Long gone now — it had an aura and electricity to it. Today, few people know — and even fewer care — about the allure of the once mighty Long Branch Pier (and boardwalk). Will it return? Sure hope so. This cradle of city connectivity had real flamboyance. There have been five city piers in all going back nearly 200 years — with lots of hot Summer nights included. It’s been all vacant for 37 years now.
LB Pier, 1950s.
The first-ever “Pier” out over the Atlantic Ocean was probably built in 1828, according to the Long Branch city-bio book, Entertaining a Nation. Called the “Bath House Pier,” it was used mainly as docking for steamboats passing to and from New York City. I have not seen a recorded location. It was destroyed in a wicked November 1854 nor’easter — the same storm that doomed the infamous clipper ship New Era.
In August 1875, the “East End Excursion Pier” (and an adjacent hotel) opened off the North Long Branch shoreline — financed by “Gilded Age robber barons” Jay Gould and James Fisk. This “fragile folly” of Fisk, the “Branch’s gaudiest character,” and his “somber partner,” Gould, was said to have “belly-flopped into the ocean” a week after opening, according to the Red Bank Register. The pier “proved a Waterloo” for the hotel, according to Long Branch Record. Still, more Long Branch piers would follow.
The first commercially successful pier at Long Branch would come from the drive and vision of Warren, Jr. and Charles Leland who took control of the nearby massive 600-room Ocean Hotel in 1872 — and built “almost a private pier” for their hotel, according to the Long Branch Daily Record. In November 1878, they formed the Long Branch Ocean Pier Company (Charles was superintendent and John Fitch was president). Charles was there in February 1879 when the first pier pile was driven. By June 1879 the fabulous “Ocean Pier” was operating fronting Leland’s Ocean Avenue hotel.
Designed by Maclay & Davis of NYC and built by Job Johnson of Brooklyn (they also worked on the Coney Island Pier), the 672-foot-long pier featured a wide promenade deck and underneath were 600 cabanas. All the pier’s 60-foot-long marine piles were made from Maine oak trees. The final construction cost was nearly $250,000.
This first pier had striking visuals — with its multi-colored “awnings, many benches and several refreshment booths all illuminated by gas-lamps set on tall ornamental poles,” according to Entertaining a Nation. Plus, the big steamships (Plymouth Rock and Jesse Hoyt) docking with thousands of visitors on weekends. The pier was hit by a major storm in 1880.
Pier Possibilities — New Long Branch Pier sketch proposal, February 2024. The city has unveiled plans to build a modern 500-foot-long pedestrian/fishing pier; financed by a $3.2 million state grant from the NJ Boardwalk Preservation Fund. It’s another bold legacy move by the administration of Mayor John Pallone who lauded the project — calling “the pier” a major part of city history. Construction off Laird Street is set to begin in 2025. The last functioning pier in Long Branch, there have been five since 1828, burned in June 1987 — MORE INFO.
The “Iron Pier” — probably the most elaborate of all the city’s wharfside efforts — opened in 1881 at the apex of the Long Branch summer resort craze. The rebuilt pier was lengthened to 872-feet and a wide-deck promenade was added. A very popular destination for tourists and locals alike, it offered breathtaking views of the ocean and the surrounding coastline. Grand steamships ferried legions of visitors there. Always financially marginal as a business, the pier was severely damaged in November 1901, first by a storm and later by a tugboat collision. It went largely unused from then on.
Finally, after years of delay and litigation work on the $1 million “Amusement/Fishing Pier” began in April 1910 when Jesse Howland of Sea Bright was awarded a $160,000 contract for “piling and flooring” work on the pier — made of reinforced concrete and steel, according to the Long Branch Daily Record.
In September 1910, the first piling for the new Long Branch Pier was water-pressure driven over that Labor Day weekend. Some 1,500 people attended and Mayor Charles O. McFadden led the ceremony, according to the Red Bank Daily Register. Mrs. John Hubbard Parker christened the very first 10-ton pile. At 850-feet-long seaward, it was structurally completed in 1912. Samuel Rosoff was project director (later he’d build much of the NYC subway system and become the “millionaire ditch-digger” before his 1951 death) along with the Hennebique Construction and Ocean Construction companies. By 1917, the city pier was assessed at $15,000.
As Summer 1927 started the Long Branch Daily Record claimed the “monolithic pier” had become “an amusement center” and “fisherman’s paradise.” This last city pier ultimately reached out 850-feet-long before a November 1945 hurricane chopped off the end part. For over three quarters of a century the city’s pier area endured — with plenty of ups and downs — as a spot for amusement and more.
Sam Rosoff, 1937.
In April 1979, the pier was acquired by Ric-Cic, Inc. (Carmen and Thomas Ricci and Pat Cicalese), who invested $1 million in upgrades including the Haunted Mansion which opened in July 1978. By 1981, Cicalese was the sole owner. In 1985, he re-themed the pier area — coming up with the idea of “Kid’s World” after visiting “Sesame Place” in Pennsylvania. The $2.5 million amusement park — primarily for children age 2 to 12 — covered 8 acres along prime city oceanfront.
Then at the height of late-20th Century appeal, Long Branch pier and boardwalk offered: Pier Pub, Café Bar, Num’s, Big Al’s, Stuff Your Face, Sam’s Famous House of Ribs, and Jimmy’s Jetty for food and drink. Danny’s Hit-a-Away batting cages, Jungle Golf, Bumper Boats, City Jet, and Cinema 180 for fun. And Wizard’s World and Long Branch Arcades, the Water Slide and Haunted Mansion and psychic”Gifted Sara” for some thrills. Add the great swimming, surfing, fishing and sun-bathing and it becomes irresistible.
That last pier would survive past all previous structures, 75 years — until June 1987 when it burned in a spectacular fire. It stood an ugly wreck for over a decade and was finally removed in May 1998. In 2005, the $130 million Pier Village community opened — minus a pier. Developer of the upscale 16-acre oceanfront site was Applied Development Company led by brothers David and Michael Barry.
City officials have been debating the idea of a new pier for over 30 years. The last time the matter was seriously discussed the price tag for a modern pier cleared $125 million.
* * * * *
“Bluff Walk” — The city’s new boardwalk looking south, 1909.
For all the glory of being a presidential summer resort, with unmatched shore location and grand oceanfront accommodations, the idea of a “boardwalk” in Long Branch is a 20th century concept. Indeed, a Long Branch boardwalk from North End to West End (part-concrete, part-composite lumber, part-wood and just under 2 miles long) still exists today — it’s over 115 years old. It didn’t come easy, though — because in February 1900 the “Long Branch beachfront was owned by scores of individuals, some enterprising, others mean and lacking in public spirit,” according to the Long Branch Daily Record.
As Summer 1901 was ending the Long Branch Daily Record reported on famed actor-resident Oliver Byron’s plan for an oceanfront boardwalk that would “redeem Long Branch.” The city’s newspaper also reported about a boardwalk plan (a double-decker with sun parlors and cabanas) in December 1903. While doing some pier promotion to Long Branch residents and officials, the Asbury Park Press quoted a University of Pennsylvania professor in a June 1904 editorial: “the key to the ocean is a boardwalk.” The world’s first boardwalk had opened in June 1870 in Atlantic City and the trend spread up the NJ coast. Both Asbury Park and Belmar boardwalks went up just before the one in Long Branch did.
