Editor’s note: This article is part of a new series showcasing owners of Ocean City historic homes and their preservation success stories. If you would like to tell your success story, please email mary-ann@friendsocnj.org.
Betsy Linn describes the charming cottage home where she lives as “a love story.” Her grandfather, George Cannon, was an optometrist who lived in Elkins Park and practiced in Philadelphia. In 1937, in the midst of the Depression, George “surprised” Betsy’s grandmother Florence with this home he built for their family at 2612 Central Ave. George brought his own mother there as well, and since then six generations (his children, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren) have all loved this home.
Thirty-two family members gathered in July 2025 for their annual reunion. The house is only 1,425 square feet but it stands out because of its unique architecture, which includes a triangularly-shaped roof for its second floor, giving it a beach cottage vibe. The eves were designed in this shape to repel the heavy rains that sometimes descend upon Shore towns. Its bright yellow exterior captures sunlight with a screened front porch, and many family meals are shared around the large table there. Signs of its Craftsman style can be found in lovely paned windows, detailed woodwork throughout and a beautiful wood staircase and floors. Family photos capture the love that has been part of the house for nearly 90 years and include a picture of Betsy’s smiling father proudly holding up his pet dog with his mother looking on from the porch. Betsy’s family grew up with Ocean City’s own movie-star-turned-princess Grace Kelly, and her brothers and sisters, who summered nearby.
Betsy, her brother George Cannon III, and her sister Sue Britton, now own the home and work lovingly to preserve it and make it comfortable for their extended family. Betsy and her husband Mark showed their recently renovated dream kitchen with an open floor plan and comfortable chairs and sofas to accommodate family gatherings. They have been able to provide accommodations for a family member using a wheelchair, creating ramps over front porch steps, widening doors and installing an accessible bathroom and shower. Improvements include installing air conditioning and winterizing so the home can now be used year-round. They lovingly maintain the beautiful original hardwood floors.
Betsy shared the original deed for the home with the price of $5,600. The home is adjacent to the Gold Coast area, one of the most desirable areas of Ocean City, with amazing homes of all styles and sizes including beachfront properties. The Cannon family is proud to have been able to maintain their house with its original exterior, despite being in an area where its desirable location often triggers teardowns to make way for bigger replacements with less style and character.
“I am delighted when we sit on our porch and hear passersby stop and proclaim what a charming house we have,” Betsy said. It’s yet another example of an old house still serving as a lived-in and lovingly maintained home for a family to enjoy, generation after generation.
