Beachwood Yacht Club To Go Solar

Beachwood Yacht Clubhouse on Compass Avenue, 2009.

Today’s entry is a contemporary event we feel captures a part of the times we live in and should be recorded into our borough history.

The Beachwood Yacht Club has been harnessing the power of the wind for almost century on the southern shores of the Toms River. Close to a hundred years of sailors have come through their doors since it was first opened in 1915, each one knowing the sheer delight of catching the wind in their sails. Starting the 2010 season and continuing through their second century, BYC will also begin harnessing the power of the sun.

The BYC will be the first yacht club on the river to go solar. “It makes perfect sense for us, as we have been educating young people on the benefits of sailing,” said Brigitte Hoey, Commodore and past student of BYC. “Sailing builds confidence through competition, reinforces a sense of independence, and also teaches environmental responsibility all while having a lot of fun. Now we can reinforce this very important environmental message with the next generation by having kids and their families spend an  entire day of fun just using the wind and the sun.”

The Beachwood Yacht Club anticipates the construction to be in full swing just after Thanksgiving, with its completion prior to Christmas.  Updates, photos and information on its progress and solar power conversion will be found here on the Beachwood Historical Alliance’s newssite as a way to record for future generations our current era and the growing worldwide clean energy movement as it grows to reach the Borough of Beachwood.

Linked History: Toms River Community Theatre Built by Beachwood Man

Today we spotlight the work of Beachwood man Joseph Jerue, who was a builder, World War II veteran (along with both of his sons – one of whom, John, was lost during battle) and mayor of the borough.

Joseph Jerue in his official World War II service photo. This photo originally hung along those of other Beachwood servicemen in the Beachwood Circle Shop during the war.

In 1937, Mayor Jerue, then 41 years old, was named the builder of a prominent cultural site on Washington Street in downtown Toms River, the Community Theatre. To our benefit, its construction and featured amenities were detailed in an issue of Box Office Magazine in August of that year. Below you’ll find that article in full. We hope you enjoy this look back to an era and its architecture that one particularly prolific Beachwood resident helped make possible.

Reprinted material courtesy Ken Bacon and Box Office Magazine.

A MODERN THEATRE IN THE COLONIAL MANNER

Toms River Community Theatre as it appeared after its construction, in 1937. Today it has been renovated into shops and eateries.

A new modern theatre with a seating capacity of 1,000 persons was recently erected on Washington Street in Toms River, New Jersey. Definitely out of the ordinary in design and decor, the new edifice reflects the most contemporary expressions of architectural composition.

It is operated by the American Community Theatres, Inc.

Unlike most modern theatres, with their brilliantly lighted marquees and  electric signs over the entrance, this theatre with its simple Colonial front presents a decidedly novel appearance. Its architectural simplicity is pronounced.

The theatre is set back 30 feet from the sidewalk and the intervening portion of the property in front of the theatre is beautifully landscaped and circumvented by a flagged walk of unique design which serves as a delightful approach to and departure from the theatre.

The Washington Street facade is of red facebrick with white joints, in front of which is a beautifully designed Colonial portico done in wood and painted white.

The ticket booth is situated in the center of the entrance screen of doors. Lattice work above the entrance doors and the circular windows above the lattice work are constructed of wood and glass. All portico in wood and painted white, against the masterly executed red and white masonry background presents a simple but beautiful facade.

In the evening this facade is illuminated by flood lights which increase the beauty and interest of the architectural simplicity to a spectacular degree. The same simplicity of design is followed throughout the interior of the auditorium.

The sidewalls are of acoustical plaster integrally colored to a neutral shade. Subtly concealed vertical lighting troughs along the sidewalks are provided with varied colored lamps, lending a beautiful and variable color scheme to the interior.

The foyer, promenade, ladies’ cosmetic room and the men’s room are also of simple modern design, the beauty of which is greatly enhanced by exquisite lighting fixtures, carpets and furnishings.

