Since I have this nifty new Nokia phone that let's me keep notes quite easily, I thought that I would add a little travelogue of some of the places I'll visit this summer. Some of them will be real trips, like my visit to the Netherlands next month, and some of them will be about the local trips that I'll take right around here. Let me know what you think of the idea and, if you've been to any of the places we go, if you agree or disagree with the review. And, if you have any idea of fun places to go in the northeast, let me know. I'm looking for some fun places to go for the weekend.
Today is one of the local trips -- we decided to head down to Ocean Grove, NJ to spend the day at the beach. But the beaches are closed until 12:30 on Sunday so we walked to the next town to spend some time on Bradley Beach, before heading back to Ocean Grove. And that's the 1st thing that you notice about Ocean Grove. The beaches are closed on Sunday mornings because everyone's supposed to be in church. You see, Ocean Grove started in 1869, as a Methodist summer church camp and the entire community is built around the church. (Actually, the first thing we noticed is that like most of the Jersey shore, you can't bring dogs to the beach. If any town along the shore decided to be dog friendly, they would do a huge business!)
Because of its roots as A Methodist camp, you don't really own the property your house sits on and it seems like most things here are governed by the Ocean Grove Association, which does actually own all of the property.
So in addition to things like the beach not being open Sunday morning, none of the restaurants in town have a liquor license, although many are BYOB. And like many of the small towns here, they have a number of good restaurants to choose from. Today we're eating at Nagles, right on Main Street. Maybe best known (to us, anyway!) for its ice cream, shakes & stuff, it's an old pharmacy turned restaurant from the turn of the last century. On one wall is a glass case that still has the apothecary tools from long ago. It opened in 1901 as a pharmacy and was transformed into a restaurant 7 years ago. The service was very good and the food was tasty and quick, with good size portions to fill you up for a day of beach play or shopping. And, the sundaes were the highlights we remembered them to be. The staff was very good, although sometimes a little too eager to clean off the table!
Ocean Grove is one of Jersey’s many oceanfront Victorian communities, with a number of great-looking homes and lots of antique & knick-knack stores to explore. We've shopped here before and always found an interesting array of things to buy. After lunch, we walked around the town and did some shopping at several of the stores before heading over to The Great Auditorium, to take some pictures and see the concert line up for the summer.
The large auditorium -- 6500 seats -- was built in 1894 to house the Sunday worship service and weekly Bible studies. In addition, they now do a summer concert series, which this year includes the likes of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Garrison Keillor, the music of ABBA and Peter, Paul & Mary, along with a wide variety of religious music and family programs. If you're interested, you can get a full list of the events at Tickets.com - Venue Info.
Also around the Great Auditorium, you find perhaps the most unique part of Ocean Grove, the tent city. 114 of the almost 650 original tents remain and those that remain have been in the same families for generations. We talked to two younger folks getting their tent set-up and it's been with their father since 1982 and with their grandparents before that. Many people have grown up in these tents for the summer and, while they look small, people seem to really enjoy living in them! These tents are only up from mid-May until early fall and while some people seem to keep them as tents, most really decorate them up pretty nicely.
So, that's our quick report from the field. We'll get some pictures up shortly, but feel free to explore any of the links listed below to explore Ocean Grove for yourself. I've also included a history of Ocean Grove, for those of you who want more information.
And again, please let me know what you think of this new feature and if you have any cool places you'd like us to visit over the summer!
In 1867, Reverend William B. Osborn, a Methodist preacher, attended a week long outdoor holiness camp meeting at Vineland, NJ. Osborn's enthusiasm knew no bounds and, eventually, he found an ideal camp meeting site, a secluded community on the North Jersey Coast, where spiritual and physical health could be renewed. Thus, on July 31, 1869, a group of ministers and friends camped at what is now called Founders Park and, after a candlelight prayer service, dedicated themselves to establish a permanent Christian camp meeting community called "Ocean Grove." From this simple beginning there would emerge a permanent town.
A petition was presented to the New Jersey Legislature for incorporation of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. On March 3, 1870, a state charter was issued to the newly formed Association granting the 26 Trustees (13 ministers and 13 lay persons) the authority to purchase and hold real and personal estate, to construct and provide all necessary works to supply said premises with water and artificial light and other improvements deemed necessary or desirable. The charter also gave the Trustees the power to appoint peace officers as deemed necessary for the purpose of keeping order on the camp-grounds and premises of the corporation.
Streets, and eventually 1,971 lots, were laid out, with the first lot being purchased by James A. Bradley for $86. Another 372 lots, 30' by 60' in size, were quickly sold by the end of 1870. Bradley, a New York businessman, would later purchase and develop the land to the north as the city of Asbury Park. A new planning design was the "set-back" concept. Beginning two blocks from the ocean, each structure approaching the beach was successively set back from its adjoining neighbor, thus assuring a view of the ocean from each home.
Ocean Grove established various rules and regulations, including perhaps the most famous: the banning of all carriages and automobiles on the streets on Sunday, as well as the banning of Sunday beach bathing, and the prohibition of the sale of liquors within a circle of a mile of Ocean Grove. President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, in 1875, arriving by carriage on Sunday at the chained gates of Ocean Grove, simply tethered his horses and carriage at the gate and walked the half mile on sand streets to his sister's house on Wesley Lake, then to the open air auditorium where 5,000 children, adults and Civil War veterans welcomed him in voices of praise.
In 1975, Ocean Grove received the designation as a State and National Historic District as an example of a 19th century planned urban community. The district contains the largest aggregate of Victorian and early 20th century structures in America. A Board of Architectural Review was established to create exterior design standards ensuring that the District would maintain its existing architectural heritage of Victorian seaside cottages.
At one time, 660 tents were leased or owned on individual lots throughout Ocean Grove. Now only 114 tents remain, in a semi circle around the Great Auditorium. Each spring, by May 15th, the canvas tents are brought from their back room shed to be erected over the front wooden platform transforming it into a living room, to be furnished with couches, chairs, rugs, lamps and pictures. Meanwhile, outside along the walks, flowers are planted by the tenters, many of whom are proud to be fourth and fifth generation summer Ocean Grovers. Similarly, throughout the Historic District, pre-season events begin in the Victorian seaside cottages as hotel owners rush to complete that last minute paint touch up on porches, rockers, etc., in preparation for the onslaught of visitors, friends and grandchildren. The summer camp meeting then continues as it has over 130 years until the fall, when the tent canvases are taken down and stored until the next season. – Introduction to the History of Ocean Grove, New Jersey – Wayne "Ted" Bell
Link: HSOG History of Ocean Grove.
Link: Ocean Grove, NJ The Jersey Shore Victorian National Historic Landmark.
Link: Ocean Grove, New Jersey , Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association and The Great Auditorium.
