History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 134

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 134

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A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH building was fifty-eight acres. The second purchase was of erected at Spring Lake, on a lot donated for the the Peter White farm of two hundred and purpose by Mrs. Matthew Baird, who also sub- thirty acres, November 1, 1872, White reserv- ing one acre which he had the right to select on any street or road then open ; also nine acres of sedge or salt meadow adjoining, and one- fourth interest in West Pond. On the 11th of December, 1872, Joseph B. Yard purchased one- eighth interest in the West Pond of Joseph D. scribed liberally towards the building of the church. Subscriptions to the amount of sixteen thousand dollars were obtained from other sum- mer residents. The building was commenced in November, 1882, and was completed in the following spring. It is sixty by eighty feet in size, with a tower eighty feet in height. The bell, of | Newman, and October 24, 1872, one-quarter fifteen hundred pounds weight, was the gift of George Griffiths, of Philadelphia. The audience- room has a capacity of seating five hundred per- sons. The church was dedicated July 17, 1883. The Rev. Matthew Newkirk, of Philadelphia, presided ; the dedicatory sermon was preached by Professor John Dewitt, D.D. interest in the West Pond of Richard White. May 31, 1873, Mr. Yard bought of Charles D. S. White a lot of about eight acres. The White tract in 1790 was in possession of Jacob Wardell, who, by will dated June 23d in that vear, gave it to his son, Joseph Wardell. On the Ist of September, 1800, Joseph Wardell THE SPRING LAKE EPISCOPAL CHURCH building was erected in the fall of 1880. These churches are used during the summer season, preaching being supplied by ministers visiting the place. sold to John Lippet White six hundred acres of land lying on the south side of Shark River, bounded westerly by " Polypod Bogg" and lands of Joseph Fleming and John Newman. Thistract John L. White, by will dated February 15, 1821, gave to Richard White and Peter White, viz. : OCEAN BEACH is the name given to a very popular summer resort and town which lies on the south side of Shark River, extending along its shore from the ocean beach to and above the Shark River bridge. " all my lands and bildins, to be equally divided between them." In November, 1837, Richard White sold his half of the farm to Peter White. On the 10th of August, 1820, West Pond, containing about fifteen acres, was taken up by Andrew Bell, surveyor-general, for Rich- ard and Peter White and JJoseph and David Newman.

In 1872 twenty-five gentlemen then having summer cottages at Ocean Grove, purchased, through A. Bitner, Jr., several tracts of land

acres, and the same date of Richard Newman,

806

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

On the 12th of November, 1701, Gawin Drummond patented from the proprietors about twenty-seven acres of land on the south side of Shark River. Ninety acres, also on the south side of Shark River, were patented to William West, August 28, 1701. The land was sold by West to Robert Drummond, of Shrewsbury, July 27, 1702. These lands are mostly in- cluded in the White farm.

The Ocean Beach Association, composed of sixty members (among whom were the twenty- five gentlemen for whom the purchases of land had been made, in 1872, by Bitner and Yard) was formed, with the following-named directors : Hon. William S. Yard, A. G. Richey, Trenton; William M. Force, Esq., Hon. James L. Hays, James G. Barnet, Newark ; A. Bitner, Jr., Ocean Beach ; James S. Yard, Freehold ; Wil- liam L. Piper, J. R. Bitner, S. S. Spencer, Lan- caster, Pa. ; Thomas Kennedy, D. II. Wilson, J. S. James, Philadelphia, Pa .; and J. W. Fielder, Brooklyn, N. Y. The act of incor- poration of this association was approved March 12, 1873. On the 20th of May, 1873, Joseph B. Yard conveyed to the association the lands he had purchased, and A. Bitner, Jr., conveyed his purchases June 27, 1873. Mr. Bitner was appointed superintendent, and the labor of grading and laying out the grounds commenced immediately.

At this time the White homestead' stood near the road that leads from Long Branch to Mana- squan. The bridge crossing the river at this place was built in 1858. The Ocean Beach HIonse was built in the summer of 1873, at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and the Mana- squan road, at the south end of the bridge.

The Ocean Beach tract contains about four hundred acres, with a front on the ocean of one mile, and on Shark River of one mile and a half. The sea-front has an easy slope to the beach, and along the river-front is a low bluff, covered with verdure, and crowned with a heavy growth of trees. The river at this point spreads into a lake two miles in diameter, with high lands in the west. This river is the planting-

ground for the famous Shark River oysters, of which there is always an abundance to be ob- tained, and it also affords good fishing, being the resort of blue-fish, weak-fish, bass, flounders, ete., which come into the river to feed among the sedgy flats. These flats also furnish most. of the soft erabs that are sold in the city mar- kets. For many years this river has been the favorite resort of sportsmen in the pursuit of both fish and water-fowl, which have always been found here in abundance in their seasons.