The auditorium is provided with exceptionally wide chairs spaced to provide the maximum comfort for the patrons. The floors are carpeted with rich, heavy, exquisite carpet which helps to promote finer acoustical treatment for sound reception.

Particular attention was given to the gradient of the auditorium floor to insure every patron a perfect view of the screen, no matter where he is seated.

A new modern ventilating system was installed to assure the occupants of a healthful and comfortable atmosphere while they are being entertained. The projection room and sound equipment in this theatre are of the finest known to modern science.

The Toms River Community Theatre is a delightful example of the modern functionally furnished theatre. It was designed and erected under the supervision of Thomas W. Lamb, Inc., architects. The builder was Joseph E. Jerue, of Beachwood, N. J.

The Community Theatre's billing was found in this photograph taken in Disbrow's Market, on Beachwood Boulevard, one year after the above article was written - August 1938.

“Boy and Girl Scouts, their Leaders and Parents” named 2010 Beachwood Citizens of the Year

Last Wednesday evening, scouts, parents and their leaders crowded borough hall when the Beachwood Council officially named them 2010’s ‘Citizens of the Year’ in honor of the numerous volunteer projects undertaken over the years. Boy Scouts, in particular, have dated nearly as far back as Beachwood’s existence, beginning with Troop 14.

Today we share with you photos and thoughts on this recognition, courtesy the Beachwood Council.

From Councilwoman Beverly Clayton:

“Though our borough has seen profound changes over the past decades, the heart of this community remains persistent and preserved. Beachwood shines, not because of our beaches or woodlands, but because of the people who inhabit it. Our citizenry shares a vibrant history of vision and volunteerism, of care and concern, of energy and entrepreneurship.

“There is simply no better example of this legacy, no brighter promise for our future, than our Boy and Girl Scout volunteers. It is in this spirit that I respectfully submit the Boy and Girl Scouts of Beachwood, their Leaders, and Parents for Beachwood’s 2010 Citizen of the Year.

“The reasons for this nomination are many. Our lovely community owes, in no small part, a deep gratitude to the Scout volunteers. These young citizens consistently donate time, effort and ingenuity to projects that make our town run safer, more beautiful, and infinitely more enjoyable. Below is a listing of only a few of the recent Scout projects that have directly affected the citizens of Beachwood:

• Annual Clearing, Weeding, Replanting of Community Sites throughout town
• Initiated: Construction of Public Restrooms at Eagles Point
• Project: Create Mile Markers on Public Walking Path – Mayo Park and Little League Field
• Project: Encourage Visual Home Numbering to Assist Emergency Response
• Built and Installed Parking Bumpers at Mayo Park
• Built Volleyball Court at Mayo Park
• Refurbished Bocce Court at Mayo Park
• Built New Lifeguard Benches for Beachwood Beach
• Installed New Public Bench Seating at Beachwood Beach
• Built and Installed Bait Station, Garbage Cans, New Benches at T-Dock

“The citizens of Beachwood are indeed indebted to these neighborhood youths. Naming these Scouts, their Leaders, and their Parents as Beachwood’s Citizen of the Year helps to remind us of the importance of teaching each generation about the need for and the rewards of community service. The Boy and Girl Scouts of Beachwood, their Leaders, and their Parents make our everyday lives safer, more beautiful, and… simply better.

“It is a privilege to nominate these model citizens, our Boy and Girl Scouts, their Leaders, and Parents. Our community is grateful for all that you do.”

Additionally that evening, Council President Ronald Roma swore in new Beachwood police officer Philip Schena, also a former boy scout troop member. Borough Police Chief William Cairns stated that Officer Schena set his sights on becoming a fulltime officer in the borough for a long time, and he was glad to see it come to fruition.

Severe Storm Hits Beachwood, Surrounding Area

Downed trees on Beachwood Boulevard between Nautilus Avenue and Oak Street took the nearby power lines with them.

