Endangered History: The Ocean County Rail Trail

Today we bring you an issue currently being battled on our behalf by a group of strident residents down the road.

The Lacey Rail Trail Environmental Committee, formed in 2000 as a non-profit non-partisan group, is focused on, amongst other things, the preservation of the Central Railroad of New Jersey right of way that exists from Toms River to Barnegat (cutting right through Beachwood along our own Railroad Avenue) that is currently being developed as a 16 mile linear county park for local residents and visitors. This project will allow a better appreciation and awareness of our area, Beachwood included, and is sure to improve local economies as these trail patrons stop at local businesses along the way.

Since its inception, however, the Lacey Township governing body has been embattled from within and without as local officials push to turn their portion of the trail into yet another asphalt roadway while many local residents push back, demanding the trail be preserved as a community asset. Allowing their section of the trail paved would be a black mark on the joint-community effort of preserving the heritage and environment of this unique tract as a pedestrian trail. In their many efforts to save the Lacey portion of the trail from the bulldozers and pavers that would see it decimated to just another congested highway, the Lacey Rail Trail has moved forward on efforts to have the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office declare the trail an historic landmark.

Now is the time for those living outside Lacey Township to speak up. With its vital role as the main form of transportation for Beachwood’s earliest residents, this railroad and the trail it provides today must not be subjugated by the shortsighted actions of the few. Today the LRT has issued a call to action for all residents of Ocean County and all proponents of railroading, history and the environment to take a few short moments and call upon our state officials to recognize this trail as an important link between Ocean County’s historic past and its future improved economy. In these days of severe economic crises, we must not allow any efforts for bolstering patronage of local businesses and parks to fall by the wayside. Today we must all come together and shout a resounding call to our state leaders in Trenton and the local leaders in Lacey and around Ocean County that we will not stand for the continued undercutting of our natural resources and unique history.

Take a moment for the benefit of our future. Support the Lacey Rail Trail and its efforts to keep an unbroken, clean Ocean County Rail Trail today.

An Open Call to Action from the Lacey Rail Trail:

Dear Fellow County Resident,

You can help save a very important part of our Jersey shore history!

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office is currently considering a historical designation for the Barnegat Branch of the Jersey Central Railroad of New Jersey.

This significant rail line played an integral role in the growth of the Ocean County Barnegat Bay region in the late 1800′s – early 1900′s and is at risk of being destroyed by development.

The corridor is unique in and of itself – displaying architectural and design features unlike any other rail corridor in the State of New Jersey. There still remain many archeological remnants of its history including original train stations, rails, and a turntable.

Please e-mail the decision makers TODAY and let them know that you support a decision to preserve the integrity of this cultural resource!

Ask them to issue a Certificate of Eligibility for the Barnegat Branch to help preserve this unique and irreplaceable part of our Jersey shore history!

Acting Administrator Daniel D. Saunders

Dan.Saunders@dep.state.nj.us

Assistant Commissioner Amy Cradic

Amy.Cradic@dep.state.nj.us

cc:

Commissioner Mark Mauriello

Mark.Mauriello@dep.state.nj.us

Sample Letter

Dear Commissioner Cradic and Administrator Saunders,

RE: Certificate of Eligibility Barnegat Branch, Ocean County – Save Our Shore History!

I strongly support the historical designation of the Barnegat Branch of the Jersey Central Railroad Right-of-Way to help protect this unique and irreplaceable corridor from development.

The rail line played an integral role in the growth of Ocean County and the corridor continues to display architectural design features unlike any other rail line in the state.

Please issue a Certificate of Eligibility to help preserve this cultural resource for future generations to experience and enjoy.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

Please feel free to share this alert with family and friends. For more information visit www.laceyrailtrail.org Thank you for your continued support.

Save It…Don’t Pave It!!!

www.laceyrailtrail.org

On a Path for a Greener Future

Official Site of the Ocean County/Barnegat Branch Trail:

http://www.planning.co.ocean.nj.us/transp-railtrail.htm

Official Site of the Lacey Rail Trail organization:

http://www.laceyrailtrail.org/

West Jersey Chapter of National Railway Historical Society (currently covers Jersey Shore as well)

http://www.westjersey-nrhs.org/

Let it Snow! Beachwood Winter, Part II

Well after some computer problems I’m glad to say we’re finally back with Part II of our Beachwood Winter photo collection. Enjoy and pass it on!

