History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 127

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth county, New Jersey > Part 127

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The old village of Long Branch is situated more than a mile inland from the beach at the great watering-place of the same name. It has

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

been known as a village for more than seventy years, and there was a settlement here, years before the Revolution.

The first store at or near the present village was built by Michael Mapsand Richard Wyckoff in 1812, at what is now known as Lippincott's Corner, and on the site of the house occupied by Miss Harriet Lippincott. The firm did busi- ness there until 1815, when they were succeeded by Elisha Lippincott, who continued there until 1870. At the close of the War of 1812-15, Jacob Croxson erected a building on the east part of the present site of Van Wart's Hotel, and Thomas Chandler opened a store, which he kept for many years. In 1830, Wil- liam W. Croxson, son of Jacob, opened a store in the building and kept it until 1842. In this store Mr. Croxson kept the post-office from 1834 till he sold out.

Elisha West built a small tavern about 1845, and opened a hotel, which was enlarged at dif- ferent times, and which he kept until 1868, when Jacob Van Wart, the present proprietor, purchased it. Alexander MeGregor, who set- tled at Mechanicsburg (now Branchburg) in 1809, and opened a store at the place in 1826, built a store building at what was known as the " Liberty Pole" (now Long Branch village), and put his nephew in charge. William R. Maps was a clerk in the store. The nephew not con- ducting the business properly, Mr. Maps was placed in charge, and in 1829 purchased the business and continued there many years. The store was on the site of the post-office block, just west of Mr. Maps' present residence.

In 1835, John A. Morford began a store where Curtis, the hatter, now is, and continued till 1874. The firm was Wardell & Morford, which was changed, in 1859, to John A. Mor- The sea-shore line of the New Jersey Southern Railroad passes through the village, and a station is located at the place. The Atlanticville Hotel has been open here for several years. ford & Son ; in 1872, to Morford, Van Derveer & Co .; in 1874, to J. A. Morford & Van Der- veer ; and in 1883, to Morford, Brown & Co. The present brick building was erected in 1874-75, across the street from the old store, Elberon is a southern suburb of Long Branch, and is so closely identified with the latter that it should be mentioned in that connection, though it is not within the corporation limits. The ground forming thesiteof this place was owned by Ben- and T. Con. Morford has taken the place of his father, -making a continuons business firm for nearly fifty years. William R. Maps, who began business as a clerk in 1826, is still in active business as a member of the firm of | jamin Wooley, from whom a lot of one hundred

Maps, Slocum & Stokes, and is also president of the Long Branch Banking Company.

In 1838 the first Fourth of July celebration was held at Long Branch village, with the fol- lowing order of exercises :

Salute of thirteen guns at sunrise fired from the hill adjoining Lewis Taber's.

At six o'clock A.M., procession formed in Peter Slocum's woods, in rear of where Saint Luke's Church now stands.

At ten o'clock A.M., procession moved by way of Elisha Lippincott's store, which stood on the corner where Miss Harriet Lippincott, his daugher, now resides, to the church (Branch- burg), where an address was delivered by Rev. James II. Dandy, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Reading of declaration and an oration, by William H. Sloeum, after which the pro- cession returned to the Liberty Pole by the way of Samuel Corlies to the boarding-house of Samuel Cooper (where the Ocean Hotel now stands), where dinner was served at four o'clock. The celebration was concluded with fire-works in the evening. Samuel B. Brittan was marshal of the day. The first division of the procession was commanded by Captain James Green, and escorted by the company called the Sea Ran- gers, commanded by Captain Joline. The second division (citizens) was under command of Captain John A. Morford.

NORTH LONG BRANCH (formerly Atlantic- ville) lies on the sea-shore and on the extreme northern limit of Long Branch corporation, of which it forms a part. It contains a few houses and business places. A two-story frame school- house was built at a cost of five thousand dol- lars, and was opened in December, 1873.

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acres was purchased by Lewis A. Brown, who laid it ont in lots and streets, and commenced the improvements which have made Elberon what it is,-a most attractive and fashionable summer resort, and a place of elegant residences, of which the most famous is the Francklyn Cottage, to which the mortally-wounded President Gar- field was carried from the Executive Mansion, and in which he died.

