Source: www.capemay.com
Good to know
- Breakfast: included
- Address: 1301 Beach Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204
Sources (5)
- https://inn.petershieldsinn.com/
- https://mapservices.nps.gov/arcgis/rest/services/cultural_resources/nrhp_locations/MapServer/1
- https://www.capemay.com/blog/2011/06/the-ghost-of-the-peter-shields-inn/
- https://www.capemay.com/blog/2025/06/whos-new-whos-moved-whos-gone-the-2025-edition/
- https://www.capemay.com/blog/2026/06/whos-new-whos-moved-whos-gone-the-2026-edition/
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.