Somers Mansion, overlooking the Great Egg Harbor Bay, is the oldest house standing in Atlantic County.
In the late 1600s, John Somers, an English immigrant, and family moved from Philadelphia to Great Egg Harbor. John Somers purchased land, referred to as the Somers Plantation, and he operated a ferry service from Great Egg Harbor Bay to Cape May. Upon John Somers’ death in the early 1720s, Richard Somers, the oldest surviving son of John, was left as executor of the Plantation. Richard Somers built a large brick house, now referred to as Somers Mansion, between 1720 and 1726. The Mansion overlooks the Great Egg Harbor Bay. For years, the Egg Harbor-Cape May Monthly meeting of Friends (Quakers) was held at Somers Mansion.
The house was passed through descendants of the Somers Family for about two centuries. Overtime, changes were made to the mansion to reflect a more Victorian style home.
Ultimately, in 1937, the deed of the Somers Mansion was passed to The Atlantic County Historical Society with the purpose of preserving the building and history of the Somers Family. In the 1940s, a restoration project went underway to restore the home to its originally colonial appearance. The restoration project including eliminating elements of the home that were added in the 19th century. In addition, the Mansion was furnished with quilts, child toys, and other items to reflect what the home would have looked like when Richard Somers lived there. In 1970, the site was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.
If you are in Ocean City or surrounding area, a trip to Somers Mansion is worth the time. The Mansion is relatively small is size, but the architecture and the views are something to behold.
Resources
Moffett, Herbert N and Lewis D. Cook. A History of the Somers Mansion. Somers Point, NJ: Atlantic County Historical Society, 1942).
Rundstrom, Olive Conover. History of Somers Point. Somers Point, NJ: The City of Somers Point, 1968.
Scheller, Kay. New Jersey Off the Beaten Path, 8th. Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1998. https://www.google.com/books/edition/New_Jersey_Off_the_Beaten_Path_8th/CNlJQqPKKWwC?hl=en&gbpv=0
“Somers Mansion Historic Site Overview.” Department of Environmental Protection: New Jersey State Park Service. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/somersmansion.html
New Jersey History and Sites 
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