The Elberon Casino was incorporated in 1882 with a capital of fifty thousand dollars and with the following-named corporators: H. Victor Newcomb, George R. Blanchard, John Sloane, James A. Garland, Horace Porter, Amos Cotting, Granville T. Hawes and Richard Tal- bot. The company was authorized to commence operations January 1, 1883, the object of its in- corporation being "to improve, beautify and de- velop the lands, . . to erect buildings for public gatherings and club purposes." The principal improvement made by the company is the erection and opening of the Elberon, which is one of the most elegant and perfectly furnished and appointed hotels on the sea-shore. In this hotel is located the Elberon post-office,! established in 1881.

The Long Branch Sanitary and Improve- ment Commission was incorporated by an act of the Legislature approved April 11, 1867, which provides for and requires the appointment annu- ally, by a justice of the Supreme Court, of three commissioners, to be styled "The Long Branch Commissioners," and

"That the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall have power to establish ordinances and regulations for the following purposes, to wit: To prevent vice and immorality ; to preserve the public peace and order ; to prevent, quell riots, disturbances, disorderly assemblages ; to lay out, regulate and im- prove roads and water the same, and to remove en- croachments thereon ; to lay out, regulate and im- prove parks and public grounds, with consent of the land-owners; to prevent indecent exposures, and to improve the sanitary condition of the place, and may carry said ordinances and regulations into effect, and may enforce them by penalties not exceeding one hundred dollars for each violation thereof, which may be recovered by action of debt by said commissioners, by their official name and title aforesaid, before any competent tribunal having jurisdiction of the amount of such penalty, for money due and owing, generally

giving the special matters in evidence, and execution may be awarded according to law, on judgments ren- dered under this act for the penalty and costs."

The territory composing the jurisdiction of the Long Branch Commission is described in the act "That portion of the county of Mon- month bounded north by the road running from Branchport to Atlanticville, south by Thomp- son's l'ond, east by the Atlantic Ocean, and west- erly by a line running parallel with the coast and one-third of a mile west from high-water mark."

A supplement to this act was passed April 3, 1868, which appointed as commissioners Lewis B. Brown, Samuel Laird, Francis Corlies, Jacob Herbert and Cornelius Vanderveer, and described the limits to be as follows :

" Beginning in the middle of the road leading from Branchport to the sea, at the intersection of the Long Branch and Sea-Shore Railroad ; thence, run- ning westerly along said road to Branchport, to the middle of the road leading in front of Cornelins Van- derveer's to the Eatontowu and Sea-Shore turnpike ; thence along the same to the said Eatontown and Sea- Shore turnpike; thence along the same westwardly to the northwest corner of lands late belonging to John W. Slocum, deceased; thence along the line thereof sontherly to the northeast corner of Henry H. Wardell's farm, in the line of lands of Joseph Poole; thence along the line of said Poole's land westward and southerly to the road from Long Branch village to the Bath Hotel; thence westerly along the same to the road leading out of said last-mentioned road to Lane & Corlies' store; thence along the same to the Long Branch and Deal turnpike; thence southerly along said turnpike to the southwest corner of a tract of land purchased by Lewis B. Brown of Amzi McLean and others; thence along the southerly line of said tract of land to the ocean at low-water mark ; thence along the ocean at low-water mark northerly to a point dne east and opposite to a certain monument on the line of the said Long Branch and Sea-Shore Rail- road; thence sontherly along the middle of said rail- road to the beginning, the last course from said monn- ment to said point of beginning being seven hundred and seventy-five yards, more or less."

A supplement to the original act, passed in 1872, provided for an addition of territory to the commission, as embraced in the following described limits :

" Beginuing in the road leading in front of Corne- lius Vanderveer's to the Eatontown and Sea-Shore turnpike, at the intersection of the same by the New

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Jersey Southern Railroad ; thence running southerly along said road or avenue to said turnpike; thence along the same westwardly to the northwest corner of lands late belonging to John W. Slocum, deceased ; thence along the line thereof southerly to the north- east corner of Henry H. Wardell's farm, in the line of lands of Joseph Poole; thenee along the line of said Poole's land westward and southerly to the road from Long Branch village to the Bath Hotel ; thence west- erly along the same to the road leading out of said last-mentioned road to Lane & Corlies' store ; thence along the same to the Long Branch and Deal turn- pike; thence northerly along said last-named turn- pike to the road leading from Lane & Corlies' store to Mechanicsville; thence along the same to south- westerly corner of lands of Samuel Corlies; thence with the westerly line of said Corlies' land to corner of lands of Tucker Woolley ; thence with the westerly line of said Woolley's lands to the corner of lands of George W. Brown; thence with the westerly line of said Brown's land to corner of lands of Joel Potter ; thence with said Potter's westerly line to the afore- said Eatontown and Sea-Shore turnpike ; thence along the same to southeast corner of lands of A. M. Chris- tellar and others, and known as the Kensington Park property ; thence northerly along the eastern line of the same to the said New Jersey Southern Railroad ; thence easterly along said railroad to place of be- ginning."