A severe thunderstorm, backed by tornado and flash flood warnings, struck the borough and surrounding area late this afternoon.

Producing gusts of winds estimated at up to 50mph with scattershot bolts of lighting and driving rain, the storm downed branches and trees, knocked out utility lines, ripped out porch screens, threw lawn furniture and garbage bins across lawns and streets, and caused  minor flooding on borough roadways and along the beachfront.

Emergency services sprang into immediate action, with fire sirens sounding mere moments after the storm erupted.

Residents across the region also whipped into action, calling children in, closing windows and doors, locking screens and tuning in to their radios while, outside, trees bent to unnatural angles, bushes flapped back and forth, and rain shot out from every direction on the compass.

A short while later, it was all over, but many were unsure whether it was merely a small break.

Don Wiesner, directing traffic at the corner of Nautilus Avenue and Beachwood Boulevard.

Don Wiesner, a longtime member of the Beachwood Volunteer Fire Company, stood directing traffic at the intersection of Beachwood Boulevard and Nautilus Avenue. Behind him, the boulevard was blocked off to Oak Street, the result of two large trees blown over across the road. He said they had taken down adjacent power and communication lines, resulting in interrupted service for some residents.

Farther up the road, Fire Chief David Petracca and assorted fire company members were seen patrolling the area of another downed tree, this one in the backyard of a resident on parallel Seaman Avenue, on the same block as the firehouse.

Many other residents left their homes to walk, bike or drive to the areas of damage, and before long a crowd gathered at the intersection of Oak Street and Beachwood Boulevard, where they asked one another about who had lost power, or cable, or telephone, or all three. Adding to the sense of mild and unexpected excitement, drivers in slow moving cars craned their necks to get a good look at the  closed road and fallen trees.

Emergency responders on Beacon Avenue at the site of the large branch downed in the storm.

On the northern side of the borough, near the waterfront, downed large branches were seen lying across the roadways at Forepeak Avenue between Harpoon and Larboard, and at Beacon Avenue almost directly across from the beach entrance next to the historic Nickerson home. Police Chief William Cairns surveyed the Beacon Avenue site with an unidentified public works employee after having checked the boats docked along the water at the community center.

The sailboat in the foreground received damage to its sail cover during the storm.

Directly on the waterfront, an anchored sailboat off Windy Cove displayed a torn sail cover, while the area immediately behind the bulkheads was flooded. Bobbing in the water of the cove was some debris, including the long wooden “No Diving” sign from the Beachwood Beach swimming dock. The beach itself was partially flooded.

Nearby, the Pine Beach Borough waterfront appeared largely unscathed while work was seen ongoing behind emergency personnel and fire trucks on East Bayside Avenue in Ocean Gate and at the intersection of Washington and Main streets in downtown Toms River. Roads were closed and vehicles detoured in both cases. The storm also appeared to have damaged one of the long line radio antennas behind the now-defunct AT&T ship-to-shore radio station at Good Luck Point in Ocean Gate.

In all, the fast-moving storm was met locally with an equally rapid response by borough emergency crews and the Beachwood Public Works. Before long, the Beachwood First Aid Company ambulances were garaged, the orange cones disappeared and the buzz of of chainsaws ceased, leaving only the summer night- its chirping crickets, rustling wind, and cooler temperature – to pass softly into the borough.

MORE PHOTOS CAN BE SEEN HERE

The sign from the Beachwood Beach swimming dock was found floating off the shore in Windy Cove.

The Eagle Has Landed! Man Arrives on the Moon, Beachwood Tunes In

Today we bring you a very special edition of our newscasts, this one on the 40th anniversary of man first landing on the moon.

The moon landing, an epic high water mark set by President Kennedy nearly a decade before, transfixed the world in awe around the soft glow of their mostly black and white television sets that night, July 20, 1969, with images until then imagined only in dreams.

