Long Branch Pier & Boardwalk History

by Greg Kelly · Published October 10, 2024 · Updated October 14, 2024

Witness to the incineration of a city landmark …

City’s Dawn …

Long gone now — it had an aura and electricity all to its own. Today, few people know, and even fewer care, about the allure of the once mighty Long Branch Pier (and boardwalk). This cradle of city connectivity and charm had real flamboyance.

There have been five city piers in all going back nearly 200 years — with lots of hot Summer nights included. Now it’s making a comeback. The spot has been pier-less for 37 years now.

Early Misfires
The first-ever “Pier” out over the Atlantic Ocean was built in 1828, according to the Long Branch city-bio book, Entertaining a Nation. Thaddeus W. Whitlick, Alexander MacGregor and John P. Lewis led the company that built what was called the “Bath House Pier.” Located near Bath Avenue of today, it was used mainly as a dock for steamboats passing to and from New York City (a practice suggested back in 1809 by the New York Herald). I have never seen any proper record or image on this pier. Back then the area included about a half-dozen boardinghouses (many renovated farmhouses) for summer rentals, use mostly by Philadelphia visitors who came to the seashore by stage-coach.

In Summer 1845, Philadelphia residents wishing to go “Sea Bathing at Long Branch” got started by boarding a 5 am train to Hightstown, NJ (breakfast was then served) from there travelers via “pleasant stages” “gentle horses” and accommodating drivers” got to Long Branch by “early afternoon.” The 80+ mile trip cost $3. Stages returned to Hightstown every morning.

I’ve never seen any official record or image on this pier. The pier was destroyed in a wicked November 1854 nor’easter — the same storm that doomed the infamous clipper ship New Era.

JIm Fisk

Seeing and seeking profits on the Long Branch summer resort boom, textbook “Gilded Age Robber Barons,” Jason “Jay” Gould and James “Jubilee Jim” Fisk, Jr. acquired a hotel and 50 aces in the North Long Branch area about 1872. After major renovations and improvements, the renamed the East End Hotel (originally the Atlantic Hotel opened in1862 by Aaron Christeller) was opened.

The partners also built the nearby train depot and by August 1875, the wooden “East End Excursion Pier” was opened off the Long Branch shoreline (again no images of it). It all proved a failure. The Red Bank Register called the pier a “fragile folly by the “Branch’s gaudiest character,” Fisk and his “somber partner,” Gould. It was said to have “belly-flopped into the ocean” a week after opening. The pier “proved a Waterloo” for the whole hotel deal too, according to Long Branch Record and by1881 it closed.

Quite the dandy, Fisk had run away from home as a teen, trained as a carnival barker, peddled from wagons around New England, and spent the Civil War in London where he made a fortune shorting Confederate bonds. Rich but already under a cloud — in 1869, he and Gould had tried to corner the gold market. They had the same success as with the pier-hotel deal in North End.

Fisk never lived to see the hotel open — murdered amidst business scandal in January 1872. Born on April Fools’ Day, Fisk was just 36. After Gould cried at his partner’s deathbed in NYC, he left Long Branch is disgust. It didn’t hurt his pocketbook. When Gould died in 1892 his fortune estimated for at $75 million (about $2.5 billion today).

In 1900, Nate Salsbury (of Buffalo Bill Cody fame) would develop “The Reservation” colony on the old hotel grounds. Since 1977, Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park has held the grounds.

More Long Branch piers would follow.

Hotel Kings, Pier Pioneers
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 on the beach in February 1879 when the first pier pile was driven.

Good Life — Long Branch Ocean Pier, 1880. That the Lelands took a big leap on a pier for Long Branch shouldn’t be surprising. They were a remarkable family. Long Branch was once “hotel city” (I’ve counted 150+ to date which isn’t close to complete) but Leland’s Ocean Hotel was the “Granddaddy” of them all. The nation’s biggest hotel, set along 750-feet of oceanfront, it could accommodate 1,200 guests. The spectacular structure ruled the corner of Ocean Avenue and Broadway. The spot where Long Branch all began — its most prime real estate.

By Summer 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.

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.

New Pier Happening — New Long Branch Pier sketch proposal, February 2024. The city has begun preliminary work on a modern 500-foot-long pedestrian/fishing pier. The $8+ million project — financed by city and state funds — is another bold legacy move by the administration of Mayor John Pallone who called 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.

Long Lasting Pier
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, the pier 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.

Then one of the most fascinating leaders — both civic and commercial — in all Long Branch history came along, Daniel Maher. This epic promoter, developer, and politician was a fierce advocate for the city’s oceanfront. There he would rule over Long Branch pier and boardwalk culture for 40 years — with a flair and hospitality much missing today.

LB Pier, 1950s.

From its early development in the mid-1920s up until the late-1980s fire that ended it all, the Maher blueprint prevailed on the city’s oceanfront. He first got involved in late 1921, acquiring the new pier for $15,000 in back taxes. The goal of his Ocean Pier & Amusement Association was build “one of the finest amusement centers on the coast.”

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.

