In the beginning . . .

Shortly before the great depression, Morris Jennings Bowman started renovation on a home that would become the first of approximately 2,500 homes and a family tradition of home building. After a promising start and more than a dozen homes under his belt in the Germantown area of Philadelphia, the far reaching effects of the great depression finally brought his building career to an abrupt halt. With a family to feed and bills to pay, he was forced to abandon the building business and moved to southern New Jersey.

In the mid 1940’s he purchased a small farm between Wildwood Ave. and Greenwood Ave. in what would eventually become Villas, NJ. In 1949 Morris, along with his only son Ellery, incorporated Bowman Builders and resumed the family business. The two began building and selling family homes on the 28 acre farm. Father and son continued to build homes and small communities throughout the area for the next 20 years.

The third generation . . .

In 1971, at the age of 22, Ellery’s oldest son John (Jack) began working with his father. The two started a partnership called Bayside Village, Inc. and began construction on a community of over 700 homes. In 1978 Ellery’s younger son Morris II (Bud) began working for his father at Bowman Builders. By 1983 Ellery and both of his sons, Bud and Jack, were all partners in Bowman Builders. After his death in 1985, Ellery’s wife Dorothy inherited his share and—with her sons—continued the family business. In the late 1980’s Bowman Builders purchased a parcel of ground off of Fishing Creek Road in Cape May that would become Cape Woods.

In 1991, with construction of Cape Woods in full swing, Bowman Construction Inc. was incorporated, but still trading as Bowman Builders. Jack and Bud built numerous homes and small communities throughout the 1990’s and into the early 2000’s including: Cape Woods South, Cape Crossings, The Waterside at Tranquility, Captain’s Court, Admiral’s Court, Tabernacle Court, Caramar, and Whiting Way.

Entering the fourth generation. . .

In the summer of 2004, Jack’s son Lance returned to the area and the business, helping to complete the two developments in Cape May Court House, Caramar and Whiting. Shortly thereafter, Jack’s son-in-law, David Walker, moved to Cape May and also began working for the company.

On January 1, 2007, Jack, Lance, and Dave incorporated Bowman Walker Construction Inc. Shortly after, the three also incorporated Bowman Walker Real Estate, Inc. with Jack operating as the Broker of Record. Bowman Walker Construction recently purchased a 30 acre parcel in Swainton that is currently being developed. Named Seagrove, this neighborhood will become a community of 24 custom homes.

Building the future on a firm foundation . . .

With its forth generation now at the helm, the Bowman family tradition of building quality homes in Cape May County has remained unchanged for nearly 70 years. From small vacation homes on the Delaware Bay, to our current line of completely custom homes, we have built on the experience of previous generations. At the same time, we are constantly looking ahead and striving to offer our customers the latest trends and technologies available in the construction industry.

As a small company, we rely heavily on the relationships with our customers and our community for future business. As such, we ensure that each of our customers receives far more attention and care than what is typical for the industry. Our reputation is our mainstay, and thus we remain committed to serving our customers with the highest level professionalism, honesty and quality. We would love the opportunity to work for you and to make you and your home part of our history.