Longtime resident Geoff Brown remembered watching it as a graduate student on a trip to New England:

“With a small group of friends went up to Newport, Rhode Island for the jazz festival and then on to Putney, Vermont for another week’s vacation. The landing took place while there, and our friend’s house had one of the few TVs on the street. It turned into a party (it WAS the 60’s). It was wonderful to share the experience with friends and strangers alike. I felt very patriotic for the United States and all mankind for such an outstanding accomplishment.

“The following week we returned to Beachwood to find that we had had a common experience with so many Americans.”

Current Beachwood Mayor Ron Jones recalled the experience as a youth growing up in Brick Township:

“At the time of the moon landing I was twelve years old.

“Summer seemed hotter and more carefree… I recall going up on the roof of my parents home to adjust the antenna. If you don’t know, an antenna is a piece of metal designed to bring 13 channels, if you’re lucky, to your television set. We were one of a few families in the neighborhood that had the luxury of owning a color television set.

“My friends all came over, my mom made snacks and we sat in awe viewing history in the making. I think we all wanted to abandon our plans to become firemen in pursuit of a stint as an astronaut. That day was kind of bittersweet for me. Although a great accomplishment had been achieved, the constant rebroadcast of the pledge of President John F. Kennedy brought back a sad memory of November 22, 1963. Another day I will never forget.”

A group of children watched the televised broadcast of the Apollo 11 moon landing in Central Park.

Resident Lynn Pancza recalled that day spent among friends:

“I remember waiting for hours for the moonwalk to be televised. A group of us sat in a friend’s living room in Island Heights, around a very tiny television, watching the event.

“It was surreal to think that we were viewing something that would become a part of history, and personally I know I’ll never experience anything that thrilling and new again.

Don Wiesner, a fifty-plus year member of the Beachwood Volunteer Fire Company:

“I was working out of Toms River Chemical then, and it was just casually mentioned that they landed [they touched down at about 4pm Eastern Standard Time]. Then when I came at home I watched it on television [Neil Armstrong stepped out of the spacecraft about 10pm Eastern Standard Time].

“We talked about it down at the firehouse; it was really a great thing. An excellent thing, we never thought it would happen.”

An infant left to watch the countdown to the landing. Unknown location/source.

Resident Lynn Paro recalled the event alongside her soon-to-be husband, Tom:

“I was off from work and Tom and I were sitting on my cousin’s porch on Ship Avenue watching the landing. [We] were newly engaged and I believe that I worked for the First National Bank of Toms River, downtown next to Woolworth’s on Main Street… It was incredible.

“My cousin… Rich Schiller, [who was] 19… was working at the Beachwood bakery which was called The Town and Country Bakery at the time. He asked for the day off to watch the landing. His boss said no so my cousin quit the job. As he was riding his bike home from the bakery, he got hit by a car. He came home anyway just to see the landing.”

Edna Moody, wife of then-police chief John Moody, cited the technological breakthrough it represented as the most amazing:

“I remember being in awe of the accomplishment of this, and of course we all stared at the TV in disbelief. Our oldest children were eight and four, and we were so proud of that mission.

“Maybe more than the landing itself, I asked my husband, how in the world can we get television reception from the moon?”

Mr. Moody also commented on the historic event:

“We loved the idea that we were able to be in our own living room and watch such an event occurring. The moon was one of those places that was an untouchable. It was there, but nobody would ever arrive on it.”

He also recalled the police scanner to be particularly quiet that night, with most residents assumed to be tuned in and not doing much that would require police assistance.

Experience audio and visual elements of the Apollo 11 mission at www.WeChooseTheMoon.com

Carpetland/Circle Shop building featured on National Trust for Historic Preservation Newssite

Downtown Beachwood and the Carpetland/Circle Shop building got a bit of national press this week from the National Trust for Historic Preservation website:

After Fire, New Jersey Inn’s Future Remains Uncertain

By Margaret Foster | Online Only | July 16, 2009

A month after a devastating fire, the owner of the most visible historic building in Beachwood, N.J., is considering tearing it down. But at least one resident wants to find a new buyer for the curved structure that has anchored the town’s main intersection since the 1920s.

