Avon By The Sea
During the Victorian Era significant growth occurred on the New
Jersey Shore, the land encompassing present day Avon-by-the-Sea was
officially named New Branch around 1855, but according to what map you
looked at or to whom you talked to, the land also was known as the
Swanton Tract or the Lewis Greene Property.
In 1878 while the Jersey Shore was in her infancy. Long Branch,
Asbury Park and Ocean Grove were very popular summer vacation spots for
the wealthy visitors from New York and Philadelphia.
One of these summer visitors to Ocean Grove was Edward Batchelor, a
very successful tobacco manufacturer from Philadelphia who had come to
Ocean Grove to relax and fish. One day Batchelor decided to visit a
local fishing spot called "Deep Hole" just south of New Branch at Shark
River. During the trip to "Deep Hole" he passed through New Branch and
was very impressed by the land. On the return trip Batchelor spied
signs advertising the land for sale. The very next day Batchelor
purchased 300 acres of land from T.W. Finn for $45,000.00.
During the 1880's, Robert C. Love, a surveyor and F.G. Harrison, an
engineer were contracted by Mr. Batchelor to look after his newly
acquired land and under the supervision of the two men the town
gradually took form. Originally Batchelor planned to use the land as
the new center for his tobacco firm. With this in mind he named the
land "Key East" presumably after a type of tobacco or cigar. A short
while later, however, on the advice of his engineers, Batchelor decided
to develop Key East for its real estate potential.
Over the next decade, Batchelor provided the investment needed to
construct the basic facilities essential to a growing resort community.
The town was surveyed and divided into lots and sold for premiums
unheard of on the Jersey Shore. Roads were cut through the dense woods,
a sewer system was built, as was the Pavilion on Norwood and Ocean
Avenue. Most important of all was the construction of the Avon Inn in
1883.
The town as "Avon-By-The-Sea" came into existence when it was
incorporated under an act of legislature as a borough on March 23,
1900. Where the name Avon comes from is something that a good many
people wonder about, but it is easily enough understood when one
considers that even in the days of "Key East" that hotel at the foot of
Sylvania Avenue was known as the "Avon" Inn.
There is little vacant or unused space in the community today, yet
its growth is not, nor has it ever been unrestrained or chaotic.
Although there are commercial establishments on Main Street and Ocean
Avenue, they are surrounded by residential development so that the
basic character of the town has not been altered. After the town became
Avon-By-The Sea, vast improvements were made. A boardwalk was laid and
fire companies were organized. The present public school was built in
1908 and the library was built in 1916 with a donation from Andrew
Carnegie.
Today"s Avon-By-The-Sea maintains the original vision that Batchelor
had in mind where it’s residents enjoy a tranquil community surrounded
by the beauty of the waterways that form its borders.
Belmar
The Native Americans who originally inhabited the area around the Shark River
were the Lenni Lenape who were of the Algonquin nation. The land that
encompasses present day Belmar was sold by the Indian Chief Wanmassoa
to a Galvin Drummond in 1687.
Three
farms made up most of the area of present day Belmar according to a map
dated 1881. In 1872 a group of investors purchased fifty-eight acres of
land along the southern shore of the Shark River to develop a summertime community and called it the Ocean Beach Association. So Ocean Beach
became the original name of the community of Belmar. Eventually the
Ocean Beach Association purchased the farmland shown on the 1881 map
and with only these homes to consider, the design of Belmar became a
simple task. The Ocean Beach Association changed the communities name
to Belmar (Beautiful Sea) in 1885.
The
first hotel, The Ocean Beach House, was built in 1873. More than 17
hotels were in operation before 1890. But of all the hotels, The
Columbia House became the most fashionable. It continued in operation
until 1939 when it was destroyed by fire.
Today’s Belmar is undergoing a significant transformation. Almost all of the commercial property that once occupied Ocean Ave.
is now occupied by single family homes. The downtown area is undergoing
redevelopment. While the Inlet Terrace area of Belmar continues to be a
prime area of classically styled homes. Belmar’s boardwalk and wide
beaches continue to draw visitors from all over the tri-state area
during the summer. And the Shark River Marina is a haven for all types
of water sports.
Bradley Beach
|
The
earliest accounts of Bradley Beach can be traced back to 1679 when it
is said that Captain William Kidd anchored his vessel off Duck Creek,
now known as Sylvan Lake.
The area was rich with pine trees and sand dunes providing a natural
haven for waterfowl. It was also reported that an Indian tribe existed
in the approximate area of LaReine Avenue.
Captain Kidd was said to have stayed in Bradley Beach for some time,
burying his treasure between two large pine trees in the area of
today's Brinley Avenue.
Kidd never returned to claim his fortune, nor did history ever record
the amount of treasure buried in Bradley Beach. Perhaps the sea itself
claimed the gold pieces, or maybe the treasure never existed at all.
The
next piece of historical information occurs almost two centuries later,
in 1871, when William B. Bradner purchased fifty-four acres of land
south of Ocean Grove. James A. Bradley, a wealthy New York manufacturer, was also in the investment. The land was part of Ocean Township at the time and subsequently became part of Neptune Township under the name of Ocean Park. However, the post office informed Bradner that the community would have to change its name due to its similarity to Ocean Port.
William Bradner did not want to suggest his own name, so one of the
post office officials said, "You have a man down here by the name of
Bradley. Why don't you call it Bradley Beach?"
In 1886, the first school, a two-room structure, was opened and in 1880, a post office was established in a little store on Newark Avenue receiving mail from Asbury Park.