A supplement, passed April 8, 1875, anthor- izes the commission "to establish a Board of Health, define its powers and duties and pro- vide for the protection and maintenance of the health of the inhabitants." Under this authority a Board of Health was established, and has proved a great benefit to the people of Long Branch.

The presidents of the commission since its organization have been Joseph H. Cooper, Thomas R. Wooley, R. H. Woodward and George W. Brown. The president of the Board of Health is Dr. S. H. Hunt.

The first physician of whom any knowledge has been obtained as having practiced near Long Branch was Dr. Elisha Perkins, a native of New England, who was an eccentric genius, and practiced medicine in accordance with his peculiar ideas. He lived here before 1800, and owned a large farm, and built a starch-fac- tery where St. James' Church now stands. A part of the farm reached to the beach. The old residence was standing in 1855, and is now used as a barn. He moved to Baltimore, Md., after 1812.

Dr. Jacob H. Van Derveer began practice in this place in 1846.

Dr. Z. W. Scriven began practice in 1851, and continued until his death, in 1876.

Dr. Thomas G. Chattle came to Long Branch in 1855 and is still in practice here.

Dr. James O. Green opened an office here in 1864, and is still in practice.

Dr. J. B. Goodenough came to Long Branch, from Blue Ball, in 1875, and is now practic- ing here.

Dr. James H. Chasey, a student of Dr. Seri- ven, graduated and located here in 1875. He is one of the present physicians of Long Branch.

Dr. Henry H. Pemberton came to the Branch in 1874. His brother, Dr. John Pemberton, began practice in 1880. Dr. George W. Brown, a student of Dr. Chattle, began prac- tice in 1878. These are all now in practice at Long Branch.

The Long Branch News, the pioneer news- paper of Long Branch, was first issued No- vember 1, 1866. It was a six-column paper, published by Major James S. Yard, of the Monmouth Democrat, with James B. Morris as assistant editor, and who succeeded Major Yard in the proprietorship in 1868, and continued till his death, in 1871. It was continued by Major Yard until April 6, 1872, when Mr. J. Stultz, the present proprietor, purchased it and became the editor. It is now an eight-column paper. The office is on Second Avenne, near Broadway. A daily edition was started for the summer months May 28, 1866, and con- tinued as such until 1882, when it was issued, as it still is, tri-weekly.

The Long Branch Record was established in Long Branch village by R. M. Stultz, Janu- ary 4, 1883. On the 1st of October following, L. S. Bennett became a partner, and it is now conducted by Stultz & Bennett.

There are for post-offices within the limits of the Long Branch Commission, viz. : Long Branch village, Long Branch, North Long Branch and West End. The post-office at Long Branch village was established May 28, 1834, and was designated on the books of the department at Washington as "private." This

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OCEAN TOWNSHIP AND LONG BRANCHI.

meant that the mail was carried at private ex- pense from the nearest post-office, which then was Eatontown, where an office had been estab- lished a few years before with John P. Lewis as postmaster. The first postmaster at Long Branch was William W. Croxson, appointed May 28, 1834. The mail was carried from Eatontown to Long Branch by William R. Maps, who, in his diary, says : " April 19, 1838. -The last we expect to carry the mail from Eatontown." Uriah Smalley took the first mail contraet, and carried it until about 1851, when James Reamer contracted for a term of years, but did not complete it. William West and John Van Wart carried the mail the re- maining time of his contract, and in 1856, John Van Wart made a contract to carry the mail, and continued until the railroad was opened, in 1861, when the mails were carried by the railroad company.

The store of William W. Croxson was partly on the site of the present Van Wart Hotel. Mr. Maps, in his diary of date February 6, 1839, says : " William W. Croxson moved the post- office from Long Branch to Israel Williams' store without consulting the people. March .- People indignant on account of removal to Me- chanicsville. Croxson brought it back on the 6th."

