Artist Alice Neel and Spring Lake

         Alice Neel was born in 1900 in suburban Philadelphia and raised in the suburb of Colwyn, Pennsylvania with four siblings. Her father was an accountant and her mother was said to have been the descendant of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Neel studied at the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art & Design) from 1921 through 1925, where she received several honorable mentions for her work. Her realistic and expressive portraits were heavily influenced by the art and writings of one of the school’s bestknown instructors, Robert Henri.

         Turbulent Times While attending the Chester Springs summer school at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Neel met and later married Cuban artist Carlos Enriquez. She spent time with Carlos and members of his prominent Havana family in Cuba in 1925 and 1926. While in Cuba she was introduced to and greatly influenced by the writings of philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset, who railed against what he called the anti-human impulse behind much of non-figurative Modern Art.

         With the Great Depression in full swing and money tight, Carlos and Alice moved to Greenwich Village in late 1931 and embraced the bohemian community and arts scene. They had two daughters. One died in infancy, the other was taken by Carlos to Cuba when she was 1 ½ years old. Alice thought this was a temporary separation so that she and Carlos could travel to Paris together, but she ended up not seeing her daughter, Isabetta, again until she was 5 years old. Due to a lack of funds necessary, Carlos Enriquez ended up going to Paris without Alice. The agonizing separation from both husband and child plagued the artist and precipitated a mental breakdown. She would see Carlos when he returned to the U.S. for a short visit from Paris; they would later split up which led to not seeing her daughter again for so many years.
        
         As part of her treatment, Alice was encouraged to continue her drawing and painting. Her personal life was shattered, at least temporarily, but her painting flourished. Perhaps a summertime change of venue also helped her put her life back together.

ALICE NEEL PAINTING IN HER YARD IN SPRING LAKE

         The history of Spring Lake as we know it started on April 29, 1875 when Captain Samuel Forman and Elizabeth Osborn sold their farm to the Spring Lake Beach Improvement Company for the amount of $82,000 to begin the development of the Spring Lake Beach Resort. The Osborns were early settlers to the area, with family service in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars.  Abraham Osborn purchased 150 acres in the southern part of town in 1838 and through the years added to his holdings.  In 1845, the property was passed to his son Samuel Forman “in consideration of natural love and five dollars”.  The family continued to expand their holdings to 286 acres by 1875, and at that time it was still under the ownership of Captain Forman Osborn. The irregular parcel extended from Wreck (Rack) Pond to property surrounding Spring Lake (Fresh Pond).  It encompassed a major portion of what we refer to as the South End.

         Robert Hunter Morris was the original patentee under the N.J. Eastern Board of Proprietors and there is documentation his shares were returned in 1760.   Later the property was acquired by Jeremiah Chandler and sold by him to Samuel Emmons on April 23, 1832. Samuel Emmons sold Abraham Osborn 150 acres for $900 in 1838, reserving 37 acres for Alexander Luker whose acreage Abraham purchased in 1839. The Osborn’s added to their holdings by purchasing more land tracts of the original Morris parcel from owners Frances Brindley, and Annaniah Gifford. It was circa 1840, the house referred to in print as the Old Farm House, was most likely built; although it could predate 1800 if Robert Morris has constructed a house on his property.

         Captain Forman Osborn, born in 1806 in Wall Township, was a prominent, well-known man of his day.  The family of English and Irish descent is traced back to Col. Abraham Osborn the grandfather, a colonel during the Revolutionary War.  When a young man, Forman Osborn came to Spring Lake and acquired the farm tract on which he resided during the greater part of his life.  When eighteen, he was an officer on a sea vessel, having followed the water many years of his early life. He married Elizabeth Bailey of Manasquan in 1836 and they moved to Spring Lake (then Wall Township) about 1839.  The couple had seven children who were born in the farmhouse and received their education in the area:  Abram, Franklin, Cornelius, Ann, Adelaide, Charlotte, and Florence.  Abram, a non-commissioned officer in service during the Civil War, took part in the hard fought battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.

         The Osborn Family, according to the records available, was prosperous and a large land owner.  On the census records and map they appeared to be in residence in the area in 1830.  In 1850, Forman Osborn is presented on the census as having assets of $10,000 and in 1860, it increased to $15,000.  An accounting book dated 1851, 1852, and 1853, found in the old farmhouse and donated to the Spring Lake Historical Society, shows customers’ purchases of goods such as coffee, tobacco, sugar, molasses, fish, comb, calico, thread, etc.  The account names are listed with their dated purchases and the charge for each item. However, it is not evidenced that it was the accounting of sales for the Osborn Farm.  According to Captain Forman’s granddaughter, Florence Osborn Engelken, the farm included an orchard of fruit trees, particularly pears and apples, but no purchase of those items shows up in this accounting book. Either the orchard came after the 1850’s, or the produce was never sold for profit, or the book did not reflect this Osborn farm.

         The house has a close affiliation with the sea.  The construction of it, as related by Florence, stated it was made from salvaged materials from the wrecks of ships on the beach found especially in the springtime.  She contended the floors were teakwood stripped from the decks of wrecked ships, and the dining room floor covering at one time was a sail cloth from a ship, the cloth had been given many coats of lacquer.  The house once had a Widows Walk on its eastern side, a typical feature of homes by the ocean for family to look for the return of their seafaring loved ones.  The main girders of the house are hand hewn beams, and the joists are secured with wooden pegs. The house was described as having a wing which had been the cabin of a ship found wrecked on the beach.  The cabin was added to the house and at times used as a kitchen or guest quarters.

         Amazingly, this oldest home in Spring Lake has kept most of its original interior features.  The entry door is called cross and bible as it is styled as a cross dividing the door into the four books of the bible. One enters into a large foyer highlighted with original molding, and almost all the hardware in the home is original.  The windows are the original six over six, with panes rippled and imperfect.  The walls were finished in whatever materials were available including sand and eggshells.  Natural brick fireplaces are found on the main floor and are graced with the same molding as in the foyer.  The kitchen fireplace has the hearth once used for cooking.  Fireplace heating was a difficult task according to Forman’s granddaughter, “Grandfather cut down great trees, and hauled them with oxen to the back door, where they were chopped to keep the fires burning.  In the event the fire extinguished, a trip to a neighboring farm was made to obtain fire to relight.”  Behind the kitchen in the “family room” there is an original stove, Dutch doors, and on the adjacent porch, shingles original to the building.  The three sleeping rooms on the second floor were part of this c. 1840 structure.  This was an era before closets so their modest wardrobes were hung on wooden wall pegs.  The smallest bedroom has the design of a Captain’s Quarters.

         The unique history of this home is its service as the Spring Lake Golf Clubhouse when the Club was established as a 9-Hole course in 1898.  At that time, this structure was located at 411-413 Mercer Avenue and was only moved to its present location at 412 Sussex Avenue around 1912 – a move of one backyard to another.  The golf course was laid over streets and between houses.  Dr. Patterson said when he lived on Monmouth Avenue one could hear the balls when they struck the metal holes, and every once in a while a window was broken.  The caddies received 15 cents for going around the course which started at the Osborn House, went south to Essex Avenue between 3rd and 4th Avenues, and continued south crossing Monmouth to Atlantic Avenue and crossing Salem following 3rd Avenue south until Wreck Pond, staying on the north side of the pond.  Tee #5 started back on the east side of the first four holes heading north and the last hole, #9, diagonally cut northwest to end at 4th and Sussex Avenues.  A sign was in front of the clubhouse, “Golf Club Rules Flag Pole”, and the pole was a ship’s mast. In 1909 the Club decided it was losing too much land to home building, bought the Thompson Farm and moved across Wreck Pond to Wall Township (Spring Lake Heights) about 1911.  The Thompson Farmhouse, located on the east side of the Manasquan-Long Branch Turnpike (Route 71), became the new clubhouse with the golf course extending to the west.  Eventually this building became the popular landmark known as Doolan’s, presently The Shore Club.  In 1916, a new Spring Lake Golf Clubhouse was built at its present site on the course on Warren Avenue in Spring Lake Heights. Consequently the holes on the course had to be somewhat reconfigured to start the game at the newly built clubhouse.

         Founding families and early settlers of Spring Lake Beach also helped mark this home as one of great importance in Spring Lake’s history.  Upon the purchase of the farm tract, Dr. Willits of the Spring Lake Beach Improvement Company resided there while he built his lakeside home on Passaic Avenue. The Devine Family lived in the house for a year when they first arrived in Spring Lake.   Richard Devine was one the first Councilmen upon the incorporation of Spring Lake as a town, and the park around the lake is named after the Devines.  The Browns lived in the Old Farm House for a while. Oliver H. Brown was the mayor of North Spring Lake and later the mayor of the incorporated Borough of Spring Lake with a thriving business on Third Avenue in town. His brother Peter Brown was a very prosperous real estate developer along with his brother.  Another well-known steward of the home was Benjamin Patterson, businessman and brother to Mayor Patterson and Secretary of the Spring Lake Country Club. In 1916, Mr. John K. Danby of Wilmington, Delaware purchased the home.  Mr. Danby was an antique dealer and he opened it every year as an antique shop until he sold it in 1925.  Early Spring Lake Gazette newspapers advertised it as, “Spring Lake, 412 Sussex Avenue, THE OLD FARM HOUSE,  Antiques.”