On June 12, a fire gutted the second floor of the former Beachwood Circle Inn, used most recently as a carpet store and apartment house.

“It was an accidental fire. We attributed it to careless cooking,” says Robert Cook, deputy fire marshal of Ocean County, N.J. One firefighter suffered minor injuries in the blaze, he says.

The fire left the exterior and first floor intact. This month, the carpet store on the first floor is open for business—but for how long? “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I might even tear it down,” says building owner Bruce Barrett.

The Beachwood Historical Alliance wants to reshape the future of the Circle Inn building, the “main cultural social gathering for our entire area,” according to director Erik Weber.

He hopes to help Barrett find an investor to buy the building and restore it as a meeting place. “The timing could not be better, as our downtown is about to be reconnected with the rest of the county to a 17-mile uninterrupted rail trail,” he says. “It could be a smash hit.”

Would Barrett be willing to sell the building? “Once they got the money, sure,” he says.

Last year the Circle Inn building was slated to be torn down for a Rite Aid pharmacy, but plans remain on hold because the developer has not paid a required application fee. “They would need to post the fees to continue,” says Jeanette Larrison, secretary of Beachwood’s planning board. “Their application hasn’t even been close to being completed.”

Rite Aid Corporate spokeswoman Cheryl Slavinsky emphasizes that Rite Aid is not the developer of the site. (The developer did not return phone calls from Preservation.) The Rite Aid store was originally scheduled to open in November 2010. “We do not control matters of the developers. We honestly can’t tell you the status of the project.”

Beachwood Carpet Land / Circle Shop Fire: Before and After

Posted below you’ll find photos our organization took prior to the fire at the Carpet Land / Circle Shop building, alongside similarly positioned ones afterward. Following that is today’s Asbury Park Press article on the fire. The BHA will keep you posted on any new developments and information on how our residents can help the property owners and tenants recover from this unfortunate event.

Beachwood Fire Being Probed

Chelsea Michels
Toms River Bureau
Asbury Park Press – June 15, 2009

BEACHWOOD — Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a historical landmark on Route 9 Saturday night.

The Beachwood Volunteer Fire Department responded to the blaze at Carpetland shortly after 9 p.m., according to Chief David Petracca.

The fire spread through the top floor, which contains apartments, fire officials said. Two families were displaced, according to Petracca, who said he believed the the business, on the bottom floor, is currently closed.

Petracca said the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Ocean County Fire Marshal, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Beachwood Police Department.

“Everybody did an excellent job and the damage was kept to a minimum,” he said, adding that one firefighter suffered minor injuries but the residents were unharmed.

He said due to the type of occupancy, several fire companies from the surrounding area responded to the fire.

According to members of the Beachwood Historical Alliance, the structure was built in the late 1920s and was originally the Beachwood Circle Inn, which formed a circular intersection with the other buildings on each corner.

It became the Beachwood Circle Shop in the 1930s, and “enjoyed prominence as the cultural hub of the local community, from Berkeley to Beachwood to Toms River,” according to the Alliance.

During World War II, many servicemen gave their military photographs to then-proprietors, F. Steven and Florence Demor, who hung them in the window for passing residents to see.

The Circle Shop changed hands in the 1950s, and continued operation until the late 1960s when it became Carpetland.

On Dec. 26, Rite Aid had submitted a proposal to the borough Planning Board to build a Rite Aid Pharmacy over the Beachwood Circle Shop/Carpetland site and surrounding area. According to the historical alliance, application fees were never paid by Rite Aid, causing speculation that the corporation has discontinued their interest in the site.