Atlantic City — the world’s first boardwalk was built there in 1870 (Steve Eccles Photo, 1906). The 500-foot-long West Jersey Pier was opened in July 1880 and wrecked by a storm 6 years later. The city’s first amusement pier, Howard’s Pier, opened in July 1882.
In October 1904 a unanimous city council pulled rank, condemning and acquiring all Long Branch shoreline property east of new Ocean Avenue (impacting 55+ owners). Thus giving the city complete control of 9,000-feet of prime oceanfront — about 2 miles from North End to West End. The focus on a new Long Branch boardwalk sharpened in March 1905 when the Long Branch Daily Record reported on a design plan by J. Wesley Seaman, the city engineer. The project at that point was called “Bluff Walk.”
Official action finally came in February 1906. According to the Red Bank Daily Register, the city council as part of a $400,000 oceanfront improvement bond: approved Dean, Schwiers & Sutton Co. of NYC to build a 9,921-linear-foot wooden boardwalk (just under 1.9 miles long) for $90,000 and George W. Rogers & Company of Sea Bright to construct the bulkhead and jetties for $154,000. The 1906 summer concession contracts — the first ever on the new boardwalk — went to H. Corn for cigars, W.D. Newman and Joseph Harrison for ice cream and soda, and A.B. Morris for popcorn. During a July 4, 1906 city celebration (with fireworks) the new boardwalk — with 600-feet completed — was “jammed” with visitors. Mayor C. Asa Francis was the official greeter.
As an amusement and entertainment venue the magnetic Long Branch boardwalk would enure for some 80 years — though two world wars and the Great Depression, through destructive storms and “juvenile delinquency bouts,” though changing tastes and destinations. It’s hard to beat fun at the beach. Not much more than a relic today, for decades the Long Branch pier and boardwalk spot provided pure Jersey Shore merriment and created lasting memories — for locals and tourists. It offered loads of good fun and paid its share of taxes. That dynamic is probably impossible to recreate.
According to my research among those to make major investments in ownership and/or operation of the pier and boardwalk through the decades include: Isaac Cranmer, Daniel Maher, Leon Minogue, Ben Sowul, Jimmy Liu, and Pat Cicalese. I’m certain there were others. I’ll continue researching the matter.
Have a look at the photo collection I’ve built to date on this nearly forgotten city landmark area:
Special Sections:
• Long Branch Pier Fire — HERE
• Dancing on the Pier — HERE
• Maher: Pier Pioneer — HERE
• City of Beach Clubs — HERE
Sign of the Times — Pier Pub entrance on the boardwalk during the fire, June 1987. in 1977, Edward B. Cross and Robert J. Sussman leased an old fisherman’s sandwich shop at the end of the pier and rebuilt it as a nautical-motif restaurant-nightclub with spectacular ocean views and called it “Pier Pub.” In 1981, Francis Marincola acquired majority control the restaurant and bar. It all burned in June 1987. Ric-Cic, Inc. owed the pier from 1978.
Pier Partners — Benjamin “Benny” Sowul (c) with sons, Bart (left, an architect and US Army vet) and Matty (right, an engineer and US Navy vet), on the Long Branch Fishing Pier, Red Bank Daily Register, June 1974. The family bought the pier in May 1964 from Daniel Maher.
Summer Fun — Matthew B. Sowul on the Long Branch Pier, Red Bank Daily Register, August 1975. The works included a 750-foot-long fishing pier and tackle shop open 24/7, children’s rides, a dozen concession stands, and restaurant and bar — which the family owned until 1978.
Loyalty Day in LB — Long Branch Fishing Pier, ad, Long Branch Daily Record, May 1968. Polish-born Ben Souwl made his fortune in America owning gas stations and taverns in Jersey City. He died January 2007.
Boardwalk Politics — Walter F. Mondale — former US Vice President — campaigning on the Long Branch boardwalk, Red Bank Daily Register, May 1984. Mondale was in NJ as a Democratic candidate for the US Presidency that November (he lost 49 states to Ronald Reagan). The former VP spoke mostly about environmental matters at Big Al’s restaurant on the boardwalk and at the new Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in North End. Among the local worthies in attendance were Congressman James Howard and his protégée, Frank Pallone, Jr., then a city councilman and NJ state senator. Mondale — a lifelong Minnesotan who died in April 2021 — was VP from 1977-1981 under President Jimmy Carter.
Big Deal — Ferris wheel on the Long Branch Pier, Red Bank Daily Register, August 1975. According to a May 1979 Red Bank Daily Register columnist, the Sowul family sold the pier to Ric-Cic company “for more than a million dollars.”
Long Branch Pier area, late-1950s.
First Boardwalk? — Leland’s Promenade looking at the Ocean Hotel, Long Branch Daily Record. A true functioning “boardwalk” in Long Branch probably dates to Summer 1880, when a 700-foot-long bulkhead was constructed on the bluff as part of a pier-rebuild project. It was topped with a wide-deck promenade, according to a 1983 Asbury Park Press story on pier history. On the north side of the promenade Joseph Cooper opened a restaurant (clam pie topped the menu). The south side was exclusive for hotel guests only.
Nun Fun — A couple of Catholic sisters and kids playing “Bowl-O” at the Penny Arcade on the Long Branch pier, Long Branch Daily Record, June 1956.
Chelsea Avenue Pavilion, city beach and pier, Summer 1919.
Pier Plan — New Long Branch Pier sketch proposal. Long Branch Daily Record, July 1910. This elaborate concept — designed by Cottrell Architects (who did the original Asbury Park Casino in 1903) — was rejected.
Another Pier in North End, Long Branch Daily Record, Feb. 1931.
“Brilliantly Illuminated” — Band Concert on the Long Branch Pier ad, Long Branch Daily Record, May 1915. And later a roller-skating race!
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 1916. The Chelsea Avenue Pavilion and pier are at right.
Coast is Clear — Long Branch shoreline looking north, mid-1970s. “On the whole … piers were not a success at the Branch.” —Entertaining a Nation: The Career of Long Branch, 1940
“Pier Review” — Long Branch oceanfront during a “booming season,” early 1980s. Just as 1980 was beginning, the Red Bank Daily Register called the renovated amusement pier and boardwalk: “among the most remarkable success stories in the state.”
#1 — “Ocean Pier” at Long Branch, 1880. Eugene Fay “kept a saloon” in a pavilion at end of the pier and and solid liquor and beer in October 1879, according to the Red Bank Daily Register.
Big Picture — The “Iron Pier” at Long Branch, Summer 1880. Docked at the pier is the steamship, Plymouth Rock — a 345-foot floating luxury hotel — could handle 3,500 passengers. The pier end breakwater was 200-feet-long and 30-feet-wide.