         Regretfully, the town will be saying “Good Bye” to this historic house and just as the farm was divided up to allow for a resort town to be built, this too will become part of our past history.  The Society is very grateful to all the previous owners and the present family who have kept the house “as it was” through all its years.  It will be missed, but its ghosts and memories are still residing in our files and in the hearts of the surviving members of the families that lived in the OLD FARM HOUSE.

~~~ Barbara Kolarsick-Harrigan, President    

         Grand hotels and summer “cottages” that were built here in the early years defined the beginning of a resort from a farming/fishing area of Wall Township.  Upon discovering “Fresh Creek Pond”, now called Spring Lake, Rev. Dr. Alphonso Willets of Philadelphia formed the Spring Lake Beach Improvement Company in 1875 to procure investors from Philadelphia to help develop the area as a resort known as Spring Lake Beach.  His initial intention was to establish a Methodist Meeting Camp for religious purposes like Ocean Grove’s summer colony. Instead of a religious colony, business leaders of the company, including the Rev. Dr. Willits, focused on building hotels and guest cottages to accommodate the anticipated wealthy visitors expected to vacation at the beach and lake. The extension of the rail line south from Long Branch in 1875 contributed a lot to the growth of the resort.

         The 266 acre Osborn Farm was purchased by the company and groundbreaking on the first and largest hotel, the Monmouth House, was started in November of 1875. It was situated between Spring Lake, “Fresh Creek Pond”, and the ocean. The Monmouth House opened for business in June of 1876.  It catered to the wealthy, offered broad piazzas, large well-ventilated rooms, and electric calls in every apartment. The 250 room hotel featured a 1,000 seat dining room, two large ocean view parlors, heat, gas lights, a steam-operated elevator, and was 50 yards from the ocean.  Furniture for the hotel had been brought in by May, 1876, and delivered by rail from Grand Rapids, Michigan, a popular supplier at that time.  President Ulysses S. Grant was one of its visitors and early guests.

         On September 19, 1900, the Monmouth House and twelve other buildings were destroyed in the worst fire in Spring Lake’s history. Three years later, the hotel was completely rebuilt and renamed the New Monmouth Hotel.  The New Monmouth Hotel was built at a cost of $350,000 funded by Philadelphia and Trenton capital. Marquis Martin Maloney, philanthropist and Philadelphia utilities mogul was the largest stockholder, State Senator O.H. Brown of Spring Lake Beach was a shareholder and director, and David R. Plummer of Lakewood served as general manager.

         Over the years, the Monmouth was host to balls, week-end concerts, dinner dances, and Sunday night buffets where ice carvings of swans gracefully decorated the serving table.  There was intimate dancing in the Bermuda Room, Thursday night galas, and Hawaiian luaus at poolside.  The hotel was almost a town in itself; single and double tennis courts, grand ballroom, laundry, and three kitchens.  It even had its own power generator.  After three generations of ownership by the Duggan family, it was demolished in 1975, and the property sold for private building lots.  Changing vacation habits which led to economic infeasibility was blamed for its demise.

         By 1877, more construction had been completed in Spring Lake Beach.  The Carleton House, located diagonally across the street from the Monmouth House between Monmouth and Atlantic Avenues, was built at this time. This hotel would be destroyed by the fire of 1900 and never rebuilt.                                                                                                                          

         The Lake House had been bought from Philadelphia’s 1876 Centennial Exhibition and brought to the corner of Fifth and Warren Avenues, now Potter Park.  This three-wing building had been used as an information center and meeting place at the U.S. 1876 celebration in Philadelphia.  As a hotel, it featured a bowling alley, a popular sport at that time. The Lake House was demolished in 1904 and the bowling alley was saved and eventually ended up at Alexander’s, a popular establishment on Third Avenue.

         Also, during this same period, many other cottages were being built by a number of developers. The Hastings Square Co., formed by Anna Baird, built 10 surf cottages on the block between Essex and Sussex Avenues on Ocean Avenue, extending back to First Avenue.  Cottages were appealing to some people as they offered more privacy. The two largest cottages were the Essex House and the Sussex House, which had their own dining rooms and were essentially small hotels.  They were all located on the block north of the Monmouth House.  In 1891, Susan Urie purchased the Hastings Square block and was proprietor of the ten cottages.                                                                                                               

         The disastrous fire of 1900 burned the Essex House, but not the Sussex House nor the cottage in between the two corner cottages on the ocean.  In 1901, the Sussex was damaged by fire, but restored and joined with the remaining cottage adjacent to it to become the Essex and Sussex Hotel.  Other Urie-owned cottages were subsequently lost to fires, and, other than the Essex and Sussex Hotel, the last remaining cottage on the ocean, the Breakers, was destroyed in the fire of 1909. In 1913, to make room for Susan Urie’s ambitious project to build a grand hotel, the Essex and Sussex Hotel was moved to the north side of Essex Avenue, adjacent to First Avenue and facing the New Monmouth Hotel. (The present E & S parking lot area). The wooden sided cottages would be joined to the newly constructed mostly brick façade hotel.

         The new Essex & Sussex Hotel, built in 1914, opening on July 1 of that year, copied the previous lines, columns, porches, and roof lines of the original hotel, and along with the Monmouth was one of the largest hotels in town. Susan Urie sold it to The Hastings Square Hotel Company in March of 1914 before it opened in July.  Officers and directors of the Hastings Square Company included wealthy and influential men: Mayor and former Senator Oliver H. Brown, Fred F. Schock, Sr., Benjamin Pearce, David Plummer, Samuel Heilner, and Alexander Hemphill.  The building was planned with five stories and a basement; a foyer 148 feet long, 45 feet wide, with columns and two fireplaces; and, a main dining room to accommodate 240 guests.  Also planned were a Palm Court, Music Room, Children’s Dining Room, Power Plant, Barber Shop, and staff rooms. Its garage was located on Morris Avenue between Second and Third Avenues because overnight parking was not allowed on the streets at that time, nor is it today.                                                                                                                                  

         This quote is from an early hotel brochure, Opened July 1, 1914, to those “seeking the highest class of summer season hospitality.”  Those few words underscore what made the Essex and Sussex famous.  As remembered by the late George Burton, a longtime bar manager at the Essex and Sussex, The Monmouth was a gracious place; it attracted the sporting crowd, a younger crowd.  The Essex and Sussex was a little more formal, a little more staid.  They used to come down on the train and bring big trunks with them.   It took three or four hours to get here from North Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia, and guests often stayed the entire season.  In 1929, the north wing was added to the hotel, providing an additional seventy-five guest rooms. Otherwise, the face of the 6-story structure had undergone only such cosmetic freshening as paint for the pillars, cupolas and shutters, and the addition of the three-story portico that dominated the view from the oceanfront.

         During the years of ownership by the Schock Family, an original investor, it flourished as the summer retreat of the socially and politically prominent, as well as the hosting of both private and public social events. In 1955, the Essex Lounge was opened to the public and offered dancing and entertainment for the guests. In 1964, the Fiftieth Anniversary was celebrated with a Ball.  Among the invited guests were the Hon. And Mrs. Richard Nixon and Gov. and Mrs. Richard J. Hughes.  The Schock Family sold the hotel to the Essex and Sussex Hotel Corporation in 1970, which in turn sold it in 1976 to Charles and Terri Carroll.  They operated the hotel until 1985, the hotel’s final season.  During this period, scenes from the movie, Ragtime, starring James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, and Mary Steenburgen were filmed at the hotel and on its beachfront.  After the hotel complex was sold to be converted by the new owner into condominiums, the plans were halted in 1989 by the bank which held the mortgage.  During bank ownership, the original Urie Essex & Sussex hotel/cottages, were taken down because they posed a safety hazard due to their deteriorated condition.  In 1993, the Joseph Barry Applied Development Company purchased the hotel, rehabbed it and converted the building into the quite popular senior-owned, kitchen-restricted condominiums of today.

            Another building which sprung up around the lake was the Hulett Cottage at 106 Sussex Avenue, one of about 10 buildings built by George Hulett, originally of Freehold. Hulett purchased lumber from the buildings of the 1876 Centennial Exhibit in Philadelphia so it is safe to assume this cottage was constructed using some of that lumber. It was later called the Wedgewood, and after that known as Ashling Cottage, operated until recently as a guest house. 

            The Missouri House on Ocean Road was bought and then shipped from the Centennial Exhibit in Philadelphia, and established first as a residence before becoming the Rainbow Cottage in 1921.  Sometime later it was renamed Arragea Hytte.  In WWII, it was used as a rest home for soldiers.  The Missouri House is beautifully restored as a private residence and maintains the “M” identification on the front.   At 207 Atlantic Avenue, in 1877, lumber from the Portuguese Pavilion of the 1876 Centennial Exhibit was used to re-erect that government building as a private home.  By 1890, it had become a cottage called the Barry House; then, sometime later it was known as the Billows.  This structure was torn down in the early 1980’s.

            Located at First and Sussex Avenues, the Ocean House has a long standing history as an accommodating hotel/guest house. Margaret Devine of Philadelphia purchased the land and commissioned the building of a boarding cottage named Ocean House. The Sussex Avenue entrance leads to the reception lobby which includes the historic staircase transported in the late 1870’s from the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition.  A ten foot portion of the staircase is in the Smithsonian as the full staircase did not fit in the building. This hotel closed the 19th century as the Baltimore, becoming the Colonial early in the 20th century with ownership passing to businessman O.H. Brown.  Mr. Brown furnished it with some of the dressers and stands and accessories from his fine furniture shop on Third Avenue in town. The hotel was operated by Henry Taylor and Roscoe Jones. Henry and his wife, Margaret, purchased the hotel in 1928, added to the size and changed the façade to stucco. Oliver H. Brown had given the Taylors a loan in 1928 to help finance the purchase, and the estate of O.H. Brown extended the loan through the Depression and up into the 1940’s. The Taylor’s son, Harold, and daughter-in-law, Dorothy, joined his parents in operating the hotel before it was sold to the Mitchells in the 1980’s, who then renamed it the Colonial Ocean House. In 1998 the Kaloostian Family purchased it, and today the Ocean House still operates under the capable proprietorship of the Kaloostian Family.

