Summer has officially ended with the passing of Labor Day, but sand remains in our cars and the Jersey Shore is an important part of our childhood memories and way of life. We all have our favorite shore destination but one sleepy town transcends summer fun and is noteworthy as an ICONIC architectural community.
Ocean Grove, NJ is a quirky shore town that I happened upon years ago walking the boardwalk and needed to learn more about it. It is a dry town that sits between Asbury Park and Bradley Beach and is cut off by two lakes, thus it is not easily accessible via Ocean Avenue by car. They do not allow people on the beaches on Sunday until 12:30 and the architecture reminds me of the wonderfully painted “doll house” homes of Cape May. I then saw this huge wooden structure that propelled me to leave the boardwalk and investigate.
This is what I learned….
In 1894 Methodist Leaders were looking for a permanent camp meeting spot for their worshipers and chose Ocean Groove to build what is known as the Great Auditorium. It was built in 90 days by ship builders for $69,000 and designed to hold 10,000 people. It seats 7,000 people today. The rule during the construction was that no profanity could be used during the building! This building has a curved wooden vaulted ceiling that boasts tremendous acoustics and holds one of the top 20 organs in the USA with 11,000 pipes. This structure is used for Sunday services but also for family entertainment events and concerts.
Click here to check out the current concert schedule.
The video below is about the Great Auditorium with commentary from Dr. Dale C. Whilden, President of Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association:
What was even more amazing was the community of tents that were erected around the Great Auditorium. Were they tents or bungalows? Did they have running water? I was fascinated and started to walk through this community that was meticulously kept with wonder of the awnings, wooden welcome signs, chairs and flowers.
I learned that in the late 1800’s there were 660 tents erected each summer, but today 114 stand. Each tent has 3 sections: the cabin, which is a permanent structure that contains a small kitchen and bath, the raised tent portion that would allow for the living and sleeping quarters and the awning that covers the front porch. There is a waiting list for tents that has hundreds of names on it! Tents are rented for the season, from May 15th to September 15th for $4,000 to $7,000 a summer and is a tradition that spans decades and generations for many families. Check out this video for a tour through a tent!
See what Tent City is all about!
Ocean Grove is an unincorporated community and remains the largest active camp meeting site in the USA today. In 1975 Ocean Grove was designated a State and National Historic District and a 19th Century Planned Urban Community. It has the most extensive collection of Victorian and Early 20th Century Architecture in the USA. The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association was formed in 1870 by 26 people (13 laymen and 13 Methodist clergymen.) They purchased the 266 acres that would comprise Ocean Grove and the association operates under a charter granted by the NJ State Legislature allowing the association to run their community like a municipality. To this day the association retains ownership of every square inch of real estate! They drew up maps dividing the town’s property into 3,000 lots (each 30X60 feet) but never filed the document with Monmouth County. Real estate transaction in the town don’t consist of deeds changing hands, instead “owners” buy and sell 99 year leases on each property.
Well, I grew up going to Belmar and Spring Lake but my car now gets off a few exists higher on the Garden State Parkway. This unique family town has a cool vibe and a quaint old fashioned main street and Nagle’s ice cream parlor that my three sons love. The people are friendly and the beaches are clean.
NJ is filled with ICONIC structures and history. This was my first stop on my 10 week ICONIC tour! I hope you enjoyed my insights and the history lesson. NJ is a unique melting pot and I for one am grateful to be part of it.
What exit is your preferred shore point? Let me know and share a memory!
Best wishes,
Karen-