Mr. Croxson continued in the office until about 1846, when Charles Lyon was appointed and served two years. The office was kept in his cabinet-shop. Ile was succeeded in 1848 by Henry Howland, who was appointed and served until May 21, 1854, when John A. Mor- ford was appointed. The office was removed to his store, where Curtis, the hatter, now is, and where it remained until 1860, when John Slo- cum was appointed postmaster, and remained until about January 1, 1875, when the present postmaster, J. A. Howland, was appointed. Under Sloeum the office was moved to the east side of the present building and moved to the west side of the same building, when Mr. Howland came to the office, the west side having been fitted up with special reference to use as a post-office.

The Long Branch post-office was established about 1864 with Charles Sprague (who then

kept the Ocean Hotel) as postmaster. It was afterwards moved to the railroad-station and kept by James Allaire until 1871, when Lewis Slocum was appointed. He was succeeded by Matthias Wooley, the present postmaster, in December, 1874, when the office was removed to the present building, on Broadway, opposite Third Avenue.

The West End post-office was established in September, 1881, with D. M. Hildreth post- master, who holds the position at the present time.

The North Long Branch post-office was established in 1874, with George Hoyt as post- master. At his death George E. Ferguson became postmaster and continued a few months, being then succeeded by the present postmaster, C. E. Francis.

THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT LONG BRANCH VILLAGE was formed about 1840. Long Branch was made a preaching- place of the Shrewsbury Presbyterian Church many years ago, and on the 12th of July, 1846, the trustees of the church at Long Branch pur- chased a lot of Jonathan Slocum, not far from where the Reformed Church now stands, on which they erected an edifice, the corner-stone of which was laid July 12, 1848, and the church was dedicated July 29, 1849. It was nsed for worship until about 1855. On the 6th of March, 1856, an act of Legislature was approved, au- thorizing Jacob H. Van Derveer, John W. Slocum and Charles Herbert to sell the prop- erty, which was done. The building is now used as a store.

In December, 1883, the Presbytery of Mon- mouth were invited by a petition, numerously signed, to form a Presbyterian Church at Long Branch. A committee was appointed, who ar- ranged to meet the petitioners in Library Hall, and, after examination of the ease, organized the First Presbyterian Church of Long Branch, with about fifty members, who were largely members of the Second Reformed Church, and the elders of the Second Reformed Church were chosen as elders in the Presbyterian Church. Services are held in Library Hall. It is the intention of the society to erect a church in the near future.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

THE FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF LONG BRANCHI dates back in its organization nearly forty years. Among those who settled at Long Branch were many families of the Reformed Church faith, and a request was made in 1847, of the "Particular Synod of New York," to "come and occupy the ground." In the year 1847 the Board of Domestic Missions sent the candidate, Nathaniel Conklin, lately graduated from the Theological Seminary, to assume charge. He was ordained as an evangelist by the Classis of New Brunswick on the 4th of January, 1848.

Efforts were at once and successfully made to obtain means to erect a church. A lot was purchased, and the corner-stone was laid, July 18, 1848, by the Rev. Dr. Van Vrankin, of New Brunswick, Rev. D. V. Scott, of Newark, and the Rev. William Reilley, of Holmdel. The church was completed and dedicated No- vember 22, 1849. The following, from the Minutes of the Synod, gives the history of the church to the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Wilson :

" In the spring of 1851, Mr. Conklin received a call to another field of labor, and he left before the church was organized. A committee had been appointed for that purpose as early as April, 1849, but the act of organization had so far failed for want of material. But now, a new minister being needed, the Board of Missions required that he should be a pastor and no longer a missionary. And hence the necessity arose that the church be organized. This was accomplished on the 12th of July, 1851, nine persons presenting themselves for membership, of whom four were males. In the month of August following, a call was made on the candidate, James B. Wilson, a recent graduate of the seminary, to become their pastor. This call was accepted, and he was ordained and installed on the 11th of November following. In that field he lived and labored for twenty-seven years, and with what success we may gather from a few leading facts.

