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History of Spring Lake
New Jersey’s oceanfront community of Spring Lake is
rich in history, its early development spurred by
the introduction of railroad service that came to
the area in the 1870’s. Unquestionably a place with
heart, it was the heyday of the rich and famous
enjoying summer months of uncompromised luxury,
immediately after the closing of the Centennial
Exposition in Philadelphia. Enterprising individuals
purchased and transported intact buildings, lumber
and artifacts to Spring Lake where they were used
for hotels, private homes and other structures.
The name Spring Lake came from a spring-fed body of
water that was in the center of what was a
collection of separate little communities –
Brighton, Como, Villa Park, Spring Lake Beach (to
name but a few) - existing for years as large farm
tracts. The 1889 Wolverton Atlas mentions that the
name of the lake “Fresh Pond” was changed to Spring
Lake and a newspaper story described it as a deep,
freshwater lake that was ‘so clear’ one could
recognize a coin at the bottom of its deepest part.
Each successive decade brought drama to ‘The Irish
Riviera’, Spring Lake’s nickname then AND now. The
people, their pedigrees, the lavish grand hotels
beginning with The New Monmouth in 1876, The Fire of
1900 that consumed most of the town’s businesses,
homes and cottages, intense passions that early
residents brought to this small hamlet…it’s a 130+
year history book chronicled in numerous books,
family albums, maps, photographs and endless
postcards.
Spring Lake’s Historical Society brings all of the
decades together from preserved archives of barren
farm land (1870’s) to Martin Maloney’s legendary
estate Ballingary (1905). It’s a visual time-machine
that transports visitors to a time of manners,
parasol strolls along the beach and omni-buses
(horse-drawn taxis) spotted lined up along the ocean
and lake.
Equally as extensive as its architectural records
are the photographs and postcards of each of the
bygone eras. It was a tasteful and powerful
bunch…the sophistication of summertime clientele is
evident in the imaginative surviving churches,
private estates and grand Memorial Community House.
Spring Lake was a dream – affluent and influential
visionaries were able to transform this ‘garden
spot’ into a tradition of enduring legacies – the
non-commercial boardwalk, the classic train station,
the stunning picturesque lake with its pedestrian
bridges making memories in everyone’s family albums,
reminiscences of tea dances at the New Monmouth
Hotel and one brief moment in time that stands still
just by gazing down.
Architecture – Then and Now
The visual time machine that transports visitors
throughout Spring Lake’s beautifully chronicled
evolution is rich with postcards and old photographs
of homes, hotels, churches, grand mansions, bath
houses, boarding houses and shops. The images
themselves impart a feeling of decorum and manners…a
window into the past that is now preserved for
future generations. There isn’t a tourist or
sightseer that isn’t fascinated with the remaining
structures that clearly reveal the humanity of the
era, putting their own pieces together to ‘figure it
out’.
Luckily for many, there are hand-painted cards,
personal photo collections and paintings still to be
found and admired as well as books – vintage and
contemporary. Investors, engineers and famous
architects created magnificent architectural
landmarks that we still admire today, and Spring
Lake’s enchantment is hypnotic from block to block.
For nearly a century and a half, of course there
were tragedies and disasters that threatened by fire
and hurricanes. Being a seasonal community,
residents and tourists toiled together to maintain
and preserve the vision day by day that contributed
to the town’s sense of dignity, integrity and unity.
Spring Lake with its 50+ grand hotels that were
icons of hospitality for a century, welcoming guests
to the ocean air and relaxation…set the tone for
affluent businessmen to build flawlessly appointed
homes for their families. Most of these ‘cottages’
were used only during the brief summertime. Today,
familiar ‘witches hats’ can still be spotted,
cone-shaped roofs that define an era…bright summer
awnings that will always be one of Spring Lake’s
signature fashions…and wide avenues leading to the
beach to catch a breeze and endless sky!
Private estates of note:
Ballingarry (circa 1905) the legendary estate of
Martin Maloney – was built on 18 lots bordered by
First and Second & Morris and Jersey Avenues
Chamberlain Residence – today still located on the
corner of Second and Sussex
Kavanaugh Mansion – was located on Sussex Avenue
across from the ocean, resembling the White House
Famous hotels included:
The Monmouth Hotel – opened 1876 on an entire block
on Ocean Avenue between Atlantic and Essex
Hewitt-Wellington – still located on West Lake
Avenue near Monmouth Avenue
The Warren Hotel – was located on Mercer & Warren
and entertained famous personalities including Bob
Hope & Rocky Marciano
The Essex and Sussex Hotel – Ocean Avenue between
Essex & Sussex. The original two building known as
the Essex & Sussex burned in the 1900 fire and today
is a grand condo residence
Houses of Worship:
St. Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church (circa 1910)
facing the lake and Sussex Avenue
St. Andrew’s Methodist Church (circa 1872) the first
church built in Spring Lake on West Lake Street
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