- the B.H.A.

A Beachwood Winter: Part I

Part one of our series of photos of some of our historic homes, businesses and locales. All images were taken during this week’s mild snowstorm, Monday, January 19, 2008.

Enjoy.

- the B.H.A.

Case Study: New England Learns Local History

Today’s entry is going to take a look up north to two programs that give its area youths a solid foundation from which to understand their hometown’s place in national and world history.

The Windows on History was started in 1998 when the University of Massachusetts‘ Center for Educational Software Development (CESD) started to expose primary and secondary students of the regional school systems to primary source materials about places and events from their community’s history. From there the students got the ball rolling by exposing anybody with access to the internet to local stories through the creation of their own webpages that utilized these primary materials.

Circa 1924.

The project was expanded across all of Western Massachusetts in 2005 when the Hampshire Educational Collaborative teamed up with the CESD, the Department of History and the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, the Historic Northampton Museum and Education Center, and the Springfield Armory National Historic Site and acquired a three-year Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the full Emerging America program.

December 2, 2008.

Emerging America – Teaching American History professional development events were then held for teachers across Massachusetts who then started digging up their local community histories through artifacts and primary documents that are shared with community residents online.

The Vermont Community History project also began in the late 1990s but instead of originating at a state university it was conceived through a joint discussion between the Vermont Historical Society, IBM and Verizon about how to involve local youths in learning the history of their communities. According to the website, with over 175 local historical societies in Vermont, many with collections not accessible to the general public because of space or time constraints, few opportunities remain that allow Vermonters to experience and learn about the past of their particular community. The “Community History Project” was created to address these issues.

In January 2001, the project director was hired to begin planning this initiative, and interviews were conducted throughout the state obtaining input on how local historical societies, schools, kids, and adults might come together to learn about a community’s history. Everyone interviewed had an opinion and wonderful ideas. The concept that evolved focused on young people and adults using primary historic resources to learn about a community’s story. Schools and local historical societies formed intergenerational teams that together decided on both the story to be told and the various ways in which to tell it, a combination that would emerge as the final piece, to be placed on a newly developed Community History web site.

Needles of the Pitch Pine Tree, found throughout Beachwood.

In March 2001, the Community History Project sent letters to all 175 local historical societies surveying interest in attending an informational session about the project. Over 20 local historical societies attended the meeting, and 10 historical societies representing 12 communities made a full commitment to the project. Teams were formed linking local schools to local historical societies.

Over the course of two years, from January 2001 through December 2003, teams met at the community level and as a full group, 6 to 8 times per year. Throughout the project, teams received training in curriculum development, technology, storytelling and collections care management. In addition to learning from professionals in the field, the teams (which were comprised of both youth and adults) also learned about working together in their own communities, resulting in many changes of perspective. “Kids” were seen in a new light as teachers of technology. “Old” people became important sources of historic information. “Dead” people “came back to life” to affect the present and future. Finally, folks had to learn how to put together the sources in the manner needed to tell the story.

Learning how to tell their community’s story presented several challenges for each group. The first was to decide upon which story they wanted to communicate. Once the subject had been agreed upon, kids and adults next needed to figure out how to get the requisite original sources. Finally, folks had to learn how to put together these sources in the manner needed to tell the story. Teams remained energized throughout the two-year project in a remarkable and exciting way, continually bringing new ideas and challenges to the table for discussion and assistance. Youngsters and adults representing 12 Vermont communities came together to create and/or strengthen a sense of place.

William Mill Butler, New York Times, October 26 1895

Clearly projects such as these would be a huge benefit and resource not only to Beachwood but to the entire Toms River and Ocean County area. Forming coalitions between elementary, middle and high school social studies teachers, Ocean County College and Georgian Court University history departments, the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, all county and local historical societies and the New Jersey Historical Society would sharply increase the visibility and awareness of all our borough and our section of the state have to offer the larger American heritage. Local communities such as Beachwood should see its town leaders and residents draft letters to these educational leaders seeking ways to begin the formation of such partnerships and programs.

For your convenience, below you will find contact information for some of these community educational leaders. If you find yourself anxious to see a broader awareness of our heritage broadcast between our schools, organizations and communities, contact one or more of them and let them know your thoughts. Feel free to send them to this website or others like it. Volunteer to help. Tell them you want a stronger, better shared community heritage bond.