The traet of the Ocean Beach Association has been laid out on a liberal scale, and with a re- gard to the health and comfort of those who occupy it, especially during the summer months. The twelve main avenues have this peculiar feature,-each one begins at the ocean and ends at Shark River. The lots are of uniform size, fifty by one hundred and fifty feet, and the avenues are eighty feet wide. By regulation, cottages are required to be set back twenty feet from the front line of the lots, making the street opening one hundred and twenty feet wide. The size of the lots affords space for lawns, flowers and stables. There is no restriction in regard to the size or style of building. Lot- owners may exercise their own taste and judg- ment in this matter.

THE OCEAN BEACH METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH edifice was built in 1872-73 by A. Bitner, Jr., on a lot donated by him for the purpose, situated on the corner of D Street and Tenth Avenue. This church, thirty-two by sixty feet in size, was dedicated June 8, 1873. Preaching was supplied in 1874-75 by Rev. C. B. Downs, of the Manasquan Methodist Church, and afterwards by ministers of Asbury Park Churches until 1882, when the Rev. W. H. Farout was appointed to this charge. He was sueceeded, in March, 1884, by the Rev. W. Franklin.

A Methodist Protestant Church was ereeted at Ocean Beach, on the corner of Sixteenth Avenue and F Street. It was completed in April, 1884. Prior to its completion services were held in Bitner's Hall. The pastor is the Rev. J. W. Lanehlin.

THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY APOSTLES

1 Peter White was born at the old homestead, near the present residence of Joseph Cooper, in 1801, and lived on the property until his death, July 17, 1884.

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WALL TOWNSHIP.

(Episcopal) at Ocean Beach, is a frame building of Gothic style, twenty-five by forty-five feet in size, located on Fifth Avenue. The corner- stone of the edifice was laid August 12, 1877, by Bishop Scarborough, and the building was finished in the fall of the same year. The church is used only in the summer season, but occasional services are held at other times in the school-house. The pulpit is at present (winter of 1884-85) supplied by the Rev. Samuel Clements.

OCEAN BEACH was organized by a committee of the Presbytery of Monmouth on March 20, 1877, the application having been made on March 7th, and signed by eight persons who James W. Wight was elected, ordained and installed as ruling eller. The first preaching Brown. Having no house of worship, they held services in the Methodist Church, Rev. A. H. Dashiell, Jr., of Lakewood, preaching for them Sabbath evenings once in two weeks; but these services were discontinued in April, 1879.

was by the Synodical missionary, Rev. A. H. a few miles from here are interred the remains of Presbyterian families who worshiped in a building known as the Shark River Presby- terian Church before the Revolutionary War.

After a short interim, the want of a Presby- terian Church was so much felt that a meeting was called on November 13, 1879, to make ar- rangements for regular preaching, and on Sab- bath, November 16th, it was again commenced in Bitner's Hall, with supplies from Princeton and Union Theological Seminaries, and from that date there has been preaching every Sabbath. The Sabbath-school was organized Jannary +, 1880.

On March 20, 1880, James W. Wight was

tion that they would be donated. On Sep- tember 5th a committee was appointed to select a plan for the church building. On September 12th the plan was adopted, it being similar to a church that was recently dedicated at Elmer, N. J. On October 8th the contract for the foundation was given. On October 12th, ground was broken for the new church. On October 18th the corner-stone was laid, Rev. J. G. Symmes, D.D., of Cranbury, Rev. R. Aik- man, D.D., of Madison, Rev. E. Kempshall, D.D., of Elizabeth, and others taking part in

THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF the services. The church, which is thirty-six by fifty-two feet in size and cost five thousand dollars, was dedicated June 13, 1883, at which time the Rev. James M. Denton was installed pastor, and still holds that relation to the church. were formerly organized into the church. The membership at the present time is fifty.

