New Museum President Looks to Make History More Inviting

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Joyce Molter considers herself something of an amateur historian. “That’s my kind of thing,” she said. “History, literature is my side of the brain.” Starting Jan. 1, Molter will immerse herself in history even more as she takes on the role as the new president of Sea Isle City’s museum. The Sea Isle City Historical Museum serves as a repository for thousands of artifacts and keepsakes, some of them predating the beach town’s founding in 1882 by visionary real estate magnate Charles K. Landis. Molter already has a few ideas for making the museum even more appealing to visitors. However, at the same time she will also deal with the challenge of recruiting more volunteers to staff the building amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since the pandemic, some of our older volunteers don’t want to come in. We have barely enough people to cover all of the shifts,” Molter explained in an interview Monday. She noted that one of her top priorities as the new president will be to find more volunteers to replace those who have decided not to return during the pandemic, causing a staff shortage that limits the museum’s operating hours. “That’s one of my biggest things that I want to work on next year, to get more people,” she said. An old barber chair from 1898 is on display in a section devoted to Sea Isle's businesses. The museum was closed for most of 2020 during the height of the pandemic, then briefly reopened in September before shutting down again in October during a resurgence in COVID-19 nationwide. It reopened in February 2021 and has been welcoming visitors ever since. The museum, though, will be closed in January and February of 2023 during what is traditionally the slowest time of year in Sea Isle’s quiet off-season. It will reopen March 1. Molter said a sign will be posted on the door in January and February inviting members of the public to call her if they want to arrange private tours of the museum. The quaint museum is tucked away on the first floor of the Sea Isle branch of the Cape May County Library at 4800 Central Ave. Admission is free. Some of the artifacts on display from the 19th century include a 2-foot-high school bell, a baby’s wooden cradle crib, and an old firefighter’s helmet. One display features military uniforms and other memorabilia from World War II in a tribute to local servicemen and women. The museum's centerpiece exhibit features a display of vintage wedding gowns worn by local brides. The museum’s centerpiece exhibit showcases more than 20 vintage wedding gowns, the oldest dating to 1880. Preserved in pristine condition, the gowns were worn by Sea Isle brides. Research material inside the museum includes thousands of photographs, maps, books, pamphlets, and personal remembrances, plus collections on specialized subjects such as the history of Sea Isle’s railroads, which played a critical role in the development of the city. Parts of the museum are devoted to the colossal 1944 hurricane that obliterated large swaths of the seashore, as well as the infamous 1962 Ash Wednesday storm that devastated Sea Isle. “I think the storms are totally interesting,” Molter said. Molter may look to capitalize on the public’s interest in storms by possibly creating a new centerpiece exhibit focusing on the Ash Wednesday nor’easter, she said. With great fanfare during its holiday open house on Dec. 3, the museum formally dedicated a beautifully hand-carved wooden merry-go-round horse that was saved from the rubble of Marconi’s Carousel, one of the many local buildings destroyed in the 1962 storm. Ann Bacon, whose family owned the horse for 60 years, donated it to the museum. Ann Bacon, left, who donated the carousel horse, joins with members of the Sea Isle City Historical Museum for the dedication ceremony on Dec. 3. The carousel horse now serves as one of the museum’s chief attractions. Noting the appeal of having new attractions, Molter is considering the possibility of having a series of rotating centerpiece exhibits to keep the museum fresh for visitors. “One of the things I’m thinking of doing is having rotating exhibits every month or every couple of months,” she said. Molter, 73, has become familiar with the museum by serving as its secretary, the position she currently holds. On Jan. 1, she will succeed the current president, Ron Kovatis, who will become vice president. Now retired from her career as an administrative assistant and secretary for private companies, Molter and her husband, Joe, have owned a home in Sea Isle since 2001 and have been full-time residents for nearly 10 years. Starting Jan. 1, other museum leadership positions will be held by Barbara McKeefery, curator, Marietta Hassett, the new secretary, and Gary Kriss, treasurer. The museum trustees beginning Jan. 1 will be Ron Kovatis, Marie Peltier, Mike McHale, Bob Thibault and Abby Powell. More information on the Sea Isle City Historical Museum, including the operating hours, is available by visiting www.seaislemuseum.com or calling (609) 263-2992. The museum is located on the first floor of the Sea Isle branch of the Cape May County Library at 4800 Central Ave.