Long Branch Pier, 1905. The SS Columbia is docked at the end. Port-to-port: from the NYC Battery to the LB Pier it was 29 miles one-way.
Long Branch Pier, 1950s. Maybe just four piers? — According to a June 1964 Long Branch Daily Record story marking the city’s 60th year of incorporation: “In 1882, a severe storm washed away the 200-foot extension but the entire pier was not destroyed, as sometimes reported.”
Long Branch Fishing Pier ad, Long Branch Daily Record, June 1968. During peak 1980s seasons, some 1,000 anglers were known to cast off the city pier. The prime catch through the years were fluke, whiting and ling.
Long Branch Fishing Pier bait & tackle shop, Long Branch Daily Record, June 1974.
Over Board — Long Branch boardwalk after major storm damage from the Great Atlantic Hurricane, September 1944. Gale force winds reaching 75 mph reduced the city landmark to “a shambles.”
Coastal Clobbering — City oceanfront damage from the Great Atlantic Hurricane, Sept. 1944. Three separate city boardwalk pavilions — off Chelsea Avenue, Cottage Place and West End Avenue — were leveled during the brutal storm.
City Stretch — Long Branch boardwalk looking south, February 2024.
Fun & Games — Skee-Ball games at Leon’s Arcade on the city pier, Long Branch Daily Record, July 1962. The game was invented in 1908 by Joseph Simpson of Vineland, NJ.
Looking south down the Long Branch coast, 2023. “Long Branch, Metropolis of the Seashore.”—Long Branch Daily Record, Sept. 1922.
All In — North Jersey Shore coast, 1950s. Click on image to enlarge. The city is about 6.30 square miles.
Plenty of sun-worshipers during Oceanfest at Long Branch, July 4, 2017.
Big Wow! — It was Gilded Age actor and Long Branch summer resident, Oliver Byron, who first came up with the idea of a boardwalk for Long Branch, Long Branch Daily Record, September 1901.
Pier Pressure — The city’s first pier was “nothing but disappointments” to its owners. Long Branch Daily Record, August 1930.
Bathing at Long Branch — “Oh, ain’t it cold!” More Winslow Homer art work about LB from August 1871. It’s a wood engraving on paper held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC and is part of the Ray Austrian Collection.
Alone at Long Branch: Pier Village on New Year’s Day morning 2017 (MD Zund Photo).
Sun Worshipers — Long Branch city beach on a summer day, 1960s. The Beach at Long Branch: “Stretching away in either direction as far as objects are at all discernible, lies, in coruscating sparkliness, the golden key to the pleasurable attractiveness of Long Branch — the gem of her treasurehouse.”–A Complete Descriptive Guide of Long Branch, NJ by J.H. Schenck, 1868.
Long Branch “Iron Pier” entrance, 1882. The Lelands were said to be quite smooth when running their hotel operations and building the pier — “mingling with the crowd for a moment, dodging it the next, seeming to be everywhere at once and nowhere when paged” were the brothers, according to a 1933 Long Branch Daily Record profile.“
Long Branch boardwalk and pier, 1921. The Long Branch Daily Record strongly advocated for a oceanfront walkway made of stone or concrete rather then wood in a December 1905 editorial.
Bright Lights — Christmas season at Pier Village, 2023 (James Clarity Photo).
Boardwalk Buster — “Long Branch Children’s Carnival on Bluffwalk,” Long Branch Daily Record, August 1909 — MORE INFO.
Umbrella’s Up — Long Branch beach, 1960s. Long Branch is the most famed seaside resort in America.” —Long Branch Daily Record, February 1904.
Night Shift — Along the Long Branch Promenade looking south, December 2023 (Robert Goodman Photo). The 30-foot-wide concrete pedestrian walkway opened in September 1986. The project — designed by T&M Associates — was honored by the NJ Society of Municipal Engineers that year.
Getting There — Long Branch Pier under construction, 1916.
Lost & Found — The Surf House on the Long Branch oceanfront at the foot of Broadway, Long Branch Daily Record, October 1907. Opened in July 1894 by the Long Branch Pier Company along with the Pier Casino, it covered 300 feet of oceanfront. Later the city condemned the buildings, paid $20,000 and both were torn down in May 1908.
Pre-Pier — The Pier Casino on the Long Branch oceanfront at the foot of Broadway, Long Branch Daily Record, October 1907. The location — with the “finest marine view in America” — included six, 20-foot-wide storefronts and a theater. The two buildings were probably the first large wood structures built on the Long Branch oceanfront (before road or boardwalk) and took a pounding from sea and storm over the years. In December 1893, the pier was bought by an Investment group led by Uriah Hermann and Louis Schramm. They also bought the “Surf Hotel” at the foot of Broadway and the Shelburne Hotel across the street.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 1907. Surf House and Pier Casino are visible on the eastside of Ocean Avenue. Columbia Baths (l) opened in June 1902. The mode of transport was called a “four-in-hand” — a wood carriage drawn by four horses and one driver.
Hot Spot — Ocean Avenue and Broadway, City Tax Map 1875.
First Plan — Long Branch Recreation Pier sketch proposal, Long Branch Daily Record, July 1908. Designed by Leon Cubberly it was to be at the end of Broadway. The new pavilion (100-wide) and fishing pier (120-foot-long) could accommodate 3,000 people.
Long Branch Shoreline Map — Long Branch Daily Record, September 1905.
City Oceanfront — Ocean and Chelsea Avenues intersection, mid-1930s.
Sunny Day — Long Branch boardwalk, mid-1930s. Partners Peter Karunos and Samuel Arvanitis opened “Peter’s Pavilion” (r) as a “Candy Kitchen” in July 1918. It would operate under that name until 1963.
Pre-Pier — Long Branch beach, early 1910s. The city’s first stone sea jetty was built in 1913 and by 1929 four more were up.
Lined Up — City swimmers grab the safety-line near the Long Branch Pier (NJ State Archive Photo), 1940s. Long Branch spent $625,000 for lifeguard protection at city beaches in Summer 2023.
Sounds Good — Long Branch Amusement Pier entrance. Long Branch Daily Record, September 1973.
Bad Roll — Workman dismantles the Ferris Wheel on Long Branch Pier. Long Branch Daily Record, September 1973. Pier leadership having dealt with “juvenile delinquency problems” in Summer 1972 and another poor tourist season in 1973 were seeking to make changes. Even in 1986 the area had “unsavory elements,” according to the Red Bank Daily Register.
Blue Dolphin Pub ad, 1980s. Opened just off the boardwalk in 1976, the spot became “Twin Peaks” go-go bar in late 1991.
Fishing on the pier, 1973. By Summer 1919, the city pier was already being “heralded all over the state by amateur fishermen,” according to the Long Branch Daily Record as upwards of 500 anglers were known to cast each day.
Long Branch Pier is pounded during an early spring storm, 1984.
Peter’s Salt Water Taffy on the boardwalk, 1920s.
“The Haunted Mansion” at Long Branch Pier, 1980s. “A three-story collection of the grotesque, the bizarre and the horrible” — MORE INFO.
