![]() Martin and Berry’s, purchased in 2008, was largely gutted. When Nadolny moved here in the 90s, many of the homes were in need of some TLC. None of the early residents of the houses had that surname, Berry said. Another mystery is the origin of the Wovern Place street name. Similar in style and size, Nadolny says the identity of the architect has been lost to history. Fireplace in living room of a Wovern Street “dollhouse.” Residents have added shore-themed decorations, and touches like bright paint, awnings and cosmetic landscaping to provide individual identities to the homes. The homes are reminiscent of Cape May’s many “gingerbread” houses, but in miniature, with sharply peaked roofs, flower boxes and strings of decorative lights. The dwellings use much smaller amounts of electricity than conventional homes, “mowing the lawn” amounts to a couple swipes with a push mower, and shoveling snow is a five minute chore. “It’s an area where you can relax and read a book, but it will (accommodate) my total of 10 grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” she said.Īlong with the occasional adjustments come some real practical advantages to living in the small homes, residents say. For example, a circular table and seating just off the kitchen creates “a second living room,” Berry said. ![]() “Each room and each area of the house has to do more than one thing,” Berry said. The upgrade enabled Nadolny and Derr to add a small front porch, a kitchen larger than most along the row, a second full bedroom on the second floor and to a rooftop deck off the “master bedroom.”Īnother home, owned by Tina Martin and Lynne Berry is the largest, with a raised roof and an extension to the house which lengthened it to 44 feet and pushed its overall size just past the 800 square ft. Nadolny’s is what she calls a “hybrid” with an addition to the original house, extending the footprint approximately 15 feet. Some of the homes have been altered over the years, but most have a footprint that is 10 feet wide and 22 feet long. Rob Nadolny, 41, visiting from Charleston, South Carolina, stands beside the stairs in his mother and stepfather’s Ocean City “dollhouse.” It was not immediately known if Scull was a member of the extended family that played a large role in the history of the Scullville section of Egg Harbor Twp. Wirth said documents indicate Albert and Margaret Henry sold the lot to Ellis Scull, who in turn sold it to Max Zimmerman in 1924. She said many people believe the homes were originally built as fishing cottages.Ĭounty records show that first lot changed hands three times before eight of the nine dollhouses were constructed in 1927. Prior maps depicted “an open, undeveloped area,” said Noel Wirth of the Ocean City Historical Museum. That particular city map was also the first one to include the street. The lot, which is identified as 1426 Wovern Place is now the fourth house on the nine-house row. The first appearance of a dollhouse lot on a city map was in 1919, according to Cape May County records. But a stroll along the quaint stretch of tiny homes will definitely take you back. It’s hard to imagine Ocean City’s past as a sleepy resort town almost anywhere on the island, including the Historic District. Situated more than a mile from the official Historic District, Wovern Place is arguably among the most historic streets on the island. What Dollhouse Row lacks in noise and crowds, it makes up in history and charm. “It’s very quiet in the off-season, but even in season it’s pretty quiet,” she said. They are also among the few year-round residents on the street. Exterior of two of the miniature homes on Wovern Street “In summer you have to keep your voice down and (watch what you say) because you hear what everyone is talking about,” said Nadolny, who has resided for 21 years in the meticulously maintained and decorated dollhouse she shares with husband Rick Derr. Whomever said “good fences make good neighbors” surely was not speaking about Dollhouse Row. The result for those who live here is a mixture of quiet and closeness. The narrow, winding stretch of asphalt is a contradiction: secluded from crowds and through traffic while residents are seemingly on top of each other, in homes situated just six feet apart. Nine miniature homes are crammed along Wovern Place, a tiny thorofare many residents and most visitors assume is an alley-if they know it exists at all. “You quickly learn that things aren’t so important.” “You must simplify what you need,” said Laurie Nadolny, the longest tenured resident of one of Ocean City’s hidden gems, the tiny neighborhood known as “Dollhouse Row.” ![]() When you live in a dollhouse, you have to make some adjustments. Wovern Street in Ocean City home of “Dollhouse Row”
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