Ludlam Island & Sea Isle City Early History

Before discussing the history of Ludlam Island and Sea Isle City, a little must be said about geography. Ludlam Island is a barrier island in southern New Jersey, upon which Sea Isle City is situated. The island stretches down the eastern side of Cape May County, forming a sort of extended sandbar. Sea Isle City is located in the northern half of the island.

Ludlam Island was purchased by Joseph Ludlam in 1692 from the tribe of King Nummy, whose people used to collect fish and shells on the island’s beaches. The land then remained virtually uninhabited for about two hundred years, as Ludlam was intent on using it for livestock grazing. It essentially acted as free pasture for his cattle and sheep: although mainlanders sometimes came over for recreation, the island remained for the most part a glorified farm-reserve.

It was only in 1880, when Charles K. Landis purchased the island that people began to really take notice of the land. Landis, the undisputed founder of Sea Isle City, had a dream to create a vacation island inspired by Venice’s opulent waterways. The initial plan envisaged Venetian-style canals and waterways for general transport, so expansive was its scale. The times were optimistic ones, with Atlantic City the only other resort in Cape May and the allure of great profits driving Landis on.

Sea Isle City was placed on Ludlam’s Beach, with a railway to the mainland being built in the 1880s and innovative tourist features like boardwalks being put in place. Just like its Italian inspiration, the town has been plagued by coastal storms throughout its history, which eventually led to a promenade replacing the boardwalks. The city has been through financial turmoil, most notably during the Depression, but can now be said with pride to have fulfilled Landis’ idealistic vision of an energetic beach resort.