Grand Opening — Kid’s World at Long Branch. Red Bank Register, June 1985.
Sun & Fun — Long Branch Pier and Boardwalk, 1950s.
Long Branch oceanfront postcard, 1960s.
Long Branch Pier from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, May 1879.
Long Branch Pier takes storm wave pounding, 1980s.
Long Branch oceanfront, 1950s.
Long Branch Pier, 1975.
Long Branch Pier postcard, 1960s.
Long Branch Pier, 1980s.
Busy Beach — The city coast on a crowded summer day, June 2017. Thanks to “Long Branch Ocean Rescue” for their devotion to duty — MORE INFO.
Beautiful Music — Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival in Pier Village, September 2023 (R. Thompson Photo).
Long Branch Casino on Ocean Avenue, Summer 1909.
Another Day — Dawn at Pier Village (Eduardo Guarda Photo), Fall 2023.
Long Branch Pier, 1980.
75 Summers Ago — The “Big Labor Day Show” on the boardwalk. Long Branch Daily Record, Sept. 1948.
Long Branch pier and beach postcard, 1974. By the early 1970s, with bouts of juvenile delinquency and poor weekend weather, pier and boardwalk businesses faced challenges, according to the September 1973 Long Branch Daily Record.
Long Branch pier and beach postcard, 1970s.
Long Branch pier and beach postcard, 1936.
“Magnificent Ocean Drive” at Long Branch, 1929 (Monmouth County by the Board of Chosen Freeholders Photo).
Ocean avenue near pier entrance, 1930s.
Glory Days — “The Bluffs of Long Branch” from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, August 1872. According to the December 1903 Long Branch Daily Record, the highest point of the Long Branch bluff is at West End about 30 feet about sea level; the lowest point is at Broadway, 25 feet above sea level.
From the City — The “Plymouth Rock” steamship unloads at the “Great Iron Pier” in Long Branch, August 1879.
Long Branch Fishing Pier, 1950s. “The best fishing on the Jersey coast,” according to the Asbury Park Press, July 1915.
Pier Village — July 4th, 2023 (Al William Photo).
Real Cool — Sculptures made during the Pier Village Ice Festival, January 2024 (James Clarity Photo).
Long Branch Haunted Mansion, 1980s. Situated on the famed city pier, it covered 10,000-square-feet.
A rebuilt and ready city pier and boardwalk, late 1980s.
Long Branch Haunted Mansion, 1980s.
Long Branch Haunted Mansion, 1980s.
On the side — Long Branch Haunted Mansion performers, 1980s
OceanFest ’23 at Pier Village.
Long Branch water park along old Ocean Blvd — abandoned after pier 1987 fire, 1999 (Jacqueline Manley Photo).
OceanFest ’23 at Pier Village.
The Boards — Long Branch boardwalk looking south, 1978.
Very early Ocean Avenue, 1900. Before a road, boardwalk or pier.
Moon Rise — Long Branch Pier at night, 1985.
“Dora Baker” shipwreck off the Long Branch coast, Harper’s Weekly, August 1867.
Evening concert at Ocean Park, early 1900s.
Summer afternoon concert at Ocean Park, early 1900s.
Chelsea Avenue Pavilion, beach and pier, 1919.
Long Branch boardwalk and beaches — always busy, early 1900s.
“Children’s Carnival” on Ocean Avenue, August 1911. NJ Governor Woodrow Wilson was the top dignitary there that day.
Long Branch beach and boardwalk, Summer 1913.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1940s. A native of France, Louis J. Stefano managed the pier for over 30 years before his death in September 1954.
Strolling the Long Branch boardwalk, 1906.
“The Pier–Long Branch” sketch, 1883.
“Long Branch Ocean Pier” postcard, 1880.
“Iron Pier and Surf Bathing” in Long Branch, 1890.
“The Children’s Hour” by WInslow Homer, 1874.
Long Branch — another Fourth of July, 2022.
Long Branch Pier in the distance seen from North End beaches, 1970s.
Long Branch pier and boardwalk, 1960s.
Build a Boardwalk — New York Herald editorial, October 1905.
City coast during OceanFest ’22 (Dave Booth Photo).
Fishing on the Long Branch Pier, 1930s. A bad 1985 coastal storm took more than 12,000-square-feet of pier fishing space. At the time the Harry Bassinder family was leasing the pier end for use by area anglers.
“Greeting from Long Branch, NJ” beach postcard, 1960s.
Long Branch Pier construction workers. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, May 1879.
Long Branch Pier amusements, 1980 (Dan Hennessey Photo). By Fall 1983, the Long Branch pier/boardwalk was again thriving — with 29 different concessionaires.
Long Branch Pier fishing, 1980s.
Waterslide at Long Branch boardwalk, 1970s.
Long Branch Pier, 1980s.
Long Branch Haunted Mansion, 1980 (Dan Hennessey Photo). Grand opening for the 32-room, 37-actor fright house was in July 1978. Developed by Carmen and Thomas Ricci, it all burned in June 1987.
“I survived the Long Branch Haunted Mansion” badge (1978-1987). Opening Day admission was $3.
Long Branch Haunted Mansion concept design, 1977. In April 1978 the city zoning board granted variances allowing for this three-story pier structure. That July 4th the pier-boardwalk area had an estimated 20,000 visitors.
Long Branch Haunted Mansion ad, late 1970s.
Long Branch Haunted Mansion ad, late 1970s.
Ocean Avenue looking south, 1910s.
Baby parade on the Long Branch boardwalk, 1911.
Ocean Avenue looking south, 1909.
Long Branch oceanfront, early 1900s.
Long Branch pier on the Atlantic Ocean, 1930s.
Horse Power — Ocean Avenue in Long Branch at the turn of the century.
Boardwalk Beginnings — Ocean Avenue, 1875. The shop to the right is “Central Drug Store.”
Long Branch beach and pier, Summer 1940s.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1972. Max’s and Wizard’s World arcade.
Chelsea Avenue Pavilion and the beach, 1910s. Note the lack of a pier.
“Scene on the beach” at Long Branch, early 1900s.
“Saucer Toss” at Long Branch boardwalk, 1978.
Arcade at the Long Branch Pier, 1980 (Greg Coben Photo). According to Long Branch Daily Record from May 1922, A.B. Morris was the first to sell saltwater taffy on the Long Branch boardwalk from his Morris Pop Corn Stand.
Bikes & Boards — Long Branch boardwalk, late 1970s (Greg Anderson Photo).
Ocean Avenue and boardwalk at night, 1940s.
Pier Village beach, 2020.
Long Branch boardwalk, July 1959.
The infamous “Pop-Up Party” in Pier Village, May 2022. Over 5,000 teens and young adults descended on the Long Branch coast; multiple arrests were made for bad behavior and property damages.
Off the Boardwalk — Ocean Avenue and Long Branch Stadium, July 1937.
Summer Day — Long Branch beach and pier, 1964.
Chelsea Avenue Pavilion and a busy city beach, 1905.
Long Branch Fishing Pier, 1950.