Following this information, you’ll see arguments from the Massachusetts and Vermont projects for why local history is important to everyone. If you have children, contact their professors and ask what they’re doing to engage the student body in discussions about our community’s past. We at the BHA will always be here to promote our borough but ultimately it is up to you to get involved and ask questions of ourselves and the direction we take in our hometowns. Our future depends on it.

Mr. Michael Ritacco, Superintendant, Toms River Schools – mritacco@trschools.com

Mr. Joseph H. Vicari, Superintendant, Berkeley Township Schools – 53 Central Parkway, Bayville, N.J. 08721 – 732-269-2321 ext. 11

Triantafillos Parlapanides, Superintendant, Central Regional School District – tparlapanides@centralreg.k12.nj.us

Linda Epps, President and CEO, New Jersey Historical Society – lepps@jerseyhistory.org

Beth Mauro, Director for Advancement, New Jersey Historical Society – bmauro@jerseyhistory.org

Margaret Renn, Curator of Education and Programs, New Jersey Historical Society – mrenn@jerseyhistory.org

Tenisha Malcolm, Media and Communications Coordinator of Development, New Jersey Historical Society - tmalcolm@jerseyhistory.org

Mr. Tim Hart, director, Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission – culturalheritage@co.ocean.nj.us

Mr. Robert Garthwaite, Board President, Ocean County Historical Society – oceancounty.history@verizon.net

Mr. James Ricotta, Principal, Beachwood Elementary School – jricotta@trschools.com

Ms. Kelly Josberger, Supervisor of Instruction, Beachwood Elementary School – kjosberger@trschools.com

Ms. Tricia Moran, Principal, Pine Beach Elementary School – tmoran@trschools.com

Ms. Jamie Jovanis, Supervisor of Instruction, Pine Beach Elementary School – jjovanis@trschools.com

Mr. Paul Gluck, Principal, Intermediate South – pgluck@trschools.com

Mr. Thomas Regan, Assistant Principal, Intermediate South – tregan@trschools.com

Mr. Charles Evers, Assistant Principal, Intermediate South – cevers@trschools.com

Mr. Leonard Stanziano, Principal, Toms River High School South – lstanziano@trschools.com

Mr. Lawrence McCauley, Assistant Principal, Toms River High School South -lmccaule@trschools.com

Mr. Brian Blake, Assistant Principal, Toms River High School South – bblake@trschools.com

Mr. Mark Sullivan, Assistant Principal, Toms River High School South – msullivan@trschools.com

DyAnn DeClerico, Director of Elementary Education, Berkeley Township Schools – 53 Central Parkway, Bayville, N.J. 08721 – 732-269-5707

Ms. Arleen Lippencott, Principal, Bayville School – 356 Atlantic City Boulevard, Bayville, N.J. 08721 – 732-269-1300

Mr. James D. Roselli, Principal, Berkeley Elementary School – 10 Emory Avenue, Bayville, N.J. 08721 – 732-269-2909

Mr. Harry Colangelo, Assistant Principal, Berkeley Elementary School – 10 Emory Avenue, Bayville, N.J. 08721 – 732-269-2909

Mr. Jeff Zito, Principal, H&M Potter Elementary School – 60 Veeder Lane, Bayville, N.J. 08721 – 732-269-5700

Mr. Daniel H. Prima, Principal, Clara B. Worth School – 57 Central Parkway, Bayville, N.J. 08721 – 732-269-1700

Mr. Bruce P. Orsino, Principal, Central Regional High School – borsino@centralreg.k12.nj.us

Mr. W. Laurence Browning, Assistant Principal, Central Regional High School – lbrowning@centralreg.k12.nj.us

Mr. Timothy Murphy, Assistant Principal, Central Regional High School – tmurphy@centralreg.k12.nj.us

Ms. Michelle Ramsay, Assistant Principal, Central Regional High School – mramsay@centralreg.k12.nj.us

Portion of the original map survey by A.D. Nickerson.

