Historic Allen AME Honored as Cape May Landmark Begins New Chapter

Issue #817

September 22, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

⛪︎Historic Allen AME Honored as Cape May Landmark Begins New Chapter

🎡Wonderland’s 144-Foot Ferris Wheel Slated for Demolition

💉No Appointment Needed for Cape May County’s 2026 Flu Clinics

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Shop Local

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇

 September 22

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Historic Allen AME Honored as Cape May Landmark Begins New Chapter

The Cape May community gathered Saturday, Sept. 19, to celebrate the history, legacy and continuing significance of the former Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church during a special program titled “Allen AME: Our Stories, Our Space, Our Legacy.” The historic Franklin Street church, which served generations of Cape May’s African American residents as a center of worship, education, culture and community life, has been restored as the Clemans Theater for the Arts and is now home to East Lynne Theater Company.

The program was organized by the Allen AME Legacy Committee, a community-based group established by East Lynne Theater Co. in 2025 to preserve and share the history of the church and the people connected to it. Made up of former congregation members, descendants, historians, artists, educators and community advocates, the committee works to ensure that Allen AME’s history remains an important and accessible part of Cape May’s story.

The celebration highlighted the faith, resilience and contributions of Cape May’s African American community while recognizing the building’s transition into a performing arts and community gathering space. The afternoon included live music by vocalist Bernadette Matthews, a keynote presentation by public historian and Richard Allen Museum docent Michael Clemmons, and a panel discussion titled “Faith, Learning & Belonging.”

Allen AME Church faced an uncertain future after a devastating fire in 2018, but preservation advocates and community leaders worked to save the historic building. Its restoration and transformation into the Clemans Theater for the Arts has given the property a new purpose while maintaining a connection to the congregation and community that shaped its history. East Lynne Theater Company, working with the City of Cape May, has committed to honoring that legacy through educational programming, collaboration and continued community engagement.

Wonderland’s 144-Foot Ferris Wheel Slated for Demolition

Ocean City’s 144-foot Ferris wheel at the former Gillian’s Wonderland Pier is expected to be demolished after worsening structural deterioration at the vacant Boardwalk amusement park raised safety concerns. Property owner Eustace Mita said engineers are advising that the landmark ride be removed as cracks, a collapsing concrete-block retaining wall and a buckling deck affect portions of the property.

The Ferris wheel had originally been included among the Wonderland attractions Mita hoped to preserve as part of a proposed redevelopment of the property at 600 Boardwalk. Those plans have changed as engineers identified deterioration roughly 30 feet from the wheel. Demolition will be complicated because previous repairs included welding parts of the structure together, meaning crews cannot simply unbolt and dismantle the ride. The adjacent log flume also is expected to be removed.

The deterioration adds another issue to the continuing debate over Wonderland’s future. Ocean City Council designated the property as an “area in need of rehabilitation” in June, and Mita is negotiating with the city over potential redevelopment. He has proposed a hotel, although the property’s existing On-Boardwalk zoning does not permit hotels. The rehabilitation designation is also facing a legal challenge, and community advocates have called for greater transparency regarding redevelopment discussions.

Wonderland closed permanently in 2024 after nearly 60 years of entertaining generations of Ocean City families. Jay Gillian, who sold the property to Mita in 2021 and subsequently leased it back, continued operating the rides through the summer of 2024 before determining the amusement park was no longer financially viable. Its final operating weekend in October 2024 drew large crowds for farewell rides.

Mita previously envisioned retaining recognizable Wonderland attractions, including the Ferris wheel and carousel, within a future redevelopment. The structural problems have effectively ended plans to preserve the Ferris wheel. City officials have inspected the property, while engineers and steel specialists are now evaluating how to safely remove the structure. No demolition date has been announced.

No Appointment Needed for Cape May County’s 2026 Flu Clinics

The Cape May County Department of Health has announced its annual flu vaccination clinics for 2026, providing free influenza vaccines at locations throughout the county. The clinics are available to anyone 6 months of age and older, and residents do not need an appointment to receive a vaccine.

County health officials are encouraging residents to get vaccinated before flu activity increases. Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness that can spread from person to person, and health officials recommend annual vaccination as an important way to reduce the risk of flu and its complications. Flu viruses can circulate throughout the year, although flu season in New Jersey generally runs from October through May and often reaches its highest activity between December and February.

Both regular-dose and high-dose influenza vaccines will be offered by the county at no charge. The vaccines provided at county clinics are trivalent and thimerosal-free. The high-dose vaccine, which contains four times the antigen of a standard-dose vaccine to generate a stronger immune response, is approved for adults 65 and older.

High-dose vaccines will be available only at senior center clinics and Cape May County Department of Health clinics and will be offered while supplies last. Residents seeking the high-dose vaccine may want to plan accordingly because availability is limited.

The county’s clinics are part of the Health Department’s annual effort to make flu vaccination readily accessible to residents ahead of the busiest portion of influenza season. Additional information and the complete clinic schedule are available through the Cape May County Department of Health’s seasonal influenza webpage at https://capemaycountynj.gov/622/Seasonal-Influenza.

 Answer to the September 21st Trivia Question 

What body of water lies immediately west of Cape May? A) Cape May Canal B) Lake Lily  C) The Delaware Bay D) Atlantic Ocean Answer: C) The Delaware Bay  The Cape May peninsula is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay

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