            Records show that in the late 1880’s, James Sexton owned the land at Fifth and Warren Avenues, and had erected a building there.  That building would subsequently be known as the Chateau Inn.  Sexton had owned and operated a funeral home at that location for a short time, and according to The Seaside Gazette, he opened a cigar store and upholstering business there also. By 1905, maps indicate the property was known as the “Spring Lake Inn”.  The Villa, a typical summer cottage, was built circa 1905 on Warren Avenue facing Potter Park.  It would become annexed to the Chateau Inn and, the annex created a courtyard with the original Inn.  Through the years, additions have extended the original building north along Fifth Avenue. At one point, it also was advertised as the Chateau Motel. It gained prominence the early 1950’s as “the summer home of the stars.” A number of rooms were named for celebrity guests such as Geraldine Page, Buster Keaton, Constance Bennett, and Basil Rathbone.  Other guests have included Ann Margaret, Rod Laver, Arthur Treacher, Edward Everett Horton, Julius LaRosa, Hermione Gingold, and baseball player Gil McDougal.  In 1988, a second story was added, along with a widow’s watch, to the original structure.  Under the stewardship of the Smith family, dating back to 1951 and into the 21st century, the Chateau prospered, was preserved and is a notable landmark when entering Spring Lake.  Today’s Chateau Inn and Suites’ charm and quality accommodations continue under the proprietorship of Scosmic Inc.

             In 1892, Haddon Hall was built on Monmouth Avenue overlooking the south shore of Spring Lake and featured a “house-type” front. It was renamed The Gray Swan Inn in 1907.  The guest house was bought in 1930 by Frank Van Brunt who added 60 rooms, a new dining room, and changed its name to the Shoreham Hotel.  In 1953, George Pottle installed elevators, sprinklers, a pool, and a very popular cocktail lounge in the hotel.  Guests were transported around town in a carriage with a surrey on top. Paul and Lorraine Sciurba bought it in 1982, refurbished and updated it, including air-conditioning, but sold it to Adeline Schofel in 1988.  She renovated it some more; however, other problems caused her to declare bankruptcy in 1991 resulting in a mortgage foreclosure. During her proprietorship, evening entertainment included karaoke, live Broadway entertainment and a cozy cocktail lounge.  Carmel Quinn, famed Irish entertainer, made the Shoreham her summer home. The Shoreham was torn down in the 1990’s and three residential houses were erected on the land.

            One of many of the early guest accommodating hotel/cottages was the Palmer House built in 1886. In 1923, the Palmer House was renamed the Lake View by its owner, M. L. Miller. The Lakeview and Shoreham were similar in size and architectural style. In 1950, Mr. & Mrs. Morris bought the hotel and also bought the house to the back of the Lake View called the Ridgewood and used it as an annex for additional guests. The front portion of the Lake View was once owned by Martin Maloney and was used by him as a summer house for his guests.  The Lake View was torn down in 1981. Another early hotel was the Atlantic House which sat on the corner of Third and Atlantic Avenues until it was torn down about fourteen years ago.

               At 104 Salem Avenue is the Spring Lake Hotel, built by Timothy Hurley in 1888 and known as Timothy Hurley’s Grand Central Stables Carriage House, a stagecoach stop with hotel rooms on the top floor for the coachmen. Originally it was located at First and Atlantic Avenues across from the Monmouth Hotel before being moved and converted.  Mr. Hurley was the town’s first dog pound keeper and part of the kennel still stands on Atlantic Avenue behind the hotel. Through the years it was upgraded and improvements were made by multiple different owners. The hotel still offers guests relaxing, charming accommodations.

            In 1876, Smith Hughes of Germantown, PA began construction on cottages using the wood which had been used for the Agricultural Hall from the 1776 Centennial.  Two cottages were joined and known as the Seaholm Hotel.  Eventually four cottages would be joined and called the Hewitt-Wellington. It is still situated on West Lake and Monmouth Avenues. In 1900, the 3-story high columned entryway was not yet there, but early 1900 photos show the high entryway was soon added.  There were various owners and operators of the hotel from 1882 – 1926.  During this period it was noted as a luxurious holiday retreat for the wealthy.
           

            In the early 1950’s the Hewitt-Wellington was purchased by Margaret and Michael Malone, who, along with their ten children operated the hotel.  Upgrades were made to the hotel and rooms were given names which matched their décor.  There was the “Wicker Room”, the “Pink Room”, complete with a pink velvet sofa, and the “Soda Room” where guests could enjoy a soda from the old-fashioned ice chest.  It was a family-oriented hotel and often included sing-alongs on rainy or cold evenings.
                                                           

            In 1978, the hotel was sold to Lynn and Ralph Davino and Lynn’s parents and brother, the Stantons.  It was often used for weddings, conferences, and seminars.  It was also used as a backdrop for multiple modeling shoots.
                   

            A partnership between CT Investments, Inc. and Prospect Ventures, Inc. purchased the property in 1987, and turned it into Spring Lake’s first condominium hotel, minus cooking facilities, consisting of 29 rooms and suites.  Improvements were made including a new swimming pool.  A gourmet restaurant, “Whispers,” is also located in the building.  
The Breakers, not to be confused with present day Breakers, sat on Ocean Avenue north of the Sussex Cottage in Spring Lake Beach and was destroyed by fire in 1909, but was not rebuilt. Originally it was known as the Aldine and Louis N. Moss was the proprietor.  It was similar in construction to the Shoreham Hotel with its circular porch and columned entranceway. It was a very upscale hotel and would have been in competition for the rich and famous with the Monmouth Hotel, a block away. (Maybe that’s why it was never rebuilt after the fire).

            Built Circa 1888, Moorehead Cottage on Atlantic Avenue across from the Monmouth Hotel would become the ever popular Sandpiper Hotel.  To the east side and part of the cottage’s property was open space converted to a putting green, used by the many guests of both the Monmouth and the Sandpiper hotels.  The Moorehead Cottage was spared in the great fire of 1900 which destroyed much of Atlantic and Monmouth Avenues, including the original Monmouth House and most of the business district around the Lake.  In 1937, Edwin and Clara Alexander purchased the Sandpiper and began renovations.  They changed the cottage’s structure by adding a ground level floor, and had the idea to create an upscale tea house, restaurant, with the hotel above.  They hoped to attract diners walking to and from the South End Pavilion. The very popular place played host to Albert Einstein, who came from Princeton on weekends to enjoy the relaxing seaside resort.  Unfortunately, the Sandpiper was torn down about five years ago.

            The southern-most situated hotel in Spring Lake Beach was the Allaire at Ocean and Union Avenues.  In 1886, the land was owned by Allen and Emily Richardson, and in 1895, Emily, one of many women landowners in town, opened the doors of the hotel for the first time.  The Allaire was quite large, but at that time, only guests of Christian persuasion could enjoy a tennis court, bath houses, and a private beach.  It featured a sunny southern entrance with a welcoming and comfortable lobby. With its magnificent oceanfront location and superb accommodations it earned its “first class hotel” reputation.
              
         During the 1940’s, the Allaire was run by Pearl and Orva Holmes of West Belmar, NJ.  They both had married into the Colgate Toothpaste family, but were divorced when they became the hotel entrepreneurs.  It was during this time that Jack Sullivan, of the later famous Sullivan’s Night Club, who was employed at the hotel, earned the reputation as “the host of the coast”. The Holmes sisters also hosted visiting stars such as Basil Rathbone, Arthur Treacher and Ruth Gordon, who stayed at the Allaire while performing for the Ivy Tower Playhouse at the Spring Lake Community House.  John McNab succeeded the Holmes sisters as owner in 1950.  Under his management the “Shipmate’s Room” became a famous watering hole for summer visitors.                                                                                                                                                       

            About five years after that, Lester Harvey, Sr. operated the hotel until Richard Carroll purchased the Allaire in 1969.  Carroll’s other brothers owned and operated the Warren Hotel and the Essex and Sussex.  It was during Richard’s management that Spring Lake is believed to have been advertised as the “Irish Riviera”; although, the phrase is attributed to Mr. Farrell, a former manager of the Monmouth.  However, with changing times, the Allaire lost much of its earlier appeal and fell into disrepair. The hotel, long vacant and out of character with the surrounding neighborhood, was razed during the summer of 1989.  There are now nine homes where the century-old landmark once stood.

            Mrs. Emma Lucas, another business woman, purchased three lots in 1891 from James Moses and erected a double four-storied building that became known as the “Lucas Cottages.”  The Warren Hotel was built in their place.  Under different owners in 1921, the west and south portions were added to the original cottage.  All the additions were framed to match the original building; the stucco finish was added later.  An additional “Beach House” was purchased to give the Warren oceanfront lodging.  This Victorian building had been erected for Mr. A. D. Logan in the 1880’s.

            In 1939, Fred and Amelia Cosgrove purchased the furnished Warren Hotel.  During this period, there were costume parties, scavenger hunts, and hayrides for the guests.  It was a family-oriented clientele and the guests were not transient, often staying for a month at a time.  The hotel was seasonal, only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The Warren once entertained famous personalities including Bob Hope and Rocky Marciano.