Massachusetts Windows on History Project

Local history engages us. It helps explain where we came from. How local communities experienced change allows us to understand larger themes of history. Local evidence enriches a story.  A map of mills and homes expands our understanding of economic opportunity. Letters between local activists deepen our vision of democracy and public life. A drawing of a community leader expands our view of race and freedom. Through the Windows on History community service-learning projects, Emerging America helps teachers and students across Western Massachusetts seek out and tell their own local history and relate those narratives to national history. These online accounts tell about real individuals who lived at turning points in American history. They come alive through compelling narrative and engaging primary sources. Windows on History projects model the use of local history to support exemplary history lessons.

The stories on this site invite comparison between one another, with the stories of your own town, and with the national narrative. As each fragment of local history reveals the economic and political context in which it takes place, it illustrates significant ways that American institutions of freedom, democracy, and opportunity have endured through change.

Vermont Community History Project

Vermont has long been defined by its strong sense of community. But due to the stresses of everyday life, that special sense of community is eroding. For most people, time is a luxury, and when it is short, individuals/families come before community. As a consequence, both adults and children often feel disconnected from those around them ­ their community. This “disconnect” affects today’s youth who struggle with issues of “fitting in.” The Community History Project addresses the supporting role that the preservation of local community stories can play in an individual’s search for connection and community. Preservation and sharing our stories strengthens our communities. As they tell their stories, people become connected to and engaged in the communities in which they live.

The “Community History” Project matters because it addresses the need for stronger connections both between young people and adults and individuals to their communities through the study of local history. Youngsters and adults come together to create/strengthen a sense of place by identifying primary sources and developing a story around an aspect of their community. We all need these connections to fully appreciate where we live; this project is one way of providing them.

Local Founders Profile: Benjamin A. and Cornelia G. Levett

From the pages of his own 1924 Beachwood Directory and Who’s Who, here is what William Mill Butler wrote about original resident Benjamin A. Levett. Click on all the embedded links for a broader understanding of his life and background:

Circa 1924.

Levett, Benjamin A., south side Bayside Ave., between Harpoon and Larboard Sts., Block D-13. Other address, Sherman Square Hotel, New York. Profession, lawyer, with offices at 8 Bridge St., New York. Wife, Mrs. Cornelia G. Levett; children, Beatrice A. and Warren A. Levett. Paternal grandparents came to America from England in 1820; father was of English and Dutch descent; mother born in Jamaica of English mother and Portuguese father; she came to the United States in 1846. The subject of this sketch was born in Hartford, Conn., in 1873. At the age of six months he left with his parents for Reading, Pa. Later removed to New York City, where he received his education in the College of the City of New York. He studied law in the office of Robert T. Lincoln and was admitted to the bar in Illinois in 1894. In that year returned to New York and was admitted to the bar here also; became associated with a patent law firm until he entered the government service with the Court of General Appraisers, which is the customs court. He was admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court in 1900, and in the United States Court of Claims and Court of Customs Appeals. In 1906 he became assistant counsel to the Treasury Department in Customs cases and traveled to Hawaii to handle such cases and was admitted to the bar there. Later he engaged in private practice, and in 1912 made a tour of the world in the interest of clients, being accompanied on the trip by Mrs. Levett.

Is chairman of the Committee on Customs Matters of the New York Merchants’ Association, makes a specialty of customs cases and is the author of a book, “Through the Customs Maze.” which has stamped him as an authority on tariff laws and regulations. He has written works and music for a number of songs; also published short stories of fiction. At one time taught shorthand and typewriting in the New York Evening High School. During the war he was a member of the New York Ninth Coast Artillery; he was also a Four-minute man and outdoor speaker.

In Beachwood he was active in organizing the Property Owners’ Association and was its first secretary. He also took an active part in organizing the Beachwood Borough Government, and helped to secure the passage of the bill at Trenton which provided for it. Is a member of the Rotary Club, Circumnavigators’ Club, Adventurers’ Club, University Club and the Masonic Fraternity. Charter Member Polyhue Yacht Club.

Levett Bungalow, December 2, 2008.

Mrs. Levett is a member of the Property Owners’ Association and has taken a prominent part in the affairs of the Beachwood Woman’s Club. For a number of years she has been chairman of the winter card parties of the club in New York City, and has made the stay of the members pleasant on each occasion at the Sherman Square Hotel, where she and Mr. Levett and children spend the winters. Has also been very helpful in other activities of the woman’s club, at the fair in the cake sales and the card parties and dances in Beachwood. Her mother, Mrs. A.B. Gulick, and her sister, Miss Carrie Gulick, a teacher in the New York public schools, enjoy an annual vacation in Beachwood.