There is evidence that the Presbyterians have oceupied this ground for a long time, as within

THE WESTMINSTER ( PRESBYTERIAN ) CHAPEL at Ocean Beach was built in 1880. In the laying out of the town the association offered building-lots to all religious denomina- tions who would erect thereon houses of wor- ship. The trustees of Monmouth Presbytery, under orders from that body, received two lots on the corner of Sixth Avenue and E Street. These lots were not used, but others were selected for the Presbyterian Church of Ocean Beach. Later, the Rev. Dr. William P. Breed, General Lonis Wagner, of Philadelphia, the Rev. Frank Chandler, of Freehold, and J. C. Atterbury of minster Chapel. The lots on Sixth Avenue and E Street were offered them, but they were not thought desirable, and they were exchanged for lots on the corner of Seventh Avenue and A Street, and a large and commodious pavilion was erected at a cost of six thousand dollars for the accommodation of summer visitors of all denominations. It was first opened for ser- vices July 4th, and dedicated July 11, 1880. The property was transferred to Monmouth Presbytery in the spring of 1884.

re-elected elder for three years, and David F. Trenton, were appointed trustees, for the West- Van Nortwick was elected and ordained ruling elder and installed for the same time. On July 19, 1880, the First Presbyterian Church of Ocean Beach was incorporated, and in the fall of that year a movement was made to secure lots for the church buikdling; but not until the summer of 1881 did the effort prove suc- cessful. On August 8th application was made for two lots corner of E Street and Ninth Avenue. On August 30th answer was given by the president of the Ocean Beach Associa-

808

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Ocean Beach Lodge, No. 86, K. of P., was chartered May 22, 1873, and held its meetings at various times at Hopeville, Manasquan and Ocean Beach, at which last place it has located permanently in Freeborn's Hall.

Ocean Lodge, No. 89, F. and A. M., was instituted many years ago at Bricksburg, and was removed to Ocean Beach in June, 188 +. It has twenty-six members.

United Lodge, No. 199, I. O. of O. F., was instituted February 19, 1884. It now has thirty-five members.

The Shore Gazette is the only newspaper of Ocean Beach. The first number of this paper, then called The Crab was issued in June, 1881. The name was changed to the present one April 5, 1884. It is Republican in poli- tics.

The Ocean Beach post-office was established early in 1873, and A. Bitner, Jr., was appointed postmaster. He was succeeded November 13, 1877, by Henry H. Yard, the present postmaster.

LAKE Como is a tract of land containing two hundred and forty acres, embracing within it> limits what is known a> Three-Cornered Pond (Lake Como), and lying south of and adjoining Ocean Beach. It is now owned by H. H. Yard, of Ocean Beach, and William M. Force, of Newark, who are grading and laying it out with the intention of selling lots for summer residences.

SEA PLAIN lies on the west side of the line of the Long Branch Railroad, the station being between Spring Lake and Ocean Beach stations. The place was long known as Pearce's. For many years the school-house at the place was used by the people in this locality for miles around. A store was also started at the place many years ago, and is still kept by one of the Pearce family. The land was purchased and laid out a few years ago by Captain Pitney Curtis and Judge John Remsen. A post-office was established in 1873, and a Methodist Protestant Church was built and dedicated August 25, 1875. It is under the care of the Rev. E. B. Stultz, pastor of Mana- squan Methodist Protestant Church.

Directly in front of Sea Plain, and extending

to the beach, is a tract of land adjoining Spring Lake Association lands on the north. It is a tract laid out and partly occupied by the Brigh- ton Land Association.

REID'S VILLA and ROGERS' PARK are situ- ated on a tract of land, one undivided sixth part1 of which was sold February 20, 1832, by James Grover, of Middletown, to Thomas Til- ton. The whole tract was described as con- taining one hundred and fifty acres, lying between the branches of Rack (Wreck) Pond and within boundaries, -- " Beginning at the point of the Neck running up the southerly branch brook of said Rack Pond west and a half point more northerly sixty-four chains ; thence north- northeast fifty-two chains, more or less, to the northerly brook, one of the said branches, and then down that brook to where it began."

On the 29th of October, 1716, George Rogers purchased a tract of land, " on ye south side of the head of Rack Pond," of William Brindley, adjoining land of Thomas Tilton and Walter Herbert. In 1751, Benjamin Rogers owned land also on the south side of Wreck Pond Branch, formerly land of William Case. The tract of one hundred and fifty acres mentioned above came to the possession of the Rogers fam- ily about 1801. The property lies between the north branch of Wreck Pond and the highway from Manasquan to Long Branch. It has been laid out in lots and is being built up. The southern part is called Reid's Villa Park, and the northern part Rogers' Park

BLANSINGBURG is a locality embracing a con- siderable area of territory in the southeastern part of the township, north of the village of Manasquan. In this vicinity one of the earli- est land-holders was Edmund Lafetra, of Shrews- bury, one of the associate patentees of Monmouth, and also one of the members of the Manasquan Beach Company. He died before 1687, leaving his property by will to his widow, Frances La- fetra. His descendants are still living here.