Beachwood Carpet Land / Circle Shop Fire

It is our sad duty to bring you news which many already know - Saturday night, June 13th, the Beachwood Carpet Land / Circle Shop building, located at the corner of Beachwood and Atlantic City boulevards, caught fire around 9 p.m. According to witnesses, it appeared to have started in a second floor apartment and traveled through parts of that area before being controlled and extinguished by local fire companies. Further information is not available at this time, except to say the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office was investigating early Sunday morning, June 14th. Any new information learned will be posted here.

The Beachwood Historical Alliance would like to join the rest of the local community in extending its sympathy and support to Carpetland’s residents and its owners, the Barrett family and Viking Management. Messages have been coming into the BHA’s various online addresses with concern and questions of how to contribute aid. We hope restoration work is possible and that they will be able to recover quickly from this unfortunate event, both for the future of their business and the health of our downtown overall, and we will keep everyone posted on potential future programs and events to support this site, its owners and residents.

We also would like to thank our local fire and first aid companies for their diligence and success in getting everyone out of the building safely and treated properly while still managing to control the fire from spreading through more of this important community business and cultural landmark.

Photos of the fire and following morning are posted below. Anyone wishing to share further photos of the fire for our archives may write to beachwoodhistoricalalliance@gmail.com, either to attach them in an email or inform us as to how or where we can receive them.

The following morning.

MORE PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING HERE.

BORO PB: RITE AID PLAN GOOD AS DEAD

CITES PROPERTY OWNERS PULLING OUT OF THE DEAL, SUING RITE AID

Beachwood Circle Shop / Carpet Land building: Saved?

Last night, Erik Weber, founding member of the Beachwood Historical Alliance (and – full disclosure – majority content contributor for this newssite, including this article), appeared before the borough planning board to request the denial, without prejudice, of the Rite Aid Corporation’s preliminary site plan proposal that would see half our downtown destroyed for yet another of their franchises.  Our argument was based on the fact that the borough has not heard any response from Rite Aid since its December 26, 2008 application filing, even after receiving an application fee request from the borough a month later, in January. As a result, the application was considered incomplete since December of last year, an overly extensive amount of time.

In further arguing for the denial request, the BHA stated that “allowing this proposal to linger will be detrimental not only for our borough as a whole but for the property owners it directly impacts. This proposal, if left unaddressed, will only serve to negate their ability to move forward with plans of future real estate sales, tenants, or other personal decisions. Additionally, failure to act on this proposal may as well place a burden on future proposal to rehabilitate and revive our downtown corridor in conjunction with the coming Ocean County/Barnegat to Toms River Rail Trail connection. It is the intention of the Beachwood Historical Alliance to work with the borough and all interested parties in the revitalization of our downtown district that we anticipate will increase its condition and value, and preserve the cultural and historic heritage of all downtown district properties.”

Greene's Economy Store, circa 1921. Saved?

In response, Borough Planning Board Chairman Edward Zakar stated that the borough was notified of at least two property owners so far retaining attorneys to pull out of the site proposal as a result of the Rite Aid Corporation’s extended period of inactivity. It was noted that these property owners’ withdrawl thereby negates the proposal as submitted in December.

It remains to be seen when or whether the Rite Aid Corporation will submit an official notice of withdrawl on the project, he said.

The Beachwood Historical Alliance hopes that this project will soon come to an official close, with a coalition of borough officials, property owners and organizations as the BHA working together on a downtown revitalization plan that will be as economically beneficial to property owners as it will be culturally beneficial to residents, rail trail patrons and the general social health of the borough and county.