Case Study: Cape May, a City Heritage Celebrated

Tower of The Abbey, Cape May. This is an example of a 'key structure'.

Today we’re going to take a look at Cape May and that most southern New Jersey city’s unique status as the only city in the New Jersey to enjoy National Historic Landmark status. Below you will find a series of questions and answers produced by the Cape May Historic Preservation Commission that should help shed light on the process of historic preservation.

The BHA has taken this text and incorporated hyperlinks and photographs that will help expand the many concepts, ideas and locations mentioned. We hope this proves informative and interesting and begins to open the gateway on further dialogue on the mechanics of historic preservation in our own borough.

A.D. Nickerson's bungalow, Beachwood. This is a prime example of a potential future 'key structure'.

For a broader understanding we have also pasted at the end a letter to the New York Times by former Cape May Mayor Bruce M. Minnix who explains that it is not simply the Victorian structures within Cape May that are considered historic landmarks; it is the whole town, inclusive of all construction from the 19th century Victorian homes to the mid-20th century bedroom community sections through the millennial megahomes that slipped through a few cracks. We have added our own comment at the very bottom, comparing the multi-faceted architecture and design of Cape May to our own borough’s diverse structures spanning in style and function through the twentieth century.

And now, ‘Ask HPC‘.

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Emlen Physick Estate, saved in 1970, Cape May. Another example of a 'key structure'.

“Ask the HPC” is written by the Cape May City Historic Preservation Commission (HPC).

Its goal is twofold: to help explain and clarify the HPC’s purposes, deliberations and decisions, as it works to fulfill its responsibility to promote the historic preservation of Cape May; and, to give users a convenient, regular and easy-to-understand forum in which to get answers to questions about historic preservation.

Readers are encouraged to submit their questions about the HPC or about historic preservation issues in Cape May or in general, to the Cape May Star and Wave. Each question will be researched by and receive a response from the HPC, which will be solely responsible for the content. Questions published will be printed anonymously, however, all queries must have a return address and be signed by the correspondent.

Do you have a question that you think the HPC can answer? Send queries to: Cape May Star and Wave, Ask the HPC, 600 Park Boulevard, #5, West Cape May, NJ 08204, or send them by email to:  The Cape May Star and Wave

Question: What is the Historic Preservation Commission?

Answer: The HPC is a seven-member commission of the City of Cape May, established under the Municipal Land Use Law of New Jersey and appointed by the Mayor. The board is charged with working with and advising the City Council, The Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Construction Official. The HPC’s responsibilities include considering the appropriateness of new development, external modifications to existing structures and any demolition within the Historic District. It also conducts surveys of buildings and sites within the Historic Landmark District and recommends the designation of Historic Districts, buildings and sites to the Cape May City Council.

Question: Who serves on the HPC?

Answer: The HPC consists of seven regular members who serve four-year terms and two alternate members who serve two-year terms. The members are appointed by the Mayor, and fall into the following classes:

1) Class A: A person who is knowledgeable in building design and construction or architectural history.

2) Class B: A person who is knowledgeable or who has interest in local history.

3) Class C: A person who is a resident of the city and holds no other municipal office, position or employment except for membership on the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Class C members shall constitute a majority by at least one.

Alternate members: Two alternate members who must qualify as Class C members. Alternate members may participate in all HPC proceedings but may not vote except in the absence or disqualification of a regular member. All members of the HPC volunteer their time freely.

Emlen Physick Estate, from behind, Cape May. Key structure.

Question: Must I ask HPC approval for the colors I wish to use on my building?

Answer: Since Cape May is a composite of architectural styles representing several eras, bringing a wide spectrum of colors used through these periods, the HPC does not rule on exterior color combinations.

Question: I own a historic house. must I ask permission of the HPC to remove the claw foot bathtub when I renovate my bathroom?

Answer: No. The HPC has no authority regarding interior renovations.

Question: What connection does the designation “Certified Local Government” have with the National Historic Landmark District designation?

Answer: Each designation is separate and distinct.