When train service was continued through Bradley Beach, William J.
Paynter, one of the early settlers, opened a post office in his general
store on Main Street near the Bradley Beach Station, where the mail was then delivered.
Local citizens appealed to the New Jersey State Legislature for a referendum to separate Bradley Beach from Neptune Township, and on March 28, 1893 Bradley Beach was incorporated. One month later, the newly formed Borough authorized the office of a Marshall and within the same year the Pioneer Fire Company, was established.
By
1927, Bradley Beach had become a very popular resort town. Facilities
at the beach front included several hundred dressing rooms, hot water
baths, two large open-air swimming pools and a number of stores.
Bradley Beach attracted thousands of tourists from New York, Pennsylvania and the City of Newark.
Today,
there is a year-round population of 5,000 that increases to
approximately 30,000 during the summer months. Bradley Beach has
experienced a renaissance in its residential and commercial areas. Many
fine restaurants dot Bradley Beach’s Main Street.
Ocean Grove
|
On
July 31, 1869, the Reverend William Osborn, a group of misters and
friends camped a the area of Ocean Grove called Founder’s Park and
after a candlelight service dedicated themselves to establishing a
permanent Christian Camp Meeting community called Ocean Grove. On March
3, 1870, a State Charter was granted to 13 ministers and lay persons to
hold personal estate to the land encompassing present day Ocean Grove.
The Charter also granted the trustees the right to appoint peace
officers.
Eventually
streets and lots were laid out. The first lot was purchased by James
Bradley who would later purchase and develop the land around the City
of Asbury Park.
The design of Ocean Grove utilized a new set-back planning device where
beginning two blocks from the beach each house was successively set
back from its neighbor, assuring a view of the Ocean from each home.
Many
rules were established in deference to the Sabbath Day, most famously
the banning of carriages and automobiles, and also a prohibition on Sunday Ocean
bathing. One Sunday in 1875, President Grant journeyed from Elberon to
visit his sister only to find the gates to the town chained. Grant
simply tethered his carriage to the chain and walked to his sister’s
home on Wesley Lake.
In 1975, Ocean Grove received the designation of a State and National Historic District as an example of 19th Century urban planning. Ocean Grove contains the largest aggregate of Victorian and early 20th Century structures in America.
Today’s
Ocean Grove maintains much of what its original founder’s foresaw. Many
bed and breakfast establishments dot the community. Main Avenue
is a hub of activity populated by specialty stores and restaurants.
It’s residents and visitors enjoy an unhurried and relaxing lifestyle.
Sea Girt
Centuries before Europeans came to America,
the Lenni Lenape Indians visited the Wreck Pond Inlet yearly to bathe
and enjoy the fruits of the sea with an annual clam feast. For years
afterward, “Big Sea Day”, drew early settlers of New Jersey to come to
the area in sheet covered wagons for get-togethers at the same beach on
the second Saturday of August where the enjoyed bathing in the sea,
singing and music, and feasting on the beach.
In
1853, Commodore Robert Stockton, purchased a farm tract from John
Sherman and built a mansion overlooking the Ocean. This land joined
with the Bell Farm to form present day Sea Girt.
In
1869 an act of the New Jersey Legislature created the Sea Girt Land
Improvement Company. The corporation aided in bringing the Central
Railroad of New Jersey to Sea Girt in 1875 and the development of Sea
Grit began to blossom.
1884
saw the purchase 120 acres with the intent of establishing a rifle
range and seacoast battery for the use of New Jersey National Guard.
The camp was established as the summer capitol of New Jersey where governor’s spent the warmer months until World War II. In 1895, the U.S. Government obtained a plot of land on Beacon Blvd.
to build a lighthouse. The brass work for the lamp stood 60 feet above
the water. Today it is used for various community activities.
Sea Girt developed during the latter part of the 19th Century as a summer resort. Today the Borough of Sea Girt remains one of the premier resorts of the Jersey Shore.
Wide tree-lined streets add to the beauty of the community that has
seen a significant amount of renovation and rebuilding of its homes.
Sea Girt beaches draw visitors from many locations and residents and visitors alike enjoy its leisurely atmosphere.
Spring Lake
The community of Spring Lake
was originally five different towns. Those five separate towns arose as
the result of the development of several farms. By 1903 these five
separate communities had formed into the present day Borough of Spring
Lake.
Like many shore communities in this area, residents of Philadelphia were ultimately responsible for the development of Spring Lake
as a resort community. In 1875, a Presbyterian minister, Reverend
Alphonso Willits, persuaded a group of investors to form the Spring
Lake Beach Improvement Company which laid out plans for the development
of the former Osborn Farm.
In June of 1876, Spring Lake’s first hotel, The Monmouth House opened. Almost immediately upon the opening of the hotel, Spring Lake became a destination for affluent and famous summer visitors. The opening of the Hotel and the magnetism of the Atlantic Ocean
led to construction of many fine homes, many of which still stand
today. In 1900, the original Monmouth was destroyed by fire and
rebuilt.
Today’s scenic community of Spring Lake
maintains much of the charm of its early days. It offers its residents
and vacationers the unhurried atmosphere of gracious Seashore living
with grand Victorian homes; a charming and vibrant shopping district;
pristine beaches; lovely hotels and bed and breakfast establishments;
the State’s longest uninterrupted boardwalk and the community’s
centerpiece, the body of water called Spring Lake.
Spring Lake is also the home of the Spring Lake Five, State’s largest 5 mile run.
Spring Lake is truly a unique Seashore community.