READ THE HISTORY OF THE RITE AID SITE PLAN PROPOSAL HERE

READ ABOUT THE OCEAN COUNTY BARNEGAT to TOMS RIVER RAIL TRAIL’S ECONOMIC POTENTIAL HERE

“With the right people, something like the Circle Shop might very well work again.” – Ruth Perry, longtime borough resident, early borough historian and an original Circle Shop worker

Case Study: Monmouth County Historic Sites Receive Preservation Funds

Today we’re going to look into a current account of how a number of cultural/historic sites in Monmouth County are due to receive state grants. It is possible that someday the Beachwood Circle Shop building may be brought onto local and state historic registries – a result of its diverse past as a cultural hub of central Ocean County in the mid-twentieth century – and receive various state and organizational grants that will combine with local volunteers and active historic and preservation groups for its rehabilitation and reemergence as a cultural center for Beachwood and the area once again.

This may combine with other locally listed historic structures as part of a sweeping downtown revival that, in conjunction with the county rail trail connection, will produce a flow of foot traffic and shop, park and waterfront patrons that could give Beachwood’s businesses and property owners a much-needed financial shot in the arm.

Read on and imagine a future Beachwood that could include an historic downtown with wider sidewalks, benches, streetlights, native trees and a bike path leading straight off the county rail trail from a rebuilt borough train depot/rail trail visitor center to the waterfront docks, beach and Mayo Park. It’s a future we can all wake up to, a future that - combined with our upcoming centennial and potential celebration plans – will lend added recognition and interest in the borough, increase beach badge sales and patronage, open up the desirability of our town center (and overall properties within the borough), and generally improve the quality of life for the entire town.

Beachwood Train Depot, July 21, 1950, by Edward Weber.

Local Sites Slated for Preservation Funds

Woman’s Club, Parker Homestead, Church of Presidents on state grant list

Erin O. Stattel
Staff Writer
The News Transcript
Greater Media Newspapers

Two local sites and a third in Long Branch appear on the state historic trust’s preservation grant list and local legislators have pledged their support of the bill.

The Parker-Sickles Homestead in Little Silver and the Anthony B. Reckless Estate, now the Woman’s Club of Red Bank, both appear on the New Jersey Historic Trust’s 2008 list of preservation grants.

Women's Club of Red Bank

Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-12th District), who sits on the Senate Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, said the legislation passed out of committee May 7 and was expected to come before the full Senate for a vote May 21.

“Historic preservation is of true importance to the cultural future of our state,” said Beck. “We have such a rich history in this area, and I am always proud when I can work to help maintain it. I fully expect the Senate to support this funding as the committee worked to spread the funding in an equitable way throughout the state.”

The Woman’s Club of Red Bank, also known as the Anthony B. Reckless Estate, was built in 1874, according to Mary Gilligan, one of the chairs for the club’s preservation committee.

“Anthony B. Reckless was one of the businessmen in Red Bank who brought gas stations in and different businesses to town,” Gilligan said of the former president of the N.J. State Senate. “He built the club after the Civil War, and one of the issues was that they had to wait until the war was over in order to get the materials to build the house.”

The house, which now sits at 164 Broad St. in Red Bank, originally sat toward what is now Reckless Place, Gilligan said.

“With the money from the trust grants, we will be able to restore the driveway side of the building,” she said. “There is a lot of repair work that needs to be done. The building also needs to be painted; all of the colors are original but we are on a 20-year plan to paint the building.”

Beachwood Circle Shop/Carpet Land building, Memorial Day 2009.

The Woman’s Club of Red Bank has about 60 active members. Gilligan said the club has been an active organization since 1917 and purchased the building in 1921. The club actually began as the Round Table Coterie, a literary society, in 1896, she added

“The club served dinners to local servicemen during both World War I and II,” Gilligan said. “And on the second-floor bathroom there is even a little note that says the club served 450 dinners to area servicemen one Christmas Eve during World War II. Bandages were rolled here and a women and children’s clinic was also housed here. Every once in a while I hear someone say, ‘Oh yeah, I got my vaccines there.’ “

The top floor of the building also served as a long- and short-term home for single women and now serves as a true community resource, Gilligan said.

“It is a meeting place for a lot of local organizations,” she said. “The Jazz and Blues Foundation holds meetings and fundraisers here, and we get a lot of interesting requests, and I think that is why we were awarded this grant this time because we are now able to truly demonstrate what a community resource the building truly is.”