Before arcades and rides; before pool clubs and eateries. This prime Ocean Avenue territory between Chelsea Avenue and Laird Street once held the fabulous Mansion House hotel. Begun as a modest boardinghouse in 1845 by Jacob W. Morris, it grew to a 600-room shore showplace that hosted the nation’s elite (Mary Lincoln and US Grant were summer guests). Badly damaged in a December 1884 fire, it was torn down in 1910 to build the new pier.
Gray Day — Long Branch boardwalk looking south, Winter 2023.
Old Long Branch pier front grounds before major development, late 1970s.
Ocean Pier Cigar ad, March 1880.
Alexandros Souvenir Shop on the Long Branch boardwalk, 1931.
Long Branch beach and pier, 1912. The new pier — after a decade of delay — was under construction at the time. It looks skeletal here.
Ocean Park summer concert, 1909.
Long Branch Pier, Spring 1983.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1915.
Dawn at the Long Branch boardwalk, Winter 2023.
Long Branch Boardwalk on a busy day, 1959.
“Bathers at the Beach in Long Branch,” Summer 1912.
“On the beach in Long Branch,” 1904. Note the lack of a pier. By May 1911, the Hennebique Construction Company of New York was working on a new 324-foot-long pier.
Long Branch Pier — before and Ocean Avenue or a boardwalk, about 1912. Just an “old dirt path,” according to Entertaining a Nation.
Long Branch roller-coaster, 1911. Called the “Scenic Railway” — it was built across from the pier in Ocean Park by H William Piper of Pittsburg. At the time it was the world’s highest coaster. It only lasted a few seasons, until Piper’s son Raymond was thrown from one of the cars and died on Labor Day weekend 1913.
Long Branch roller-coaster, 1912. Built at a cost of $50,000, the attraction opened in June 1911 in Ocean Park (then owned and by S.R. Rosoff). Called the “highest roller coaster in the world,” it was later moved to Keansburg.
Long Branch boardwalk looking south, July 1920. The red-roofed pavilions were the pier entrance.
Long Branch Promenade and Pier Village, Christmas Eve 2022.
Long Branch boardwalk and beach scene, August 1930.
Long Branch Amusement Pier — “Skilo” parlor entrance, late 1970s. The popular boardwalk game was similar to bingo.
Ocean Park at corner of Broadway and Ocean Avenue, 1905. The building shown was the Casino Annex.
Long Branch Pier, 1875.
Oceanfront Comeback — A new Long Branch pier and boardwalk is underway, 1978. Note all the new concession-front construction to the right.
Artist proposal for new Long Branch pier and boardwalk facilities after the 1987 fire (Pat Cicalese Image). The plan never happened.
Arcade at Long Branch Pier on Ocean Avenue, late 1970s (Dan Hennessey Photo)..
Family Feast — Big Al’s on the Long Branch boardwalk, late 1970s.
“World’s Finest Ocean Boulevard,” 1927.
End-to-End — the Long Branch Pier, 1940s.
Long Branch Pier and beach, 1960s.
Long Branch Fishing Pier, 1940s postcard. It was “the largest fishing pier in the world,” according to the 1944 Long Branch Daily Record.
Junior’s Restaurant on the Long Branch boardwalk, 1950s. Working “sunrise to sunset on the boardwalk,” George Cafantaris ran Junior’s for 39 years. First selling frozen custard then serving three meals daily. All was lost in the June 1987 fire.
Prime Pier Location — Junior’s Restaurant, 1960s. Owner George Cafantaris — “a living institution on the pier” — died in April 2009. A WW II veteran and Massachusetts native, George lived in Spring Lake for over 50 years.
In later years, Junior’s moved down the boardwalk, 1979 (Dan Hennessesy Photo).
“The Shops at Pier Village,” 2022. Long Branch’s “pier/boardwalk” of today — via Kushner Companies. MORE INFO. The Carousel is the round building at left.
Today’s “Carousel at Pier Village” on Ocean Avenue. The menagerie-themed, merry-go-round opened in July 2019 — restoring an “iconic charm of historic Long Branch.” The city owns the ride, Carousel Works in Ohio built it, and Extell Development paid as part of its large expansion of Pier Village. MORE INFO.
Back then — Carousel on the Pier, 1940s. Built in the early 1900s, according to the Long Branch Daily Record — the Merry-Go-Round included 52 wooden animals, hand-carved from Europe. It was the only belt-driven ride on the Jersey Shore. It operated until 1979 when it was dismantled and replaced by the “Wave Swing” ride.
Closer look at the carousel on the pier, 1970s.
Carousal on the pier, 1940s (NJ State Archives Photo). The merry-go-round ride arrived on the pier in May 1926.
The pier merry-go-round was ruined during a major hurricane (winds hit 75 mph), September 1944. The owner then was Daniel Maher and the carousel was valued at $10,000. The city’s first carousel dates to 1908.
The “Wave Swinger” on the Long Branch Pier, late 1970s. It replaced the carousal.
Long Branch pier fun and games, 1980 (Dan Hennessey Photo). In the background is “Jet City” — the 50-foot-tall roller-coaster ride opened in July 1979.
Long Branch Pier with the “Haunted Mansion” and “Cinema-180,” 1980.
Long Branch boardwalk, Summer 1916.
Long Branch coast looking south — before Ocean Avenue or a boardwalk, Summer 1903. The Ocean Hotel is to the right.
Long Branch Pier, 1978. The architect on the pier’s redesign was M. Herbert Staruch of Toms River. Ric-Cic bought the pier in May 1979.
Chelsea Pool & Water Slide Opening on the Long Branch boardwalk, Memorial Day weekend 1978. Mayor Henry Cioffi cuts the ribbon surrounded by the Cicalese and Ricci families.
Sun & Fun — Long Branch pier and boardwalk area, 1980. At the time the property (including the Haunted Mansion, Water Slide, and Kid’s World) was all owned by Pat Cicalese.
“Big Al’s” on the Long Branch boardwalk, early 1980s.
New Long Branch Pier sketch proposal, 2013. According to a March 2018 Asbury Park Press report, “the city has the riparian rights to the water and a state coastal permit to put the pier back, but only in its original location at the Laird Street beach.”
Quiet beach day at Pier Village, Summer 2018.
Big beach day at Pier Village, Summer 2020 (StansPhotos).
Staying Cool? — Ladies walk along the Long Branch oceanfront, 1901.
“On the Bluff at Long Branch at the Bathing Hour” from Harper’s Weekly, August 1870. It’s a wood carving by Winslow Homer.
“Happy Days in Long Branch, NJ,” 1900 postcard.
Long Branch Pier, 1979.
Long Branch promenade looking north, Fall 2022.
Boards & Birds — Herring Gulls perched along a Long Branch boardwalk railing, Fall 2021.
Early evening crowd gathers at the Long Branch Amusement Pier, 1960s. Leon Minogue ran the arcade on the pier for over 25 years — operating “a boardwalk concession” as early as Summer 1938.
Long Branch Ocean Pier, 1880. It was opened in June 1879 by the Long Branch Pier Association.