            In the early 1970’s, the Warren was purchased by Chuck Carroll, who then sold it to his sister, Mary Carroll Long and her husband Thomas Long.  It was one of the last full-American hotels which offered three meals a day included in the rate, and one of the last few “old-guard” hotels where guests could stay for the entire summer. The Longs upgraded all the two hundred rooms of the Victorian style hotel.  A great deal of the Warren’s business was generated by its banquet facility, which could accommodate between 50 and 450 guests.  The Warren was advertised as one of the last dining rooms between New York City and Atlantic City to offer live music and dancing.  People who stayed there could attest that the Warren’s main hallway had changed very little over sixty-five years.  As were most of the other bigger hotels in Spring Lake, the Warren was torn down in 2001, and the very popular Beach House met the same fate soon after.

            Wilburton-By-The-Sea was built by C.W. Tuttle in 1882 on Ocean and Newark Avenues in the area then known as Brighton, part of North Spring Lake.  It was a four-story structure with two high towers and wide verandas to enjoy the view. A telegraph office was also established at the hotel.  In 1885, there was a lot of competition to buy it from a sheriff’s sale, and records show L. Nzaire Moss owned and operated it in 1909. Sometime between 1909 and 1914, it was renamed the Breakers following the destruction by fire of the Spring Lake Beach hotel by that name. The 110-room boarding house/hotel had a bathroom at the end of each hall, operating that way for many years.
                                                   

            Cosmos Scardino purchased it from the Cody family in 1980 and did extensive renovations. The interior was gutted and private baths, Jacuzzis, VCRs, and other modern amenities were added. With special allowance granted, it opened as a year-round hotel, cultivating corporate businesses, weddings, etc. In the later 20th century, in order for the Breakers and other similar resort hotels to remain solvent, it was necessary for these hotels to continue operation throughout the year. In 1989, a State Senate bill, nicknamed “The Breakers Bill,” was passed which has allowed hotels, guest houses, rooming houses and boarding houses on the Atlantic Ocean to operate on a year-round basis.

            The Letchworth hotel was erected circa 1883 and was named for John Letchworth of Philadelphia, who built and operated the hotel.  It overlooked the bluffs (dunes) and its own private beach in the Brighton area of North Spring Lake, next to the Breakers.  Sarah and Alice Letchworth operated the hotel from 1907 to 1926 when they sold it to two school teachers, Winifred Gilmartin and Kathryn Hyle of Glen Cove, NJ. They would teach from autumn to spring, then come down and open the hotel during the summer months. (These are two more examples of respectable women’s roles in the business of operating hotels in Spring Lake).

            In 1949, the Letchworth was purchased by Anna McCaffrey and Rosemary and William T. Schreck. They added a chef’s room and a bathroom to the third floor.  On the outside, the Schrecks added a back porch and installed a driveway on the south side of the building.  Subsequent owners, starting in 1967 have also remodeled, made changes, and operated this inn.  It was renamed the Kenilworth in 1981 when it was purchased by Ross Mason, whose hometown in England was of that name.  In 1989, a different owner’s manager embezzled over $18,000.  1990 saw a new owner who renamed it The Grand Victorian.  It now operates as a year round inn with a restaurant open to the public.

            There were numerous cottages/hotels that existed in Spring Lake with notable histories.  This article has provided information on the ones most documented, starting in Spring Lake’s earliest times.  Following is a list of others that the reader may recognize and remember:

Moulton House, Ludlow Ave.                                              La Maison, Jersey Ave. (Layton House)
The Normandy Inn, Tuttle Ave.                                           The Sea Crest, Tuttle Ave. (Carolina House)
The Carriage House, Jersey Ave.                                       The Sarann, First Ave.
The Johnson House Inn, Tuttle Ave.                                   The Victoria House, Monmouth Ave.
Stone Post Inn, Washington Ave.                                       The Beachcomber, Ocean Rd.
The Shamrock Lodge (White Lilac) Central Ave.             Pennsylvania Hotel, Ocean Rd.
Villa Park Inn, Ocean Rd.                                                     The Tara House, Jersey Ave.
Jack Sullivan’s Lodge, Fifth& Passaic Aves.

Spring Lake Historical Society Archives
Barbara Kolarsick-Harrigan

By Elaine Cannizzaro
Archives of the Spring Lake Historical Society

         A handful of ambitious developers transformed Spring Lake from spacious farmland to seaside resorts for families from North Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia.

         Four separate communities – North Spring Lake, Villa Park, Spring Lake Beach, and Como – were established and later merged to form Spring Lake.  The borough was established to provide the complicated services needed by the growing number of year-round residents and the thousands of summer visitors.

         Spring Lake Beach was established on the 300-acre Osborn farm in 1875 by the Spring Lake Beach Improvement Co. This resort community grew rapidly from 1877 to 1885.

         John Lucas, president of the Spring Lake Beach Improvement Co., admitted in 1885 that the company had inadequate funds to provide for the maintenance of such services as a jail, police, fire, lighting, streets, sidewalks, and sewers. Mr. Lucas said these costs would have to be paid by the property owners.

         The Citizen’s Committee of Spring Lake Beach was formed to devise solutions to these problems.  The first unsuccessful attempt at a solution was the formation of the Spring Lake and Sea Girt Co. in 1889. The company’s driving forces were Henry H. Yard and Alexander Hemphill, who were later joined by O.H. Brown, W.H. Potter, J.W.Vroom, and L.V.Maltby.

         The new company’s plan was to purchase all the property owned by the Improvement Co. – “including all of the lake known as Spring Lake and about half of what is commonly known as Wreck Pond.”  Once accomplished, the Spring Lake and Sea Girt Co. would attempt to address the need for services.

Borough Is Formed
         A second attempt, the formation of Spring Lake Borough, was successful. A petition for incorporation was presented in 1890, and on March 8, 1892 a special election was held in Wall Township.  The vote was unanimous to incorporate Spring Lake Borough, which at the time ran from Wreck Pond north to halfway between Morris and Jersey Avenues.

         In 1892 the census showed there were about 200 year-round residents.  However, the number greatly increased in the summer “resort” months.  It was for this reason of having to accommodate and provide the services for the swelling population that a private development company turned into a municipal incorporation.
        
         On March 14, 1892, the town was incorporated and a mayor and a four-member council were elected.  The first meeting of the Spring Lake governing body was held on March 29, 1892 at 2:30 in the afternoon in the firehouse. 

         Sworn into office were Mayor E.V. Patterson, Councilmen James H. Buchanan, Richard T. Divine, E.L. Hall, and J.M. Goddard.  Also installed into office were Jacob Stults, borough clerk; William G. Schank, collector and treasurer; M. Stanton Taylor, assessor; William Lucas, commissioner of appeal; Michael Sexton, judge of election, and Tim Hurley, pound keeper.

         Members of council drew lots for their terms of either one or two ears.  The first council committee appointed – on rules and ordinances – consisted of Councilmen Buchanan, Divine, and Hall.  The mayor served as an ex-officio member of all committees.
        
         Other committees appointed during the first meeting included ones to oversee the cleaning of Lake and First Avenues and to procure a site for council meetings. 
        

         Today, standing council committees include: Finance; Public Safety; Personnel; Legislation; Land Use; DPW/Recycling; Beach and Pool Utilities; County Relations; Parks and Recreation; Water & Sewer; Roads; COAH; Technology; BID Liaison; Construction/Zoning/Code Enforcement; Planning Board; Wreck Pond; Historic Preservation; Library; Board of Education; Environmental Affairs; Shade Tree Committee; Emergency Management.  (Plainly, committees and responsibilities have grown).

         At the second meeting, on April 4, 1892, council appointed the firm of Hawkins and Durand of Asbury Park as counsel for the borough at a salary of $50.

         The first municipal bonds – a $1,000 bond of the clerk and a $10,000 bond of the collector and treasurer – were issued to finance the borough at the April 11, 1892 council meeting.

Early Laws
         In addition, council adopted, by a 3-1 vote, its first ordinance, which established business licenses and fees.  Licenses were required for stages, vehicles, hacks, or omnibuses carrying people or baggage, with fees ranging from $7.50 to $20 per year.  The license for peddling and huckstering on foot carried a $7 fee.  The fee for selling ice was $15 per vehicle.

         Fees for those engaged in the business or occupation of conducting a theater or opera house was $50 per year; for a circus, $50 per day, and for a street amusement, $5 per day.  A $150 year fee was charged to anyone operating a merry-go-round, toboggan slide, or shooting gallery, while those engaged in the junk business were charged $3 for each wagon.  An organ grinder license was $1 per day.

        
         Council also adopted an ordinance setting its regular meetings on Monday evenings each week.  The governing body currently meets the first and third Tuesday evenings of the month.
Other ordinances were adopted to prevent obstructions on sidewalks and to prevent the running at large of horses, cattle, goats, geese, dogs, and swine.

        
         In addition, laws prevented vice and immorality, public games, plays, or quarrels on Sunday; rudeness in church, and ladies from wearing slacks.

         To address the need for adequate municipal services, council created the Board of Health on June 11, 1892.  Board President Charles A. Bye stressed two problems in a 1893 report – the need to stop dumping garbage in the ocean and the need to collect garbage at the hotels and cottages on a regular basis.

         In March 1897, the need for a public water supply was identified and tentative plans to have it supplied by the Spring Lake Water Supply Co.