A National Historic Landmark designation applies to buildings, sites and districts, sites and districts that meet the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for such designation. Certified Local Government was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and is administered by the National Park Service through the state’s Historic Preservation Offices. In New Jersey, Cape May is the only city having the landmark designation, while there are many cities with the CLG status.

CLG enables Cape May to support historic preservation programs through eligibility to apply for matching funds grants.

Beachwood Circle Inn/Circle Shop and now Carpet Land, Beachwood, another potential 'key structure'.

Question: It is understood that Cape May was chosen as an historic district because of its concentration of “Victorian Structures,” so why does the National Historic Landmark District encompass the whole city?

Answer: Landmark status was granted because Cape May is a living document of architectural styles in a seaside resort. While Cape May is noted for its concentration of structures built during the “Victorian Period,” this city, like most American cities, was built and rebuilt over many architectural periods, a process that continues today. Throughout the city there are significant styles from all periods.

Question: Why must a building owner comply with the HPC’s directions?

Answer: The simple answer would be to say that it is the law. However, the HPC is charged with applying the various guidelines regarding exterior renovations, development and demolition to ensure that the improvement preserves the integrity of both the structure and the neighborhood. If the improvement is considered to be inappropriate, the HPC will offer suggestions to the owner for a more appropriate way to accomplish the owner’s wishes.

The Mainstay Inn, Cape May. Yet another 'key structure'.

Question: Where can I find these called guidelines?

Answer: When the owner is contemplating exterior renovations to a property, he or she must consult the City Construction Office in City Hall. At that time, the applicable guidelines will be given to the owner. Manufacturer information for specific restoration or renovation projects is also available in the Construction Office. The owner may also request a meeting with a member of the HPC for informal guidance on a project.

Question: What is the difference between a “Key Building” and a “Contributing Building”

Answer: A key structure is a unique architectural structure on an importance example of an architectural period of style. Noted examples are The Mainstay Inn, The Abbey, the Physick House or the properties at 1105 New Jersey Ave. or 1120 New York Ave. Contributing Structures are those whose architecture enhances the neighborhood where they are located but the style is not unique, such as the group of houses on the north side of New York Ave. between Madison and Trenton Aves. (the 1000 and 1100 blocks).

Question: How does a site earn a key or contributing designation?

Answer: In the case of Cape May, site designations are a result of a survey of the Landmark District. The survey team reviews each site in the district, applying the Secretary of the Interior standards for identification and evaluation an the State Historic Preservation Office guidelines for Architectural Survey. After the standards are applied, the corresponding designation is given.

Question: Who did the original surveys?

Answer: The original surveys were done by teams contracted by the City of Cape May and were chaired by certified Architectural Historians.

Question: Are all applications for exterior renovations heard by the full HPC board?

Answer: Many applications are approved by the construction official if the renovation involves replacing materials in a same for same situation. Applications that are in complete accord with the applicable guideline and have all information required for a decision are often approved in review by a sub-committee of the HPC.

Question: What is “same for same?”

Answer: “Same for same” is when the applicant intends to replace a deteriorated material with the same material, ie: the applicant wishes to replace a cedar shingle roof with a cedar shingle roof. This application could be approved by the construction official.

Wanda Lohr's Japanese Pagoda, Beachwood, certainly an example of a potential unique 'key structure'.

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Cape May Is Not Just Gingerbread Victorians

Published: April 29, 2001

The New York Times

To the Editor:

There is a serious misunderstanding about the whole city of Cape May’s designation as a National Historic Landmark. That listing honors the entire town, even the undeveloped land. The designation is not just for its Victorian buildings. Different structures are important for different reasons, but all of Cape May is important.

The belief that only Victorian architecture is valued is mistaken. The idea behind our landmark designation was unique. It was to create a living textbook of seashore buildings. The city has two centuries of building styles that were popular in their time. All the buildings are historically important to the entire United States.

Consider some examples: The 1927 Franklin Street School, built to be racially integrated; the boxy American Shingle style of the early 1900′s; the Colonial House, which holds the historical society’s museum; twins and quads from the 50′s and 60′s in Village Green; the massive beachfront houses from the 1990′s; and the motels from the postwar 40′s. That is an important list even without the more than 600 wooden Victorian buildings that have made the town famous.

All these buildings contribute to the nation’s oldest seashore resort. They are the reasons that the city is a landmark. It ain’t just Victorian. It’s all of Cape May, the town where we choose to live.