Long Branch Ocean Pier, 1880.
A busy Long Branch beach day, 1930s.
Long Branch Pier, 1879. The Plymouth Rock steamship owned by James Fisk is seen docked. The round-trip LB-to-NYC boat fare was 60 cents.
Development of the water slide and water park near the Long Branch Pier, early 1980s.
“Iron Pier and Surf Bathing, Long Branch, NJ,” 1890.
Long Branch boardwalk near Bath Avenue gets major improvements, October 2015. The city lost nearly a mile section of the boardwalk to Superstorm Sandy in 2012. This boardwalk reconstruction project — the largest in city public works history — cost $24 million.
Peter’s Pavilion inside along the boardwalk, 1940s.
A wide and inviting Long Branch boardwalk and some miniature golf too, 1950s postcard. It was called the Deck Golf Course and the first Monmouth County Miniature Golf Championship was held there in August 1945. It operated there as Long Branch Golf Land (Angelo Valenzano and Patrick Moscatello were the owners) until 1971. The activity returned in July 1979 as a tropical-themed mini-course (several Florida palm trees were flown in).
Crowds jam the boards, Summer 2013.
Wizard’s World Arcade, 1970s. Offering good fun to local kids, Richard and Frank Seininsky opened the boardwalk business on Memorial Day weekend 1973. The oceanfront arcade won awards for having the best and newest pinball machines and video games and the business grew over the years even surviving the infamous “Boardwalk fire of ’87.” Acting under eminent domain, the city took the property in October 2001.
Legend Lost — The last arcade buildings along the Long Branch boardwalk prior to demolition, Spring 2002 (Rich Seininsky Photo).
Long Branch boardwalk in ruins after a storm, 1974.
Long Branch Pier, 1950s.
“Buffs of Long Branch,” 1874.
Long Branch Pier entrance, February 1921.
On the beach at Long Branch, 1920s.
Chelsea Avenue Pavilion along the boardwalk, 1920s. Carl Cola operated a refreshment stand there in the early 1920s.
Pier Village beaches at maximum hollday density, July 2019 (StansPhotos).
“Most perfect silence” — a sunrise off the Long Branch boardwalk near the promenade, July 2022.
Long Branch Pier and Boardwalk looking north, 1910.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 1912. The Chelsea Avenue Pavilion is right and Columbia Baths is left.
“Baby Parade” along the Long Branch boardwalk, 1920s.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 2022.
Testing the waters — bathers use rope lines in the rough surf at Long Branch, 1963.
Fireworks display in Pier Village, July 4, 2022 (StansPhotos).
Long Branch coast looking north, July 4, 2022.
City Sunrise — a glorious summer morning on the West End boards, 2021.
Beach and boardwalk, 1940s (NJ State Archives Photo).
Ocean Avenue looking north, 1937.
Long Branch Fishing Pier, 1940s.
Long Branch Pier, 1879. Job Johnson of Brooklyn built the 660-foot-long iron pier opposite Leland’s Ocean Hotel.
Long Branch Pier, May 1879.
Long Branch Pier kiddie-rides, mid-1950s.
Workers refurbishing four old storefronts along Ocean Avenue near Chelsea Avenue into a western-themed saloon look. Red Bank Register, May 1973. Owner Pat Cicalese renamed it “Pistol Pete’s Restaurant” in his dad’s honor. It had been Mike’s.
Haunted Mansion at Long Branch on the boardwalk as it appeared on Opening Day, June 30, 1978 (Asbury Park Press Photo). “Dracula” was played by John H. Kinsey, Jr.
Postcard perfect city beach, May 2021.
Long Branch Boardwalk looking south, August 1972. In April 1960, the city commissioners passed its first ordinance regulating the licensing and operation of games of chance and amusement on the boardwalk from South Broadway to Morris Avenue; Leon Minogue was granted the first license.
Very crowded Long Branch boardwalk and beach, 1920s.
Pier Village at sunset, 2021. (Kraler Photography).
Ocean Avenue and Laird Street intersection looking south, 1930s. Note 25-cent parking off the boardwalk.
Long Branch water slide, 1980s.
Busy summer day at the beach in Long Branch, 1935.
“Greeting from Long Branch,” 1960s postcard.
Long Branch Recreation-Fishing Pier, 1930s. In 1922, Daniel Maher acquired the pier for $15,000 in back taxes.
“Baby Parade” on the Long Branch boardwalk, 1911.
Ladies Recreation Pavilion on Long Branch Boardwalk, 1926.
Peter’s Pavilion on the Long Branch boardwalk, 1920s. Greek natives Peter Karunos and Sam Arvanitis opened the business in the area before 1918 and ran it until 1954.
Chelsea Avenue Pavilion on the boardwalk, 1918. The city-owned facility was hosting live music along the oceanfront as early as the 1890s. It was wrecked in a vicious 1944 storm.
Chelsea Avenue Pavilion in ruins after the Hurricane of ’44. The boardwalk was “pounded unmercifully by sea and storm to create a debacle unsurpassed in the city’s history,” according to the Long Branch Daily Record, September 1944.
Long Branch coast, early 1980s.
An interesting 1930 Long Branch Daily Record story offers some perspective and history on piers in Long Branch.
Ocean Avenue and city boardwalk, 1940s.
Long Branch Boardwalk, 1916.
Long Branch water slide, 1980. The pier is in the background.
Long Branch boardwalk aerial image, 1980s.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, Winter 2021.
Coastal Long Branch with boardwalk and pier, 1970s postcard.
Long Branch Boardwalk looking south on a foggy spring day, May 2022.
Busy summer day near the Chelsea Avenue Pavilion with the Long Branch Pier in the background, 1920s.
Long Branch boardwalk — Columbia Baths (l) and Chelsea Avenue Pavilion (r), 1911.
Long Branch Pier, 1933.
Long Branch coast looking north, 1905. No boardwalk, no street.
“World Famous Long Branch Fishing Pier” postcard, 1960s.
Long Branch Boardwalk, 1928. In February 1925, Walter E. West was awarded a city contract to build and then lease a smaller boardwalk pavilion (l) just north of the Chelsea Avenue Pavilion (r). By October 1926 “Max” Altman was involved there.
“Beach and Boardwalk” postcard, 1910.
Old Ocean Avenue, 1908.
Long Branch Pier, 1980s.
Long Branch Millennium Pier sketch proposal by Carl Turner, 1998.
New Long Branch Pier under construction, December 1878.
Long Branch seaside by Thomas Nast. Harper’s Weekly, 1880.
Long Branch seaside — another look, 1860.
Auto racing along Ocean Avenue, 1907.
New Long Branch Boardwalk sketch proposal. Long Branch Daily Record, March 1905. The plans were drawn by J. Wesley Seaman, the city engineer. Dean, Schwiers & Sutton Co. built it for about $90,000.
An Idealized version of Ocean Avenue. Then called “The Drive” in 1872.
Low moon — the Long Branch boardwalk at dusk, 2020 (Beth Anne Duze Woolley Photo).