According to the club’s history, the building is in the American Bracketed Villa style, and the estate is symmetrical and more formal than the equally popular Italianate Villa style.

The Anthony B. Reckless Estate is expected to receive about $30,000 through the N.J. Historic Trust preservation grant program.

According to the borough of Little Silver, the Parker Homestead, located near Sickles Market and the municipal recreation complex on Harrison Avenue, is the former home of the Parker family and the oldest home in town.

“We have had dating done on some of the main wood beams and it dates back to 1721,” explained Borough Administrator Michael Biehl. “Julia Parker, who we inherited the property from, claimed it dated back to 1665, but we haven’t been able to prove that yet.”

Photos of WWII Servicemen, originally hung in the Circle Shop windows, where they were regular patrons.

The borough of Little Silver is expected to receive approximately $44,000 for the Parker Homestead through the N.J. Historic Trust preservation grant program.

“We acquired the property around the winter of 1994, and structural work has been done to the building such as the installation of a new roof, new utilities and indoor plumbing,” Biehl said. “It was preserved for historical and educational purposes, and with the money we are to receive from the state, we hope to preserve the remaining outbuildings.”

Biehl said that there are about three barns on the property, which the borough hopes to preserve from further deterioration. A use for the barns has not been confirmed yet, he said.

“The property is on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places but it is not on the National Register of Historic Places,” Biehl said. “So the money we are receiving is earmarked to help get the property onto the national register.”

Church of the Seven Presidents, Long Branch.

According to Biehl, Parker was a direct descendent of the family that settled the Borough of Little Silver.

“The story always was that the family acquired the land from the [Native Americans] and the house has been in the Parker family since it was built,” Biehl said.

Moving down the shoreline, the Church of the Presidents in Long Branch is also listed as receiving preservation funds from the state.

According to its website, the Church of the Presidents, known as a place of worship for seven U.S. presidents during the late 1800s into the turn of the century, was built and designed by New York architects Potter and Robertson in 1879. The church also appears on the State of New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Presidents to worship at the church, also known as St. James Chapel, include Ulysses Grant, Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, Chester Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley and Woodrow Wilson.

The current restoration of the building has been undertaken by the Long Branch Historical Museum Association.

“In the late 1990s the building had become so unstable that we had everything removed so the building could be stabilized,” said Joan Schnorbus, a member of the Long Branch Historical Museum Association board of trustees. “Everything was removed, the pews, light fixtures, even the windows. One of the windows we believe is Tiffany glass.”

Schnorbus said that the church was founded as an alternative location for Long Branch’s elite to attend services in the 1880s.

A comprehensive downtown plan, coupled with the rail trail connection, would likely place storefronts currently vacant, such as the former Disbrow Market building, in high demand.

“It was built in 1879 with funding from local families who were closer to Ocean Avenue than the center of town,” Schnorbus said. “It quickly became the focal point of town and many presidents frequented the church, and even as President James Garfield lay dying a short distance away, he could hear the church bells tolling for his recovery.”

But the church’s survival as a religious institution would not reflect its strong inception.

“The congregation began falling off as the fortunes of Long Branch waned, and finally, it was closed in the 1950s,” Schnorbus said. “And then the building became slated for demolition, but a gentleman by the name of Edgar Dinkelspiel and an attorney, Bernard Sandler, discovered a clause in the original deed to save the church. It stipulated that if the building were no longer used as a church, ownership reverted back to the original benefactors, which were the Pullman, Childs and Drexel families.

“Dinkelspiel and Sandler found the heirs and obtained ownership of the church in 1953 as the nonprofit Long Branch Historical Museum Association.”

According to the N.J. Historic Trust’s website, the trust recommended the church receive $467,296 in preservation grants.

For more information and a full listing of grant recipients, visit www.njht.org.