         The governing body also provided street lighting.  At first, 100 oil lamps were used with 25 in service year-round and the additional 75 operating from May to October.  It was discovered that more lights were needed, and on Dec. 19, 1892, a two-year contract was signed with Neptune Electric Co. to provide electric lighting. 

         On April 29, 1895, the Borough recognized the necessity of providing a bathing beach for summer visitors.  Subsequently, a strip of land from Jersey Avenue to Union Avenue was leased for $4,000 for 10 years from the Spring Lake and Sea Girt Co. and the Coast Co.

         The first council also arranged for police protection, a “lock-up” (jail), and fire protection.  (The jail still stands behind Fire Co #1).
        
         The day-to-day responsibilities of the mayor and council have changed with the times, but the overall purpose has remained the same - providing services to Spring Lake residents.

*Council Standing Committee list was updated from the writing of this article to correspond to present day. 
---Barbara Kolarsick-Harrigan, President

         Oliver H. Brown was the first Mayor of Spring Lake as it is today, following the union of Como, Spring Lake Beach, Brighton, and Villa Park, which formed our present Borough.

         Born December 12, 1852, the fifth of thirteen children to Peter and Sarah Megill Brown of Farmingdale, NJ, he was educated in local schools and began his mercantile career at age 18 as a clerk in a general store for William Laird in New Branch (now Avon). He made the princely sum of $15.00 a month, plus board.   In 1873 he took a manager’s position with John Githens in Asbury Park, NJ for eight years and managed to save $5,500.00 which he used to open a successful furniture and bric-a-brac business on Third and Jersey Avenues in Spring Lake.  He traveled widely and brought many foreign articles back with him, which he sold in his shop. In 1891 he opened branches in Lakewood and also a store in Asbury Park. He never married.

         His efforts and hard work enabled him to become the largest landowner in both Spring Lake and Lakewood.  When he passed away he owned 47 houses in the area. A genial and generous man, he had many friends, was active in many ways including the building of the Community House, the institution of the Spring Lake Bank, and local politics. He was President of the Spring Lake Hotel Co. which he founded, Treasurer of the New Monmouth Hotel, President of the Essex and Sussex Hotel and the New Monterey Hotel in Asbury Park.  He was also President and half owner of the Waumbek Hotel in Jefferson, New Hampshire, located in the White Mountains. He helped organize and establish eight banks including the 1st National Bank of Spring Lake where he was President until his death.

         He became Mayor in 1894 and held that office for 32 years until the time of his death in 1924.  In 1896 he was elected to the State House Assembly for one term. In 1902 the Republican Party named him Candidate for the State Senate.  They then re-nominated and re-elected him in 1905, 1908 and 1911 serving nine years in the Upper House.

         He lived with his brother Peter Charles and his wife, Ella Brown until his last few years.  He then lived with his niece, Lilly Lawrence and in his final years with his niece, Kate Brown, on Washington Avenue across from the Police Station and next to Voorhees Bakery. He died April 1, 1924 at age 71.

His is a real Horatio Alger story of an American young man’s hard work earning success and respect from all who knew him.

OLIVER HUFF BROWN

“I care neither for money, as such, nor for men with money if they haven’t something back of it.”

            William H. Potter was born in 1859 a New Jersey Hunterdon County town named for his grandfather, Pottersville.  He began his career in his father’s store and was later employed by Steinbach’s for six years.  He then struck out on his own and opened his shop, POTTER’S DRY GOODS, on Third Avenue in Spring Lake. The building is still standing, and was operated for many years as YE TOWNE SHOPPE.    It was located next to O.H. Brown’s fine furniture store at Third and Jersey Avenues. The two businessmen became friends and worked together as public servants.  After his shop became a success, he sold the business and went into real estate and insurance which were also prosperous ventures.  Like all the early Mayors and Councilmen of Spring Lake, one of his contributions lay in building a prosperous business community that insured a resort environment that was attractive to a more desirable class of people.

        
         He remained a bachelor and was an active Mason and a Vice-President of the Spring Lake Bank.  Elected to Council in 1893, he served for two years before he became Mayor in 1906.  Unfortunately, his term as Mayor lasted only one year.  He developed appendicitis in those pre-penicillin days, and after being ill for a short time, died at the youthful age of 47.

        
         In town, his memory remains in the Community House meeting room which bears his name and in Potter Park, across from the railroad station.

WILLIAM  POTTER

As a Councilman in 1903, he helped the Borough acquire the land at Warren & Fifth Avenues which now bears his name, Potter Park.

         Daniel H. Hills was born in 1865, a direct descendant of Samuel Griswold, who was a Revolutionary War soldier with the Connecticut Line at the battles of Stony Point and Yorktown, Daniel Henry Hills came to Spring Lake in 1890 from his native Forest County, Pennsylvania. He married Alma Kusle and they had one child, Harriet, who contracted diphtheria and died in early childhood.  He undertook the raising and education of his sister, Jeanette M.H. Weeks and her six youngsters. His wife, Alma died in 1931.

         Trained as a pharmacist, he opened and operated Hills Drug Store located on Third Avenue at the corner of Third and Jersey Avenues. A drug store, now the Sundae Times was run during the summer months and it was a tradition for all near-by Ritz Theater patrons to stop at Hills Pharmacy for a soda after the movie.

         Mr. Hills was a 32nd degree Mason, Master of the Wall Lodge and organizer of the Spring Lake Lodge, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, a President of the N. J. Board of Pharmacists and in 1900, a Councilman. Upon the untimely death of William Potter, Dan Hills, Council President, became Mayor in 1907, only to lose his seat to O.H. Brown in the following election. He was then elected Mayor from 1924 to 1935.  He also served as Tax Collector in Spring Lake for six years.

         When Brown died in office in 1924, Hills once again filled the position and remained as Mayor until ill health forced his resignation in 1935. For the last ten years of his life he lived with his niece Eunice Weeks Voorhees in Deland Florida where he died in 1960. He and his wife are buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Brielle NJ.

         His years as Mayor were part of Spring Lake’s heyday as a wealthy resort.  In May of 1932 he spoke on WOR radio from 4:00 – 4:45 about Spring Lake’s attractions and advantages as a summer resort and as a place for a permanent home.  There were few permanent residents who did not depend in some way on the summer visitors for their livelihood.  Under Hill’s direction, the town managed to thrive and prosper through the great Depression.

DANIEL H. HILLS

Retiring after 40 years of service to the borough, he was described as, “.…..the epitome of everything that’s good in Spring Lake.”

         Frank Marucci was born in Italy in 1886, and arrived in New York at the age of three.  While still a youngster, his father taught him the art of tailoring, which was to be his life’s work.  He obtained early experience at Brooks Brothers in NY making jackets.  In 1900, he moved to Spring Lake with his father and opened his own business, Marucci and Son. In 1910 he erected the Marucci Building on Third Avenue, where it still remains a viable business part of the town. 

         He became active in community affairs, becoming Assistant Fire Chief in 1914 and from 1916 to 1936, a member of the Council. He was elected Mayor in 1936 and Mr. Marucci officiated in that capacity until his death in 1956.  He was known as a “doer” and was always available to solve problems and act promptly to serve the town and its people. He was proud of the town’s modern facilities, and considered Spring Lake’s natural gifts to be the town’s greatest assets. To prevent development in a way detrimental to the community, he was instrumental in the purchase of the property which now bears his name, Marucci Park, and its surrounding area. He also vetoed a proposal to spend $10,000 to advertise and promote Spring Lake.  Mayor Marucci had the preservation of our town’s quiet character at heart and strove always for its improvement.

         Frank died on December 15, 1956 at his home, 1112 Third Avenue after a long illness.  He was 70 years old. He and his wife had three children. Of his three children, Washington is still a Spring Lake resident, Maria died in 2009 at the age of 96, and Doris Marucci Martin lives in Florida.  Wash, along with the rest of us, continues to enjoy the fruits of Mayor Marucci’s endeavors.

NOTE:  Washington Marucci, Frank’s brother, passed away in 2016 at the age of 98.  (Info obtained since the scripting of this document in 2015).

FRANK MARUCCI

He served the Borough for 40 years, 20 as Councilman and 20 as Mayor.  Marucci identified the gifts of nature as one of the town’s greatest assets and he was most proud of the town’s  modern facilities.

         Ellis B. Gant was born in Lakewood, NJ and lived in Spring Lake until moving to Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights six months before his death on June 5, 1964. He was a member of Spring Lake Volunteer Fire Co. No.1; Spring Lake Lodge 239 F&M, and St. Andrews Methodist Church.                                                           

         Though he and his wife, Ella Fulton Gant had no children, they had many friends and he was known as a man of sincerity and common sense whose prime interest was Spring Lake and its people.  He lived on Morris Avenue and operated his garage on Mercer Avenue.  Mr. Gant owned Gant’s Garage and Taxi service where cars were stored from the Warren Hotel in Spring Lake.  He had started the business in 1910 with a carriage service.

         He was elected to the Spring Lake Borough Council in 1927 and served as Council President from 1936 until he served out Mayor Frank Marucci’s term after his death in 1956. He was then elected mayor in 1958.  Mr. Gant, a Republican served two terms as Mayor, choosing not to run for re-election in 1961. He consistently fought against commercialization of the beachfront. While Mayor the Spring Lake Borough Council passed an ordinance, adopted on May 6, 1957, which amended the zoning ordinance. It further defined land use and building structures, setting up specific residential, hotel and business districts.  This action set the pattern for future development of Spring Lake as a year round residential town while maintaining the town’s character as a beautiful summer resort on the Ocean front. They also passed an ordinance banning overnight parking on public streets in most areas of the Borough between 3 A.M. and 6 A.M.