“On the Bluff at Long Branch,” 1870s.
Haunted Mansion at Long Branch model. The grand opening for the 32-room, 37-actor fright-house was June 30, 1978. Admission was $2.50. It was all part of a $1 million renovation project on the city’s Amusement Pier. Staruch Associates was the architect. Owners Ric-Cic Corp. had wide interests in the family amusement business having worked in Seaside Heights, Brigantine, and Seaside Park. The Mansion burned in the June 1987 LB pier fire.
Rough surf at Long Branch, New York Illustrated News, 1863.
Ocean Avenue looking north, 1910. With new boardwalk and a pier.
Chelsea Grill Ad, Asbury Park Press, July 1934.
“Bathing” in Long Branch, 1910.
Long Branch beach scene, 1980s.
New Long Branch boardwalk looking south, 1909. In the beginning it was called “Bluff Walk.”
Strolling on the city’s new boardwalk, 1911.
Along the Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 1950s.
Boardwalk Beginning — $89,925 was the price-tag. Red Bank Daily Register, February 1906.
Pier Village and beach aerial image, July 4, 2020.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1934. By this time the boardwalk was “certainly in need of rehabilitation,” according to a Daily Record editorial. “A few shooting galleries, games of chance, and occasional dancing constitute the program offered visitors. Bathing is the sole legitimate asset Long Branch has to offer.”
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 1940s. At right is the Chelsea Avenue Pavilion built in the late 1890s.
Long Branch pier and boardwalk, 1980.
Jimmy’s Jetty on the Boardwalk, August 1975. In 1968 Jui Yung “Jimmy” Liu acquired a large section of the boardwalk — making Jimmy’s Jetty with The Cafe Bar, Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dogs and a Chinese-Seafood Restaurant. He also owned the Exxon station on Broadway and many city rental properties. According to a July 1977 Long Branch Daily Record profile, “hard work” and “wheeling and dealing,” were the keys to his success. Born in Shanghai, China in 1929, Jimmy launched nearly 40 US restaurants before his death in September 2002.
Jimmy Liu and his son, Jimmy, Jr. inspect the rebuilding of their city boardwalk business after a 1984 end-of-summer fire, May 1985.
Chelsea Arcade Company at Ocean and Chelsea Avenues, 1908. Opened in July 1907, it housed a merry-go-round, penny arcade and sold Root Beer, candy, popcorn, and souvenirs. Robert W. Zimmerman built the structure for $7,500. Anthony T. Woolley ran the operation. Charles Looff, who built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876, did the work in Long Branch. It held 125 people and cost a nickel to ride. In 1909 a $2,000 Boecker organ was added. Later it was called the Chelsea Roller Skating Rink. The building was torn down in April 1928 to make way for the expanding Chelsea Baths.
Chelsea Roller-Skating Rink, Long Branch Daily Record, 1908. Raymond Disbrow and Henry Morris opened the boardwalk operation in January 1908. It could accommodate 200 skaters and had a mechanical band. Admission was 25 cents. The maple-floored rink was 5,625 square feet. Morris “Mott” Wood, a champion speed skater and Long Branch native, gave lessons at the rink in 1908. Lyman Koch acquired the business in 1924.
Opening of the Chelsea Roller-Skating Rink ad, Long Branch Daily Record, Feb. 1908.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 2021.
Long Branch Pier and boardwalk on a dreary-stormy day, 1970s (Dan Hennessey Photo).
Long Branch boardwalk looking south, 1970s.
Long Branch in peak glory days, 1890s. A stroll by the West End Hotel on Ocean Avenue (r). Owners the Hildreth family built the connecting bridge and pavilion in 1880 for $5,500.
Ocean Avenue looking north, 1901.
Long Branch beach scene, 1920s (Dan Hennessey Collection).
City boardwalk area near Chelsea Avenue. Long Branch Daily Record, July 4, 1959.
Pier Village looking north, 2021. MORE INFO. Anti-littering rules for city’s boardwalk and beach area date back to July 1906; City Councilman James Dunn introduce the first ordinance.
Long Branch Fishing Pier, 1960s. Considered a “fisherman’s paradise” — the pier was 850-feet- long.
Long Branch Fishing Pier, July 1986. At the time, the fishing pier section was leased by Harry Bassinger for $17,000 per year. His brother, David, leased the Scotty’s Arcade portion of the pier. Pat Cicalese owned it all. Everything would burn in 11 months.
Long Branch Pier, 1980. Still popular then: it had the Haunted Mansion and the Water Slide, skeeball and pinball, Danny’s Hit-Away batting cages and Jungle Golf, Stuff Yer Face and Pier Pub and much more, making the Summer of 1980 one of the best ever along the oceanfront.
Redevelopment of the Long Branch Boardwalk-Pier area, 1980s.
The Booth boys of Long Branch on a Kid’s World ride, 1980s.
Ocean Avenue, 1920s. The first official attempt to build a “magnificent oceanfront boulevard” with a “boardwalk to its east” came in July 1905, when Councilman J.N. Flanigan suggested building a 125-foot wide roadway and boardwalk from Seaview Avenue to Brighton Avenue. The price tag was $400,000. The city council soundly rejected the plan 9-2, according to the Long Branch Daily Record.
” Long Branch Golf Land” along the boardwalk, 1960s. The miniature golf course opened in 1960. The first 18-hole putting course along Ocean Avenue was opened in July 1927.
“Jungle Golf” on Ocean Avenue, 1984.
“Jungle Golf” on Ocean Avenue, 1980s.
“Scene Along the Boardwalk” in Long Branch, 1930s.
“Find Me in This Crowd of Bathers.” Long Branch, NJ postcard, 1936.
Kid’s World water-slide at Long Branch Pier, 1980s.
Wrong turn — an auto wreck off Long Branch boardwalk, 1980s.
Long Branch Pier, Summer 1981.
Classic Long Branch — the steamer Plymouth Rock docks at the Long Branch Pier, 1880s.
Foggy night on the city boardwalk looking south, 1980s.
McDonald’s Restaurant on the Long Branch Boardwalk, 1980s.
Long Branch Boardwalk, 1930.
Long Branch Boardwalk, 1940s.
Busy beach day around the Long Branch Boardwalk and pier, 1930s.
City boardwalk and arcade, 1970s (Andy Smith Photo).
Fishing off the Long Branch Pier, 1970s. Matt Sowul bought the pier in 1964 from Daniel Maher. The Sowul family sold their pier interests in May 1979 to Ric-Chic.
Fishing off the Long Branch Pier, 1950s. The spot had anglers coming from all over the county and state.
July 4th Celebration on Long Branch Boardwalk ad, Long Branch Daily Record, July 1959. Who remembers these businesses?
Long Branch boardwalk, 1920s.
Long Branch Pier and Chelsea Baths, 1980s.
Long Branch Pier, 1951.
“Ocean Boulevard” Long Branch looking north, 1918.
Long Branch coast with pier in the distance, 1960s.
Ocean Avenue at Long Branch Pier, 1939. Peter’s Pavilion at left.
Ocean Avenue at Long Branch Pier, 1939.
