Scarborough Inn

Winter took forever to leave us this year. It was particularly brutal.

Spring was touch and go. We had a few summer false starts, but the chilly air kept rearing its ugly head.

Most years, the vinyl winter enclosure is rolled up a week or two before Memorial Day.

This year, we were deep into June before the Scarborough Inn porch was finally back in full open-air summer mode.

So we’re celebrating.

This Thursday, June 18, we’re throwing another Scarborough Inn porch party from 6 to 8 PM.

Live music. Free refreshments. Guests. Neighbors. Friends.

You don’t need to be staying here.
You don’t need to know anyone.
That’s the point.

If we mostly know each other from Facebook, this is a nice excuse to put faces to names.

One of the best uses of the internet is finding a reason to get off the internet for a while.

Summer, as we know, is short. Winter is always farther away than it was yesterday but also right around the corner.

So come over while the porch is in summer mode, the evenings are long, and the neighborly thing is still worth keeping going for another OCNJ generation.

Scarborough Inn
720 Ocean Avenue
Thursday, June 18
6 to 8 PM

Come as you are. Bring a neighbor. Or become one.

Full disclosure: We have all of the above too, and Wi-Fi.

Dear beloved neighbors and guests,

We’re hosting a field trip to the Cape May County clerk’s office to help homeowners do some deed research, so they can become historians of their own home. Two members of the Friends of OCNJ History & Culture board will be on board to help you navigate the county records room. (Myself and Marie Crawford).

Then we’re going to have lunch at the historic Bellevue Tavern. Any neighbors of the inn, you’re welcome to join. We still have five seats left.

We’re having live music that evening on the Scarborough Porch from 7 PM to 9 PM. All are welcome. It’s free as are all of our porch parties. Hope you can join for either the field trip and/or the porch party. Have a great week.

Five seats left.

A lot of people have asked about the historic house plaques Friends is offering at cost, but the sticking point is often: many homeowners do not actually know when their house was built.

So here’s what we’re doing about it.

Join Friends of OCNJ History & Culture for a jitney field trip to the Cape May County Clerk’s Office, where participants can begin tracing deeds and property records with hands-on guidance in the records room.

The idea is to help people figure out what year to put on the plaque, and help them become better historians of their own homes.

Afterward, we’ll head to Bellevue Tavern for lunch before returning to Ocean City.

$45 covers the expense of the jitney. Please bring extra for lunch and for the driver tip.

Message us at [email protected] to reserve a seat.

Open to members and non-members alike.

Calling all gardeners. You know you love bragging about your green thumb. Now brag with credentials.

🌸Do you have a historic home with a beautiful garden in Ocean City? Then register today to become part of our 2026 Historic Homes & Garden Tour, taking place on July 8. This beloved annual community event showcases our town’s most unique gardens while helping support local historic preservation efforts.

Ocean City residents with homes built before 1957 are eligible to apply at the link below. Last day to register is June 15! Know someone who should be a part of this event? Tag them below or share this post.

Apply here: https://form.jotform.com/friendsocnj/2026-ocnj-historic-homes-garden-tou

At Scarborough Inn, we’re naturally partial to old buildings.

Two years ago, a few friends and I started Friends of OCNJ History & Culture. I now serve as president, but it has always been a team effort.

In two years, Friends has organized the Holiday Historic Home Tour and Garden Tour, hosted lectures on subjects such as Ocean City’s rum-running history, and helped make the case that preserving an older home can be a practical option for the future.

We’re a small, volunteer-powered group, but we’ve been building momentum.

The Friends page is now just a few followers away from 1,000. If you’re not already following along, this would be a good time to join us.

We're almost at 1,000 followers! We just need a few more Friends to join the fun. Will you help us cross the finish line?