         Edward J. Heine was born January 30, 1895 in New York.  His mother and father were born in Germany and immigrated to New York, and later would move to Newark, NJ. Edward enlisted in the army in 1917 and served in WWI. After graduating from Seton Hall College, where he excelled both academically and in sports, being the only 4-Letter man in the college’s 100 year history at that time, he joined Royal Globe Insurance Co. in Newark, NJ as an insurance auditor. He was an auditor with royal Globe Insurance for 39 years, retiring in 1960. In 1927, Ed moved with his wife Jane (Regan), whom he had married in 1922, and their three small sons to Spring Lake. Two more sons would follow.      

         He coached the Spring Lake Community basketball team during the 1930’s and was active in town affairs and organizations for many years. Ed entered local politics in Spring Lake in 1943 getting elected to Council as a Republican.  While as Commissioner of Parks, Lakes, and Beaches, Councilman Heine,  along with Mayor Frank Marucci, convinced the owner of the desert (as it was commonly referred to), to sell to the Borough this parcel of land instead of selling to a land developer and builder of small homes.   Ed wanted to preserve this large expanse of land as a recreational area (later to become Marucci Park).                                                                                                

         In 1961 Ed was picked to succeed Mayor Gant and won the election handily.  He would serve as Mayor for the next fourteen years. In 1968 he was honored at Princeton University with a citation of merit by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors for his years of outstanding public service.  In 1974 Ed declined to seek a fifth term, and Councilman Andrew P. Raffetto was the Republican Party’s choice to run in the 1974 general election.                                                                                              
In 1976 Ed was enshrined in the Seton University’s Sports Hall of Fame.  Edward J. Heine passed away October 25, 1987 and his wife Jane on February 6, 1994.

MAYOR EDWARD J. HEINE'S FAMILY
1ST born:    Frank Heine m. Helen
Children:   Bobby, Jane, John Francis, Paul

2nd born:   Edward, Jr. Heine
Children:   Edward, III, Tim, Chris, Kevin, Brian

3rd born:    George Heine
Children:   David, Gretchen

4th born:    Jim Heine m. Rosemary
Children:   Mary Jean, Kathy, Eileen, Jim Jr., Sharon, Susan, Michelle

5th born:    Richard (Dick) m. Pat Farrell
Children:   Michael, Ann, Matthew, Greg, Tommy

EDWARD J. HEINE

According to his son, Frank, Mayor Heine, “worked hard to keep Spring Lake as he knew it.  He tried to make sure there were no major changes in the quality of life in Spring Lake.”

         Andrew P. Raffetto was born in Greenwich Village, New York City on January 7, 1918, and moved to Belmar in 1928 where he attended local schools.  While a student at Monmouth College, World War II intervened.  Andy enlisted in 1941, and spent four years in the Army including the European Theater of Operations.  He received four combat stars as a result of the actions in Europe and later a medal for participation, with the 8th Infantry Division, in the Normandy Beach Landing.  While on leave in 1943 he married Helen Casagrande, a native Spring Laker.  After the war, they lived in Spring Lake, where he took over the operations of Casagrande’s Market for more than three decades.  Andy passed away on August 12, 2002.

        
         Andy was first elected to Council in 1961 and following 14 years in that capacity, served two terms as Mayor. Aside from his many Mayoral duties, he was active in many state and county organizations including the Monmouth County Beach Erosion Commission, New Jersey Conference of Mayors, Monmouth County Solid Waste Council and the Executive Board of the State League of Municipalities.  He also acted as Director of Economic Development, Deputy Director of Emergency Management for Monmouth County, member and chairman of the South Monmouth Regional Sewer Authority and member of the North Eastern Developers Association which encompasses states from New England to Washington, D.C. He was also a devoted member of the Spring Lake American Legion Post #432.

         Andy enjoyed traveling with his wife, Helen, particularly to visit their six children who were scattered throughout the country and in Germany.  In his spare time, he sold real estate for the Danskin Agency and played a mean game of golf.

         During his 21 years of service to Spring Lake, he was always proud that the townspeople placed their confidence in him, and Mayor Raffetto endeavored to justify the people’s faith by preserving our town as the lovely, serene community we all enjoy so much.

“I think my biggest single accomplishment was preventing serious inroads from being made into the character of the town.  I’ve done my utmost to see that wasn’t changed.”

         Harry A. Erbe was born in Spring Lake at the Ann May Hospital, which was formerly situated on Vroom Avenue, and resided in Spring Lake for a large part of his life. Mr. Erbe attended classes in the basement of St. Margaret’s Church and from there went to Asbury Park High School and Monmouth College.  He became a teacher at Antrim Elementary School in Point Pleasant Beach, and in the summer months, was the Tennis Director at the Bay Head Yacht Club.

         During his teenage years, his first duty for the town was as a locker boy at the Pavilions.  His extended family has a long connection with the town, and other family members have served and continue to serve in various capacities.  Harry was elected to a seat on the Council in 1974, chairing the fire, public safety, streets and public buildings committees. He was appointed to succeed Mayor Andrew Raffetto upon the latter’s retirement as Mayor in 1982.  Mr. Erbe became Mayor in his own right the following year, and in that capacity was a part of the Library and Planning Boards of the Borough.  He was a member of the New Jersey League of Municipalities and was past President of both the Berkely Township and Point Pleasant Beach Teacher Associations.  He also was Chairman of the South Monmouth Regional Sewer Authority. He was sworn into office for his second full term on January 1, 1988. On December 4, 1989 he resigned due to personal reasons.

        
         Mayor Erbe and his wife, Cherie, resided on Brighton Avenue and were the parents of eight children and had many grandchildren. Cherie passed away in 2004.  Harry now resides in Florida.  Mayor Erbe was honored by the trust and confidence the people of Spring Lake conferred upon him.  He constantly strove to improve our community.

Upon stepping down from public office, Mayor Erbe considered it to be, “….my good fortune and that of my family to live in the Borough.” ---HARRY A. ERBE

          Lou Taylor was born August 25, 1929 in West Orange, NJ, second son of four boys and a girl.  He went to Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair after his family moved to Montclair. There he was a three-sport athlete with football and basketball being his top sports.  A scholarship in basketball got him to Holy Cross College in Worchester, MA where he played for four years, and upon graduation, he first enlisted in the National Guard, then in the Air Force, training as a pilot.  During his service career he spent four years in Germany flying border control during the Cold War.  After Germany, Lou was a flight instructor at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV. He retired as a Captain after ten years of service in the Air Force and his career then turned to business working as President of MIT Trucking here in NJ. He retired from there in 2003.              

         During High School and College he and his brother were life guards in the summers at The Allaire Hotel and ran the beach concessions.  Thus, he developed a great love for Spring Lake and the beach where he had made many good friends.  He married Diane Cross in 1957, so upon Air Force retirement he happily moved to Spring Lake with his family. He is the father of seven children, some of whom still reside in the area or visit frequently.

         While Mayor Heine was in office, Lou was elected to Borough Council and served in that capacity for twenty-two years.  He was chosen President of that body and then was elected acting Mayor upon the resignation of Mayor Harry Erbe in 1989.  Under his guidance and good judgement, mostly as a Councilman, many noteworthy projects added to the enhancement of Spring Lake as a family oriented, lovely, economical town in which to live. He proposed the Spring Lake Five-Mile Run which became internationally known and continues with its popularity. The Borough saw growth, safety, and self- sufficiency during his tenures in office. (Since the writing of this article in 2016, Mayor Lou Taylor passed away at the age of 87).

LOUIS V. TAYLOR

He continued the level of  services for residents established during his 18 years on the Council, many as Council President.

         Thomas Byrne was born on October 2, 1943 in Newark, NJ to Harriet and Thomas Byrne.  From the age of five, Tom was raised in the home his father built with the help of members of the Newark police and fire departments.  Tom attended St. Catharine School in Spring Lake and graduated from St. Rose High School.  He graduated from Monmouth College in 1965 with a degree in political science. After graduation from college, Tom accepted a job with the NJ Department of Transportation and remained there for 31 years. 

        
         Tom met Rita Moriarty in 1969 at the Manasquan Inn and they married on December 18, 1971.  Their sons, Bryan and Kevin were very active in sports and Tom became active as well.  He volunteered in the Spring Lake Soccer League for seven years and was president and an officer in the Tri-Boro Little League for 17 years.  He was a coach of the Spring Lake Recreational Basketball for 10 years, was elected to the Board of Education in 1983 and served until 1990.

        
         His interest in politics began as a child when his father befriended Dennis Carey, Essex County Democratic Chairman.  Dennis’ son Jimmy Carey became Tom’s best friend.  In 1949, Tom’s family moved to Spring Lake where Tom would eventually begin his political career.  He was appointed to the Federal Relations Network and served as an aide to former Governor, James Florio.  He also served as Executive Director of the Pinelands Credit Bank.

        
         After his election to Mayor in 1990, Tom became Executive Director of the Monmouth County Democrats for four years.  He also served eight years on the Board of Trustees for the League of Municipalities. Tom served as Mayor of Spring Lake for a total of 16 years and retired in 2006 when he was appointed to the Monmouth County Tax Board. Tom gave a total of 23 years in public service to the residents of Spring Lake and many more as a volunteer.  As Mayor, Tom was a strong, guiding force who saw Spring Lake through many contentious issues and natural disasters.