Thomas Tilton, also one of the associates of

1 The one-sixth interest sold to Thomas Tilton by James Grover, was sold to Grover September 5, 1708, hy Thomas Shepherd.

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WALL TOWNSHIP.

the Monmouth patentees, purchased land where Robert L. Morris now lives, and in 1751 he had a saw-mill on Saw-mill Brook, which is the south branch of Wreck Pond. It is men- tioned in a road record of 1793, and the founda- tion is remembered by old residents. He died be- fore 1768, and his son Thomas lived in the homestead house, which is still standing and oc- . Methodist Independent Church of Free Com- cupied by Robert L. Morris. Thomas Tilton, munion Chapel," and elected the following trus- Sr., purchased other land adjacent, and he | tees : "John Saplin Newman, W. IL., Benjamin B. Allgor, Aaron Gaskin, Cook Howland."

joined also in the speculation on Mana- squan Beach. Thomas Tilton, Jr., married Faith, daughter of Joseph Lawrence. Abby Tilton, their daughter, became the wife of James L. Morris, whose son, Robert L. Morris, now resides in the old homestead house, a time-worn building with shingled sides.

In the locality called Blansingburg, a school- house was built before 1812, and as early as 1830, Lawrence Newberry kept a store there. It was at the house of Asher Pearce, near Newberry's store, that the Free Church now at Manasquan was organized, in 1842. Nearly west, and on the road from Bailey's Corners to Manasquan, or Long Bridge. stands the Friends' Meeting-house. It is not known at what time the Shrewsbury Meeting gave permission to es- tablish a Preparative Meeting at this place. The families of Lafetra, Tilton, Potter and others were here about 1700. It was probably about 1736 that the meeting-house was built, as that was the time when several Friends' Meetings were established through the county, from the Chesterfield (Crosswieks) and the Shrewsbury Quarterly Meetings. The original lot was half an acre, to which half an acre was added when the church was repaired sixty years ago, and another half-acre January 30, 1845.

ties sixty or seventy years ago. This oll burial- ground still remains with a few stones standing. The building was old in 1813, and the Indepen- dent Methodists, who were then organizing a number of churches through the lower part of the county, met October 2, 1813, and established " at Shark River, in the lower part of Howell, a

On the 12th of October, in the same year, the trustees purchased one acre of land of Sarah Boyd, at what is now Hopeville, and they also purchased the meeting-house erected at Hurley's by the Seventh-Day Baptists (then partially in ruins, but good in its frame), and moved it to the lot they had purchased, where it was re- paired and refitted, and was used until the trans- fer, in 1850, to the Methodist Protestants. The ministers who preached here were Zonas Conger, Matthias Barkalow, John S. Newman, Ralph Thompson and others. After the property came into the possession of the Methodist Protes- tants, they, in 1853, remodeled the chapel, and in 1873 rebuilt it, and it was dedicated June 27, 1874. The church was then under charge of the Rev. E. D. Stultz, pastor of Squan Church, under whose care the society remained until 1876, since which time L. D. Stultz served un- til 1880 and T. B AApplegate from that time to the present.

Around this chapel there is a hamlet of a few buiklings. Aaron Devoe built a small store under the hill and kept it many years. In 1860, A. H. Morris built the store which, since 1876, has been occupied by C. E. Bartow. In 1873 a post-office was established, with D. H. Woolley as postmaster. The office was for a time below the hill, and in 1876 was moved to Bartow's store, where C. E. Bartow acted as deputy until 1880, when he was appointed post- master, and still holds the office.

HOPEVILLE (otherwise called Chapel) took its name from the chapel of the Independent Methodists (now the Methodist Protestants), which was built in 1813, at this place. The Seventh-Day Baptists had erected a house of worship, and laid out a burial-ground many years NEW BEDFORD is a hamlet embracing a long rambling street, reaching from New Bedford Corners northerly to Allen's Corner. In 1844, James L. Allgor kept a store where the hotel before on a lot of land near Hurley's Corners. A large tract in that locality was taken up by David Knott, in January, 1749, and was owned by that family until it was sold to different par- ! now stands, and in 1852 the school-house on the

810

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

lot where now stands Wall Church was moved to the Corners, and occupied as a store by Smith & Allgor until it was destroyed by fire. The post-office was established about 1849 with Jacob I. Smith as postmaster. In 1860, James L. Allgor opened a store where he now is, at the north end of the street, and February 2, 1868, he was appointed postmaster, and the office was removed to his store, where it is now kept. Robert Finley was the first landlord at the Corners. He was succeeded by Isaac Amerman and Benjamin Grover, who now owns it. A carriage-shop owned by A. H. Newman and a wheelwright and blacksmith-shop by Jackson Marsh are at the northeast end of the street, and have been in existence there many years. A store is kept by John Tilton near the hotel corner.