Long Branch Pier, early 1980s.
Long Branch Pier ad, 1980s.
Ocean Avenue looking north, early 1900s.
Pier Village, August 2021.
Long Branch boardwalk and beach, 1903.
Looking west to the boardwalk from the city pier, 1970s,
Long Branch boardwalk, 1980s.
Long Branch boardwalk, beach and pier, 1928.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 2021. The West End-North End route is just under 2 miles.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 2022.
Pier Village looking north, Summer 2021.
“On the Beach, Long Branch,” 1906.
Haunted Mansion at Long Branch, 1980s.
“The Beach at Long Branch, NJ” by Francis Augustus Silva, 1882.
A busy Long Branch Pier, 1920s.
Long Branch amusement and fishing pier, 1983. It all burned in June 1987.
Long Branch Arcade on the pier, 1970s (Dan Hennessey Collection).
Historic Mural of Long Branch boardwalk, 1940s.
City boardwalk and Ocean Avenue looking south, 1988.
Ocean Pier — the brand new city pier extended 860 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, June 1879.
Long Branch Pier, 1950s.
Long Branch pier aerial image, early 1980s.
Water Slide at the city boardwalk, 1980s (Dan Hennessey Collection).
City lifeguards by the pier, 1920s.
Long Branch Pier as it appeared in a New York Times report, August 13, 1899.
City pier with steamer docking, 1882.
Long Branch Pier under construction, 1910.
Pier Village aerial image, 2010s.
Long Branch beach scene, 1875.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1956.
Chelsea Pool & Water-slide on the boardwalk, 1978. The slide’s peak was 35-feet high.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1930s.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1920s.
Long Branch pier area postcard, 1960s.
“Greetings from Long Branch, NJ” postcard, 1960s.
Long Branch pier area postcard, 1960s.
“Bluffs of Long Branch,” 1871 (the unappealing view).
Long Branch Pier. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, May 1879.
Long Branch “Iron Pier,” late 1800s.
Long Branch Pier seating, 1879.
Long Branch “Iron Pier,” late 1800s.
Long Branch Pier sketching, 1880.
Long Branch beach and pier, early 1900s.
Long Branch Pier, early 1900s.
City boardwalk with no pier, 1909. The Chelsea Avenue Pavilion was built by the city before the turn of the century and wrecked in a September 1944 hurricane.
City beach and boardwalk before last pier, early 1900s.
Long Branch boardwalk parade, 1910.
Long Branch coast looking south, 1908.
Long Branch boardwalk and new pier, 1912.
Long Branch pier entrance, 1920s.
SS Columbia docked at city pier, early 1900s.
Busy summer day on the beach, 1923.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1920s.
Long Branch boardwalk and beach, 1940s.
Long Branch pier entrance off Ocean Avenue, 1930s.
Long Branch boardwalk, 1930s.
Alexandro Pavilion on Long Branch Pier, 1920s.
The city’s new boardwalk looking south, 1909.
Fishing on the Long Branch Pier, 1929.
LB Pier Memories …
While researching the history of Long Branch piers (there have been five in all; the first built in 1828), I ran across a few things more than once. Any of these sound familiar:
Morris Pop Corn Stand, Jaeger’s Restaurant, Pier Pub, Long Branch Pier Association, Chelsea Pool, Jungle Golf, William Piper, Daniel Maher, Sowul family, Jimmy Liu, Ric-Cic Co., Job Johnson, skee-ball, Long Branch Pier and Land Company, Ferris Wheel Marathon of ’75, Stan Dziuba, Kid’s World, Pistol Pete’s, Raymond Baffery, Haunted Mansion, Shooter’s Lounge, Rufus Hatch’s Iron Steamboat Co., Bill Shiel, George Gold, Garrett Hennessey, and Palm trees.
Ocean Avenue near city pier, 1930s.
Long Branch Boardwalk along Ocean Avenue looking north, 1940s.
George’s Bar & Grill on Long Branch Pier, 1930s.
Peter’s Pavilion on the Boardwalk, 1950s. The business opened in 1920 and was run by Peter and Georgia Karunos. Born in Sparta, Greece, Peter ran his shop until his death in Sept. 1954.
Peter’s Salt Water Taffy on the boardwalk, 1920s (Long Branch Public Library Photo).
Peter’s Pavilion on the boardwalk, 1950s. Sam and Sassa Arvanitis were co-owners.
Long Branch Pier promo, 1950s. “America’s Greatest Fishing Pier.”
Funland Park at Long Branch Pier 1952.
Long Branch Pier, 1950s.
Playland Arcade on the city boardwalk, 1950s.
Long Branch Pier aerial view, 1950s.
Long Branch Pier aerial view, 1950s.
Long Branch Pier aerial view, 1950s.
Long Branch fishing pier, 1950s.
Pier Village, 2021.
Long Branch boardwalk at night, 2020.
City beach-boardwalk aerial image, July 4, 2019.
Long Branch Pier postcard, 1960s. Francis and George Beecher operated the rides concession on the pier during the early 1960s.
Playland on city pier, 1972.
Long Branch boardwalk postcard, 1960s.
Long Branch pier and beach, 1960s.
Long Branch fishing pier, 1962.
Long Branch Pier postcard, 1964.
Long Branch pier, 1970s.
Pistol Pete’s along the west side of the city boardwalk, 1977. Bill Tsarouhis owned the business beginning in 1973 and for years after the pier fire in 1987.
Club Spanky on Ocean Avenue, 1970s.
Wizard’s World Arcade on the city boardwalk, 1970s.
Haunted Mansion on the Long Branch Pier, 1970s.
Haunted Mansion on the Long Branch Amusement Pier, 1978.
Haunted Mansion on the Long Branch pier, early 1980s.
Bait & Tackle Shop on Long Branch Pier, 1978 (Dan Hennessey Photo).
Haunted Mansion on Long Branch Pier, 1970s.
Haunted Mansion on Long Branch Pier, 1970s.
Criterion Candies shop on the city boardwalk, 1970s (Dan Hennessey Photo).
Under the Boardwalk in Long Branch, 1978.
Long Branch coast along Old Ocean Avenue looking south, 1970s.
Long Branch pier viewed from the beach, early 1980s.
Roller skating at the boardwalk, 1970s.
Num’s on the Boardwalk, 1980.
Long Branch boardwalk looking north, 1970s.
Chelsea Water Slide, 1978. Located on the west side of Ocean Avenue between Laird Street and Chelsea Avenue.
Chelsea Water Slide, 1978.
Long Branch Pier, 1978.
Wizard’s World Arcade on the boardwalk, 1978 (Dan Hennessey Photo).
Wizard’s World Arcade, 1990s. Richard Seninsky operated the boardwalk fun and games business for nearly 30 years (1973-2001).
Skee-Ball game at Wizard’s World on Long Branch boardwalk, 1990s.
Big Al’s on the boardwalk, 1980s.
Getting to the beach in 1792. Red Bank Daily Register, 1929.
Long Branch Pier Fire Video: June 1987 — HERE