BRUCE M. MINNIX
Cape May

The writer was mayor of Cape May from 1972 to 1976.

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A beautiful blue bungalow on Compass Ave., Beachwood, that would be an excellent 'contributing structure'.

As you can see, recognition and preservation of historic structures in Cape May as a district are not limited to simply the Victorian homes. Certainly they are the biggest draw, much like our own early 20th century bungalows could be, but we too enjoy a near-century of designs and ideas cemented in the homes throughout the borough – from the Beachwood Circle structures that served our residents as grocer, pharmacy, soda shop and gave World War II outgoing servicemen a good memory of home to carry through the European and Japanese theatres; to modern ranches that sprouted in the postwar era of the automobile, Garden State Parkway and upwardly mobile families; through the bi-level designs of the energy conscious 1970s and into the increasingly amenity-centric expansive structures of the 1980s and 90s.

Beachwood is itself a photograph of middle America in the twentieth century and one that alongside its civic mindedness and volunteerism surely deserves preserving for its economic, cultural and heritage benefits for this and future generations.

Beachwood Beach, Circa 1930.

Taken from the top of the ladder/slide originally located at the end of the pier. Note that virtually all the beachfront to the left of the pier is gone today. From Beachwood The Beautiful.

BHA in the Asbury Park Press

It is with great pride that we bring you Chelsea Michels’ article about our organization for the Asbury Park Press.

Alliance Spreads Knowledge of the Past to Newer Residents

Chelsea Michels
Staff Writer
Toms River Bureau
Asbury Park Press

January 8, 2009

The home of Robert and Denise Wahlers built in 1914 has been painstakingly restored using period build materials. Robert, 43, uses the sleeping porch as his office. (STAFF PHOTOS: TIM McCARTHY)

BEACHWOOD — Nearly a century ago, trainloads of people began flowing into the small waterfront borough of Beachwood to choose the lot of land that they received while purchasing a six-month subscription to the New York Tribune.

In 1914, prospective buyers and future residents chose their 20-by-100-foot lot for $19.60 and spent an afternoon at the beach enjoying what would become a popular summer colony.

“(Bertram Chapman Mayo, the founder of Beachwood) had a vision that he wanted middle-class families to enjoy a kind of luxury that he had enjoyed as a kid,” said Erik Weber, 28, a lifelong resident who recently started up the Beachwood Historical Alliance to spread knowledge about the history of the borough and enhance interest in restoration of historical buildings.

Within a year of settlement, the borough had built a clubhouse, yacht club, pier, bathhouse, railroad station and lodge, as well as 93 cottages, and it was incorporated as a municipality in 1917.

Weber became interested in history at a young age, when growing up on Railroad Avenue, he would find spikes, plates and bits of rail from the dismantled Central Railroad of New Jersey. He later found that two railroads ran through the town, leading him on the course to learn about Beachwood’s past.

“My main goal (of starting the Alliance) is to write a 100-year history of Beachwood with 100 percent of the funds going to the Beachwood library,” he said, explaining how he has been reading archives at several newspapers and conducting interviews to find material and artifacts to digitize for the book.

He expects the book to be published in approximately 2015, around the time of the borough’s 100th anniversary.

“I started it because I came home after a few years away for college and living on my own and saw a growing disconnect between established residents that were aware of the town’s unique founding characteristics, and newer residents that were not,” Weber said. “What talking over the fence and sitting on the stoop was for strong 20th-century communities will likely become localized instant messaging and blogging for them in the 21st. With its strong heritage and large civic potential, I just wanted Beachwood to be ahead of the game.”

Carolyn Campbell, 85, of Lakewood, grew up in Beachwood on Ship Avenue, a lot originally obtained by her grandparents through the New York Tribune.

“I was born at my grandmother’s home on Ship Avenue,” said Campbell, a member of the Ocean County Historical Society, who was instrumental in having the 1924 version of “Beachwood Borough Directory and Who’s Who” reprinted several years ago. “It was a nice little settlement by the river. Beachwood had blossomed, it had a lot going for it.”

She said the boom of development has caused the borough to lose some of its flavor from when it was smaller and everybody knew each other.

“I think the more people know the history of an area and how it got to be today, the more they will take an interest and consequently take better care of it,” Campbell said, agreeing with the importance of a Historical Alliance.