        
         Tom will best be remembered for his deep appreciation for the work of the Public Works Department, Borough Hall Staff, and Police Department.  Mayor Byrne was known for his fairness and honesty in dealing with residents, public officials or anyone he encountered.  He was loved and appreciated by nearly all of Spring Lake’s residents.  Sadly, he passed away in March of 2016. In 2007 Spring Lake chose Tom as its Citizen of the Year.

THOMAS J. BRYNE

His goal was to, “keep Spring Lake the first class residential community it is.  A lot of people over the past 100 years have served their community and served it well. They have all contributed to what Spring Lake is today.”

THE SLHS DEDICATES

THIS EXHIBIT

MAYORS – ARCHITECTS           

OF SPRING LAKE

IN MEMORY OF

MAYOR THOMAS BYRNE, III

(October 2, 1943 – March 25, 2016)

            Jennifer Naughton was born in Jersey City, NJ in 1960, and moved to Spring Lake as a young child. She attended kindergarten in the basement of St Margaret’s Church, grammar school at St. Catharine School, high school at St. Rose in Belmar, and graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Journalism from Montclair State University.  In 1985, she married Gary Ciliberto, and eight years later Jennifer and her husband left their home in Maplewood and bought their house at 207 Ludlow Ave. The pull of Spring Lake, the Jersey Shore and grandparents was impossible to resist; Spring Lake was where they wanted to raised their two children, Nicholas and Elyse.

            After working for years in the publishing industry, Jennifer Naughton, her husband and two colleagues founded a small technology firm called Radiant Resources. Now as the President & CEO, Jennifer manages this business from their offices in Wall Township.
           
            During her children’s school age years, Jennifer was active in the HW Mountz PTA and other school organizations.  She served as Co-Chair and Treasurer for the Spring Lake Recreation Commission.  In 2000, Mayor Tom Byrne asked Jennifer to run for an open seat on the Spring Lake Council.  She joined the ticket, and both Mayor Tom Byrne and Jennifer were elected that year.

            In 2006, Mayor Byrne was appointed to serve on the Monmouth County Tax Board and resigned as Mayor. The Council then unanimously appointed Jennifer to serve out the remaining one year term of Mayor Byrne. In 2007, Mayor Naughton was elected to a full four year term and was re-elected in 2011 and 2015.  She is the first woman to serve as Mayor of Spring Lake. According to Mayor Naughton, Tom Byrne served as her most important mentor…generous with his advice and supportive of her decisions. She also counts Councilwoman Janice Venables as another important influence.

           “If I had to take away only one memory from my tenure as Mayor, it would be the way the community came together after Superstorm Sandy.  Whether it was the Public Works crew hauling truckloads of debris, the SLPD closing the town and manning Checkpoint Charlie, the Borough staff working in unheated offices, the Firemen and First Aid volunteers opening their buildings as comfort stations or the residents coming out in droves to help with the massive cleanup,  Sandy brought out the best in Spring Lakers. I have never been so proud of my community.”

           The month of December brings to mind, for many of us, the important role church has played in our observance of Christmas. This article’s intent is to inform the reader of the history of all our beloved churches in town along with the ones that no longer exist. Spring Lake witnessed some houses of worship built for summer worshipers, and the churches only held services in that season as the town was founded as a summer resort.  Prominent in many of their histories is the generous donations that enabled these houses of worship to be erected.
           
           In the 1880’s, there were six religious communities established among the inhabitants of the geographic area which makes up the Spring Lake we know today. “Como” and St. Andrew Methodist represented the year round community protestant congregations, and St. Catharine, represented the Catholic parish which evolved from St. Ann Catholic Church. The other houses for summer worship only were Holy Trinity Episcopal and Spring Lake Presbyterian, serving for the most part, wealthy vacationers visiting the hotels from homes in the Trenton and Philadelphia areas.  The third summer church was St. John’s which served the black community.

            The first church structure was the meeting house of the First Methodist Church of Sea Plain, (Como) built in 1872 by a congregation organized as an independent local church in 1870.  Through the years, this congregation was known as the “First Methodist Church of Lake Como”, and eventually left the original church building to merge with other Methodist congregations and became St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Spring Lake.
           
            At stated above, prior to 1880 the Methodists in the area attended services at the Sea Plain Methodist Protestant Church, but in the summer of 1880, a community Protestant Sunday School was opened in the Spring Lake Beach Post Office, 203 West Lake Avenue.  As attendance increased, the services were first moved to the offices of the Spring Lake Beach Improvement Company and later to the parlor of the Lake House situated in Potter Park at Warren and Fifth Avenues.
           
            In 1887, construction began on the present Methodist church at the corner of Fourth and West Lake Avenues. Two lots were donated by John Lucas, a member of the Board of Trustees. Other Trustees who were prominent businessmen in town included O.H. Brown, William Lucas, Robert Carson, Edward Patterson, John Middleton, and William Trout. The building was completed and dedicated in August, 1888.  It is a fine example of Queen Anne style with Gothic Revival influences. The exterior features wood panels of inset, rounded, and saw-cut shingles, set off by boards of a contrasting color.  In 1912, a bell tower was constructed on the northeast corner of the church. This is an interesting quote about the early days from the St. Andrew’s Yearbook in 2006.

A second hand, one manual, hand pumped organ placed floor level served the congregation until about 1902.  Home baked pies and cakes sales, socials, musical teas, etc. raised funds for a motor driven Esty Organ.  At this time the loft was built to accommodate organ and choir, soon to be enclosed as you see it today.  The preacher and the choir wore their Sunday best, not robes, and the ladies requested the solid front to the loft necessary to protect their modesty.  In the early years of the 1900’s the preacher wore “morning dress” consisting of striped trousers and tailcoat.

            Out with the old organ in 1902 went the boy pumpers and the end of the comical incidents for which they were responsible. Over the years, this has remained a very active congregation, and quality renovations have been done to the church.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Resister of Historic Places in 1991.

            Holy Trinity Episcopal Church holds the honor of being the first church structure built in Spring Lake Beach, on the corner of Monmouth and Third Avenues.  Built in 1880 to serve summer vacationers, no parsonage was erected.  The clergy and choir came from Trenton and resided at the Monmouth House. The church was built on land donated by J.B. Morehouse. His house still stands next door.  The original Trustees were wealthy businessmen, mostly from Philadelphia and Trenton, who maintained formidable “cottages” along the ocean and around the lake.  The Trustees were also substantial donors to the building of the church namely:  Roeblings, Rolins, Kirkbrides, Reeves, and Moses.  An interesting memorial gift was the oak-encased organ dating back to 1904.  Originally powered by water, it was converted to electric power in the 1930’s, but retains the original blower and can still be hand pumped.  Another memorial gift in 1888 by the Backus Family was the Chancel Chandelier.  Over a hundred years later, it was discovered in an antique shop and purchased and returned to Holy Trinity.  It now hangs in “ecclesiastical splendor” in its original place above the altar. 

            Holy Trinity’s design is typical of New Jersey Shore churches of that era.  The steep slate roof, arched doors and windows are essentially Gothic, with Stick Style influences evident in the gable trim, eaves and use of wood. The steeple which replaced a simple belfry in the 1920s was donated by Ruth Roebling in honor of her mother, and gas fixtures were replaced by electrical lighting in 1928. The brilliant stained-glass windows depict Biblical scenes.  Holy Trinity gained the status of being on the National Register and State Register of Historic Places in 1991, and recent renovations and restorations have helped to ensure its place in history for another hundred years.

            The cornerstone for The Presbyterian Church at Spring Lake Beach was laid on August 25, 1881 for the summer use structure to be built on lots at East Lake and Essex Avenues (the foot of the lake). The lots were donated by Mrs. Matthew (Anna) Baird, who also contributed generously to the building of the church. The widow, Mrs. Baird of Philadelphia, owned and operated many Queen Anne style “cottages” in Hasting Square which included the original Essex Cottage and the Sussex Cottage. The renowned architect of Philadelphia, Benjamin Linfoot, was commissioned to design the church.  The contracted construction by Charles Supplee was finished in time for the summer services to begin in 1883.

            The edifice of worship was of no special style of architecture. It was principally built of granite with a slate roof, and the interior was finished with light woods, giving it a cool and inviting appearance. The building was said to be one of the handsomest church edifices on the coast, having cost about $16,500. The Hook and Hastings organ costing $2,000 was a donation by Mrs. Dickson and her lady friends, as was a 1,500 pound bell from George Griffiths.  Also an anonymous friend gave a stained-glass window worth over $1,000.

            Mrs. Baird, had she been alive, would have been heart broken when the 92 year old Presbyterian Church, in which she found so much consolation, was razed by a suspicious fire on April 27, 1974.  Rebuilding the church would be costly and procuring a minister for only the summer months would be challenging so the land was sold and a trust established to support other churches and groups involved in church work.  St. Raphael’s Church in Brick was the recipient of the saved stained glass windows, pews, and the bell.  The Spring Lake Historical Society was instrumental in acquiring a stain-glass window, now on display in the Museum, and about a decade later, obtaining the bell which the Borough of Spring Lake moved and located to the spot of the church on the lake. The bell now sits among a landscaped Borough flower garden.