WALL CHURCH, situated southeast from New Bedford, was erected about 1854, soon after the school-house on the same lot was removed to New Bedford Corners. It is a preaching station of Hamilton Methodist Episcopal Church.

BAILEY'S CORNERS, lying to the southwest of New Bedford, was so called from the fact that Claude Bailey, in 1865, built here a hotel, which is still conducted by Mrs. Bailey. Centre School- house is located at this place.

HURLEY'S CORNERS is a place located on a large tract of land which was taken up by Peter Knott as early as 1720, and on which he settled. His son, David Knott, remained on the home- stead left him by will dated February 17, 1770. The property passed, about 1825, to John Shafto, whose widow still owns it. Peter Knott's daugh- ters married as follows: Rebecca to Remem- brance Lippincott, Rachel to Peter Van Dike, Abigail to Gavin Drummond, Mercy to Conrad Hendrickson and Catharine to James Wilson.

On the Knott tract, a Seventh-Day Baptist Church was built, which, in 1813, was moved to Hopeville.

SCHOOLS OF THE TOWNSHIP .- In 1851, upon the erection of Wall township, Dr. Robert Laird was appointed township superintendent of schools, and the township was at once divided into ten school districts, and in each of these districts where there were no school-houses,

frame buildings for schools were erected. Dr. Laird was superintendent as long as that sys- tem remained and until the present one was adopted. There are now eleven school dis- triets, which contain thirteen hundred and eighty-seven children of school age, and the school property is valued at twenty-two thou- sand nine hundred dollars.

Old Bridge District, No. 91, has seventy- eight school children. A school-house stood near the site of the present one before 1825, which was used until 1840, when another was built on the same site. The present brick school-house was erected in 1883.

Manasquan District, No. 92, has two hun- dred and seventy-three pupils. A school-house was first built in the village about 1850. It stood about a hundred yards from the present site. This house was used until the new brick two-story school-house was built in 1881, at a cost of six thousand dollars.

Chapel District, No. 93, contains one hun- dred and two children of school age. The first school-house in this locality was erected in 1837 on land of Peter Davison, now of James L. Allgor. In 1866 the present house was erected on land of Robert Allen, Jr.

Pierce District, No. 94, is in the locality now known by the name of Sea Plain or New Brighton. A school-house was in use in this locality as early as 1835, and at it the people of the lower part of the township attended. The fine brick two-story building now used was built in 1882. The district now contains two hundred and twenty-one children of school age.

Ocean Beach District, No. 943, has two hun- dred and thirty-four scholars. In 1873 a house was built for school purposes on the same lot now occupied. This house was used until the completion (September 1, 1884) of the new one, which is located on the corner of F Street and Twelfth Avenue. The contract was let to Thomas Hudson for eight thousand three hun- dred and thirty-two dollars. The house is of brick, two stories in height, with a school-room fifty-six by forty feet, an assembly-room fifty- four by thirty-eight feet and an extension thirty-four by thirty-seven feet. The cost of the house and furniture was ten thousand dollars.

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WALL TOWNSHIP.

Laird District, No. 95, has one hundred scholars. About 1825, Abram Osborne gave a piece of ground for school purposes at or near Manasquan, or Long Bridge. This house was used many years, and in it Benjamin D. Pearce taught school for several years after 1833. It has been long since abandoned. The present school-house was built in 1858. The district is named for Dr. Robert Laird, who resides there.

Hurley District, No. 96, contains eighty-two scholars. Over forty years ago a school-house was built here on land donated by Robert K. Shafto, and was used until the fall of 1884, when the present house was completed.

Allaire District, No. 97, contains forty-seven scholars. In 1832, James P. Allaire, of the Howell Iron-Works, erected a school building for the use of the children of the workmen in his service, and he also employed a teacher. The school was continued until public schools were established, since which time a school- building has been rented of the Allaire es- tate.

New Bedford District, No. 98, includes the village of that name, in the northeast part of the township. The first school-house in this lo- cality was built before 1830, on the site of the Wall Methodist Church. It was moved to New Bedford Corners in 1852, and used as a store until it was burned. In 1853 a school-

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History of Monmouth county, New Jersey, Part 134

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