Bayside Avenue residents Robert and Denise Wahlers purchased their home in 1993 to fix up before they were married, and later found that it was the home of William Mill Butler, an original resident, first president of the Board of Education, and founder of the Property-Owner’s Association.

“As I started to learn more about the history, I became more interested. As I came to know about the age of the home and some of its special features, I wanted to restore and even enhance it,” said Robert Wahlers, 43.

Taking the time to research materials used in the early 1900s, the Wahlers went to great lengths to recreate the home, with materials like cedar, mahogany and oak.

He said the design of his home, built in 1914, came from Ladies Home Journal. Some of the special features that the Wahlers enhanced were a sleeping porch, a octagonal-shaped room with single-hung windows that dropped into the wall, to allow cool air to blow in during the night, and beadboard used on the porch and ceilings, which Robert Wahler described as wood with beads of detail which interlock like a wooden floor.

“I think the neat thing about it is that the homes were here before I was born and they’ll be here after I die,” he said. “It’s better that we build upon history and not destroy it. It’s great that (the Alliance) will recognize the history of the homes.”

For more information, visit www.beachwoodhistoricalalliance.com.

Chelsea Michels: (732) 557-5729 or cmichels@app.com

Home of Beachwood founding author and historian William Mill Butler.

Welcome to the B.H.A.!

Welcome to the 21st Century, Mr. Mayo.

Hello and thanks for visiting the official Beachwood Historical Alliance website.

Local Founder Profile: Addison D. Nickerson

From the pages of his own 1924 Beachwood Directory and Who’s Who, here is what William Mill Butler wrote about borough planner Addison D. Nickerson. Click on all the embedded links for a broader understanding of his life and background:

Home of Addison D. Nickerson, December 3rd, 2008.

Nickerson, Addison D., Club House Road and south corner Spring St. and Beacon Ave., Block D-30. Also west corner of Lookout St. and Barnegat Boulevard, Block D-25. Born in Harwich, Mass.

Mr. Nickerson attended the public schools at Harwick [sic] and also a private school in West Newton. He next entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, from which he was graduated in 1888, in engineering, with the degree of S.B. He followed the profession of civil engineering for twenty-five years until he came to Beachwood in 1914, at B.C. Mayo’s request. He had met Mr. Mayo in California, where the project of the development of what was to be Beachwood was discussed. They met again in the East when Mr. Mayo renewed the subject and Mr. Nickerson agreed to undertake the work.

His first duty was to secure title to the big tract which was to be divided up into lots. Mr. Mayo had tried to obtain the property in 1912, but found the price too high, when the owners learned his plans. So the purchase was made in Mr. Nickerson’s name and he was furnished a description of the tract and had to come alone and survey it without asking questions or exposing his plans.

Portion of original survey by A.D. Nickerson.

The property was known as the Carpenter tract [also Pine Bay Tract -Editor] and consisted of nearly 2,000 acres. Mr. Nickerson surveyed the boundary first, making a field map and from this the acreage was computed.

The map was next cut up into flats and blocks and in the neighborhood of 30,000 lots were staked out, and 28,000 eventually sold, some being not as good as Mr. Mayo wished and these he would not sell. The maps of the various flats and blocks were made by Mr. Nickerson and as fast as he could finish them, submitted to the Berkeley township committee for approval. Then they were filed in the County clerk’s office and only when this was actually done did Mr. Mayo allow the New York Tribune salesmen to sell the lots. They sold lots as fast as the maps could be made and filed. The tract consisted of nearly 2,000 acres and secured at $27 per acre. Mr. Nickerson, with a large force of men, cleared and gravelled some of the main streets and every other street running crosswise, and named all of them, using as far as possible nautical terms.

Report in the Pine Beach section of the Ocean County Review, January 29, 1915.

When he ran out of these he took names of trees, etc. He also erected the various public buildings for Mr. Mayo, the club house, lodge, restaurant (afterwards Borough Hall and Auditorium), the yacht club, bathing pavilion and the railroad station. He managed them during 1915. Altogether he also erected seventy bungalows in Beachwood.

Nickerson-Glenn Bungalow Co. advertisement, March 11, 1916, New York Tribune.

Is now engaged in real estate, and is collector of taxes. Charter member Polyhue Yacht Club; member Property Owners’ Assn.