           
            St. John’s Methodist Church of Spring Lake was established in 1885, and its congregation consisted of the Black community who worked in the summer servicing the hotels, cottages, and businesses of the resort area. The lot and a donation of $1,000 were supplied by various businessmen to build the church at Fourth and Pennsylvania Avenues. In 1908, after fire had completely destroyed the church, St. Ann’s Catholic Church building was purchased for use by the Methodists and moved to its Pennsylvania and Fourth Avenues site.  Then another fire in 1914 burned and damaged that house of worship and the congregation held services in a tent while the church was being repaired.  Over the years St. John’s became known as “the friendly church” and persons of many different denominations worshiped there in the summer months. Services were held on Sundays at 9:00 P.M. to accommodate those who worked late to complete their jobs in the hotels, etc.   St. John’s served the community well over 80 years and merged with St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in 1965.  St. John’s structure was then demolished.

            1880 also saw the beginnings of the Catholic community of Spring Lake.  A 6:30 A.M. mass was celebrated Sundays at the Parker House in Sea Girt by a priest who came down by horse and buggy from Asbury Park. In 1883 this congregation moved to Thomas Devlin’s home on Atlantic Avenue. (His home was originally built as the Portuguese Pavilion at the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876 and moved and reconstructed in the Spring Lake Beach area.)  During 1884 a small frame church, St. Ann’s was built on the corner of Fifth and Monmouth Avenues and dedicated in 1885.  As the congregation grew in the summer an additional mass at 10:30 A.M. was added.  The Catholic population had increased to about 200 parishioners by that time. Besides door money and Sunday collections, festivals and fairs were held to increase the building fund and to replace such things as chairs with pews. In 1887 a little frame cottage was established that served as the rectory, a relief for the priests who had no place to prepare and rest between the two masses. In 1897, a pastor was assigned and stayed in the rectory making it a year round church.  After being the parish church for seventeen years, St. Ann’s was sold to St. John’s Methodist Church and moved to its Fourth Avenue location.
           
            Martin Maloney, a wealthy summer resident of Spring Lake Beach, was granted permission by the Bishop of Trenton to give a new church as a “Gift to God” in memory of his deceased youngest daughter, Catharine. Permission was also granted by the Bishop and the Trustees of St. Ann’s Church to change the name to St. Catharine’s Church. The cornerstone was laid on March 17, 1901 on land at West Lake and Essex Avenues.  Building of this architecturally prominent edifice proceeded, and the church was finished and ready for services in January of 1907.  Its construction was reported to have cost $175,000.  A new rectory was built on land bought in 1903 at Third and Essex Avenues.  The new office and residence for the priests was completed in 1910. 

            Martin Maloney’s life is a “rags to riches” story exemplified by the immigrant boy who “forged his way to the front” by taking advantage of the opportunity provided him in America.  He advanced from working in the coal mines starting at age 12 to becoming, in his early adulthood, one of the leading figures in the United States in the utility field.  He held many patent rights and went into the lighting business, obtaining contracts for lighting Philadelphia, Jersey City, Pittsburg and Camden. He also received the contract for lighting the Centennial Exposition grounds at Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. Maloney was a philanthropist, buying and donating many buildings and educational components both in the United States and in Europe.  He was recognized by the Pope Leo XIII for his many contributions and was made a Papal Marquis in 1903 and appointed Papal Chamberlain by Pope Pius X in 1904.  Martin and his wife Margaret had three daughters, Margaret, Helen, and Catharine. Catharine died at the age of seventeen on a returning ship from Europe where she and her mother had sailed for her health improvement. Martin and his wife were involved in many local charities and took part in fund raising and social events in Spring Lake. Maloney died in 1929 at the age of 81.                                                              
           
            St. Catharine Church is known for its “rare beauty of design, wealth of art, and exquisite grandeur of exterior and interior finish.”  It is of Romanesque architecture, with granite foundation and walls of grayish brick, flanked by limestone pilasters, having finely carved capitals.  It is a Greek cross in shape, and the main entrance is crowned by a pediment and supported by engaged columns.  A massive octagonal dome, roofed with copper and surmounted by a richly gilded cross, rises gracefully from the roof.  For lighting purposes, two beautiful bronze standards, eight hundred years old, brought from Rome, Italy are at either side of the steps leading to the main entrance.                                                                                  

            The interior of the church is also captivating, and the artwork displayed is truly eye capturing in its beauty.  Graceful columns with sculptured capitals, the ceilings and the smaller domes, the rich paintings in the large dome, the various apses, and the magnificent marble altars attest to this rare gem of architectural beauty and art. The stained glass windows are from the House of Mayer and Co., Munich, Bavaria as are the custom designed Stations of the Cross.  Italian Carrara marble was used for the altars, floor, and additional marble features.  The mural paintings illustrate the doctrines of the Church and are the work of a master artist, Professor Gonippo Raggi, graduate of St. Luke’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts at Rome.  He also executed the arabesque and symbolic decorations of the walls, the rich ornamentation of the coffered ceiling, and the soffits of the nave arches.  His contributions of art were completed in 1927.  St. Catharine Church was listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places in 1991.

            St. Margaret’s Church does not have the early history as the other churches in Spring Lake, but it too began as a summer house of worship to accommodate the growing number of Catholics coming to the resort area of Spring Lake. Planned to be in the north section of Spring Lake, it was situated at Ludlow and Third Avenues and was ready and opened for summer services in 1930.  However, it soon became a year round church due to the increase of permanent Spring Lake area Catholic residents. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, its exterior is of brick construction that is attractive and functional.  Interior oak beams form a rigid framework, in truss fashion supporting the roof of the church negating the need of supporting pillars in the church and giving everyone an unobstructed view of the altar. To accommodate the summer breezes, the structure has many windows on its north and south walls.  When built, the nave could accommodate about 420 worshipers.

            Spring Lake has been blessed with beautiful churches that have welcomed and continue to welcome the many summer visitors and permanent residents of the community. We acknowledge and appreciate the generous people who gave of their time and money to establish these places of worship.

            Barbara Kolarsick-Harrigan, President
            SLHS Archives of Booklets
            December, 2020

100TH ANNIVERSARY  (1919 – 2019)
11TH HOUR, 11TH DAY, 11TH MONTH

WW I Ended With An Armistice
Rather Than A Surrender

           Armistice Day, now known as Veteran’s Day is celebrated each year on November 11 and it marked the end of WWI on November 11, 1918.  The focus of this November brief history article will be the WWI experience of a soldier, Andrew Parker Hammitt, who summered on the NJ Shore after the war, and bought a house at 30 Ludlow Avenue, Spring Lake in 1949, living there until his death in 1965. The Hammitt family donated many items, among them is Lieutenant Hammitt’s Army and Navy Service Record containing useful information for this article. The family originally lived in Des Moines, Iowa where Andrew was born and raised. He attended high school in Des Moines where he was a running athlete, and then graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Illinois. After the war Andrew married Julia Gnichtel who called West Street, Trenton, NJ her home, also summering at the Jersey Shore.  Relatives still remain in Spring Lake area, including Andrew’s grandson, Fred Hammitt (Rich) who contributed information to this family history. Lieutenant Hammitt’s deceased daughter-in-law and Rich’s mother, Barbara Hammitt, was a former member of the Spring Lake Historical Society.

            Although the SLHS does not have any personal war accounts of other Spring Lake or area residents, it is known that Peter Stanley Brown, son of Ella Johnson and Peter C. Brown, and nephew of Mayor O.H. Brown served our country.  The Museum archives contains a picture showing a large group of men from the area in their WWI military uniforms.

            On July 18, 2018, Andrew left Ft. Adams and travelled to Boston, embarking for Liverpool England the next day aboard the Steamer Lancashire.  A postcard notification of his ship’s safe arrival was sent to his mother. Awaiting him at Knotty Ash Camp in Liverpool on August 3 was a message from king George of England. 

WINDSOR CASTLE
Soldiers of the United States, the people of the British Isles welcome you on your way to take your stand beside the armies of many Nations now fighting in the Old World the great battles for human freedom. The Allies will gain new heart and spirit in your company.  I wish that I could shake the hand of each one of you and bid you God speed on your mission.
George R.I.
April 1918.

            Soon after arrival in Liverpool, Lt. Hammitt was sent from Knotty Ash Camp to La Havre France via Southampton England. Some interesting items from Andrew’s time in service in France include:  French coins, railroad tickets, a money order, a postcard to his mother who had moved from Des Moines to LaGrange, Illinois to live with her daughter, his service medals, military stripes, and his 66th Squadron medals. He was socially acquainted with the Haviland Family, whose American company was the biggest exporters of Limoge Porcelain, named after the town of Limoge in southwestern France.  Andrew had often stayed with the family and because of this friendship had accumulated much Limoge china according to Rich Hammitt. 

            The SLHS is grateful to Lt. Andrew Hammitt and all our veterans who gave so much service to this country during wars and conflicts.  The Society would like to post the names of those from Spring Lake who gave the ultimate sacrifice.  These names are listed on the War Memorial at the west end of Divine Park.

WWII                                                             Vietnam
James Marshall Braly                                John Reilly, Jr.       
C. Harold Chafey                                       Dominic Scatuorchio
Wilbur T. Fields
Leon H. Height, Jr.
John El. Lesher
Herbert J. Miller Jr.
Peter B. Roetzel
James W. Truax                                                      

_______
Barbara Kolarsick-Harrigan
November, 2020

SPRING LAKE FIRE COMPANIES
(A Brief History)

SPRING LAKE FIRE COMPANY NO. 1

            Barbara Kolarsick-Harrigan

            October, 2020