In 1935, young Henry Boardman Cooper left his family's estate on the main line outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was seeking some breathing room and enjoyed the peace and tranquility that the as-yet-developed Jersey shore had to offer. Henry became a building contractor in the sleepy shore town of Ocean City and loved life at the beach. After a few moves around the neighborhood, he built himself a small bungalow at the corner of 29th St and Wesley Avenue, right on the beach. Henry was a man of style and dignity; he could be seen walking the beach every day, no matter the temperature in a white linen suit, complete with tie. Henry was an avid gardener, and his garden in the lot next to his corner house reflected his temperament. He developed an elaborate irrigation system to serve his manicured gardens. He built up little terraces for his cherished roses. His sense of humor and fun could be seen sprinkled throughout his garden in the form of garden gnomes, a little woodland playhouse, and a bridge fashioned out of wood and twigs. Behind his house and abutting his garden was a lawn bowling green.

As Henry's beloved only child, Mary Jean Cooper, was growing up, it was clear she didn't share her father's love for the Jersey shore. But theirs was a close bond, so in 1960, Henry built his last house for his daughter hoping to entice her back to Ocean City. He christened the house Pike's Peak. Jean had completed her advanced degrees and had married by then. Henry put his whole heart into building Mary Jean her home. He used Philippine mahogany and floor to ceiling knotty pine for the walls. He laid oak floors, put a bathroom in every bedroom, which was highly unusual for the time, and took care with every detail. The effect is marvelous. Even today, when you enter the house the large picture window in the great room rewards the viewer with a beautiful panorama of an abundant dune system and a large stretch of beach sprawling before the open Atlantic Ocean.

Henry's plan worked out in the end. Jean's husband, Nicolas Fuschillo, wound up teaching psychics at Rutgers University and working in Philadelphia, so Ocean City was a convenient location for the Fuschillo family. Henry got to see his daughter and her family all the time. He was a big influence on his grandson David Fuschillo, who grew up to be a custom home builder, just like Henry. The Fuschillos wound up loving Ocean City and the beautiful nature that surrounds the island. They were always on the beach, biking, fishing, sailing, or sitting on the porch talking and enjoying the scenery. They were always guaranteed to have a string of visiting relatives and friends during the beautiful summer months.

After Henry died, the manicured garden took on Jean's personality. An avid birdwatcher and environmentalist, Jean let everything in the garden grow a little wild to attract birds and wildlife. She loved 2908 Wesley Avenue until the day she died. She created a cozy home filled with all her passions: books, art, family antiques, and always classical music. By letting a little wilderness flourish next to her house, Jean created a piece of privacy that is absolutely not to be found anywhere else in Ocean City. Her lovely indominable spirit is still very much part of this special home.