" The church, we have said, was organized with nine members. It found itself surrounded by a peo- ple who knew nothing of its doctrines, order or his- tory ; and who, indeed, were indifferent on the sub- ject. Passing by a few families, the whole population, except such as were regular attendants at the old Methodist Church, represented a mission fiehl. The Board of Missions gave the pastor two hundred and fifty dollars for the first year. The church found itself in debt six hundred dollars. This was paid in the next four years. In two years more a parsonage was

obtained, leaving a debt of ouly about six hundred dollars, and in seven years frour the beginning of his ministry the church was self-supporting. And, better than all, in the eleventh year the church reported sixty-eight members in full communion. This church, so small in its beginnings, has come to be strong and influential. And not only did Mr. Wilson care for and labor to build up his own church, but he felt called upon to extend the influence of the Reformed Church as he had opportunity. Three churches, be- sides the First Church, are what they are to-day through his efforts and sacrifices. His connection with the church was dissolved during 1878. The present pastor, the Rev. Charles J. Young, was in- stalled February 6, 1879."

THE SECOND REFORMED CHURCH OF LONG BRANCH is of but recent date as to its organi- zation as a religious body. For many years prior to 1878 visitors at the sea-shore had desired a more convenient place of worship than the edi- fice of the Long Branch First Reformed Church. This resulted in the building of the "Sca-side Chapel" by subscription. The corner-stone was laid August 16, 1866. Before the work was far advanced a lady from Hartford offered five thousand dollars to enlarge the chapel from the size intended. The offer was accepted, and the chapel was completed and dedicated July 14, 1867. Preaching was supplied by visiting clergymen for eleven years. In 1878 it was thought advisable to place the chapel under control of some religious organization, and, in accord with the desire of most of the people constituting the congregation, the Second Re- formed Church of Long Branch was organized, May 28, 1878, with thirty members. The Rev. James B. Wilson resigned the pastorate of the First Church and was installed pastor of the new congregation. He continued until April, 1881, when he resigned, and was succeeded by the Rev. William Phraner. The church dis- banded December 17, 1883. The chapel is now used for services during the summer season.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF OUR LADY, STAR OF THE SEA, is located at Long Branch, at the corner of Second and Chelsea Avenues.

Fifty years ago there was not more than five or six resident Catholics in Long Branch and vicinity, and these were natives of Ireland. In the summer several families usually came from

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New York and Philadelphia. It is probable that visiting priests often offered Mass in the summer hotels for the accommodation of the Catholic guests, but the first well-authenticated instance of the offering of the Mass in the place was about the beginning of September, 1848; probably Bishop Hughes, of New York, was the eelebrant. This Mass was said in the dining rooms of the Cooper House, now the Ocean Hotel. In that hotel Mass was said by visiting clergymen during five summers, and then Father John Kelly, of South Amboy, of- fered Mass at stated intervals in the house of Michael Hogan, which is yet standing back in the field near the Catholic Cemetery of Mount Carmel.

The first Catholic Church built here was erected in 1852, on the corner of Chelsea Ave- nue and the New Jersey Southern Railroad, on the lot where Mr. Noyes' cottage now stands. Mr. Patrick McCormack, of Elizabeth, N. J., took a warm interest in its welfare, and it was mainly through his generous efforts that it was completed. It was known as "The Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea."

Fathers Kelly, Killeen and Saloan ministered to the congregation after the church was built, and the last-named clergyman was obliged, owing to the increase of his flock, to erect the new church. Shortly after its completion the old church was pulled down.

In 1877, Rev. James A. Walsh became resi- dent pastor, and remained until May, 1883. During the ministrations of these clergymen Catholicity inereased both spiritually and ten- porally.

he points to the partly-completed new church of St. Michael (of which he is also the rector), situated at the West End, near Takanassee Lake. Mass was first celebrated in the tempo- rarily-roofed basement of the church on August 19, 1883, at eight A.M. The church is closed in winter, but the summer congregation num- bers about four hundred.

ST. JAMES' EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organ- ized in 1853 as a branch of Christ Church of Shrewsbury, and was for a short time under the care of the Rev. Harry Finch, who served about five years. He was succeeded by the Rev. Jacob H. Moore, who served two years. The Rev. R. A. Poole was called, and remained from 1860 to 1873, when he was followed by the present rector, the Rev. E. D. Tompkins.

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 127

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co. Number of Pages: 1148

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Swan, Norma Lippincott. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & co.
Number of Pages: 1148