Leon F. Minogue ran an arcade on the city pier for over 25 years — operating “a boardwalk concession” as early as Summer 1938. In April 1960, the city commission passed its first ordinance regulating the licensing and operation of games of chance and amusement on the boardwalk from South Broadway to Morris Avenue; Minogue was granted the first license. Calling his fun palace “as American as Apple pie,” he operated Leon’s Arcade on the pier — the largest in all NJ in its day — before selling out in the early 1970s.

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-20^th 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 20^th 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 — by 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 the 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.

Pier Vision — “Sketch of Proposed New Ocean Pier,” Long Branch Daily Record, January 1910. The elaborate $1.5 million concept — designed by Cottrell Architects (who did the original Asbury Park Casino in 1903) — was rejected by the city council.

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 city oceanfront photo collection I’ve built to date of a nearly forgotten city landmark area:

Special Sections:
• Dancing on the Pier — HERE
• Long Branch Pier Fire — HERE
• Dan Maher: Pier Pioneer — HERE
• City of Beach Clubs — HERE
• Pool Club Row — HERE

At the Shore — Arcade on Long Branch boardwalk, 1960.

Pier Pub area on city pier, early 1980s. With Gorilla on top.

Ocean Avenue, 1910s. “The old Long Branch died slowly,” —Entertaining A Nation, 1940.

No Drinking! — Prohibition in practice at the pier. Long Branch Daily Record, February 1932.

Open Boards — Long Branch boardwalk looking north, Labor Day weekend 2024 (Jim Clarity Photo).

Seashore Serenade — Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival at Beachfront North in Pier Village on Cooper Avenue, August 2024.

Bright Lights, Big City — LB Jazz & Blues Festival fireworks display, August 2024.

Not Much — “Long Branch Pier” as it appeared in a New York Times report, August 1899.

Down the Track — Held in conjunction with the city’s first “Summer Carnival” in August 1909 (which included a large and competitive auto floral parade) was a “Car Race” (auto speed trials, in fact) on Ocean Avenue — run south from Broadway to Brighton Avenue. The Long Branch Board of Trade (a group representing city business interests) sponsored the event (the cars were priced for sale). Robert Heitemeyer drove the high-powered automobile (a Simplex) that completed the one-mile course fastest at 52 seconds (that’s nearly 70 mph). “Guarded by a corps of police officers,” there were no accidents — although Police Chief James Layton (stationed at the West End finish-wire) admitted to a few “hair’s-breathe escapes.” Although the Long Branch Daily Record estimated that nearly 70,000 people attended the festivities, I have yet to find another “car race” happening on Ocean Avenue. The large structure in the background is the landmark Howland Hotel — near the West End finish. Long Branch “hotel pioneer” Henry Wardell Howland took ownership in 1842, quickly expanded operations and ran one of the longest-lasting big hotels along the ocean until retiring in 1877. The Long Branch native died July 1897.

Big Picture — Band concert in Ocean Park at Broadway and Ocean Avenue, early 1900s. In the center background is a large hotel (know through the years as the Shelburne, Wilson, and Lenox Hotels). Also note the amazing architecture across the street along the boardwalk. The two buildings were probably the first large wood structures built on the Long Branch oceanfront (before a road or boardwalk) and took a pounding from sea and storm over the years.

Lost & Found — The Surf House on the Long Branch oceanfront at the foot of Broadway, Long Branch Daily Record, October 1907. It covered 300 feet of shoreline.

Post-Pier — Iron Pier Casino Hotel on the Long Branch oceanfront at the foot of Broadway, Long Branch Daily Record, October 1907. The location — offering the “finest marine view in America” — included six, 20-foot-wide storefronts and a theater.

City Coast Map — Long Branch Daily Record, September 1905. By May 1908 both massive oceanfront buildings were torn down — the city having condemned them and paying $20,000.

Hot Spot — Ocean Avenue and Broadway, City Tax Map 1880. In December 1893, the pier was bought by an Investment group led by Uriah Hermann and Louis Schramm. They also acquired the Surf House and Iron Pier Casino Hotel properties at the foot of Broadway as well as the Lenox Hotel across the street.

“Sketch of Surf House ruins” from Long Branch Daily Record, January 1908. Finally felled by a series of three storms, the city had already condemned the boardwalk property. Built in the 1870s by Amzi Dodd, prior to its closure the building housed West Union Telegraph Express and Dodd’s Express offices. Luke V. Lockwood was the owner at the end.

Far Off — 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.

Open Space — In this 1937 Ocean Avenue image the boardwalk is mostly free of large structures. The Lenox Hotel at the foot of Broadway is left.

“Scenic Railway” — Long Branch roller-coaster, 1912. The attraction opened in June 1911 in Ocean Park. Called the “highest roller coaster in the world,” it cost $20,000 to construct and was made of 200,000 feet of lumber.

Long Branch roller-coaster, 1911. It was built across from the pier in Ocean Park by William H. Piper of Pittsburgh. 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.

Early Amusement — Original Long Branch roller-coaster in Ocean Park, early 1910s. It was later moved to Hunter Park in Keansburg and wrecked during a severe June 1917 wind storm.

Light it Up — Pier Village July 4th fireworks show, 2024 (Helen McAndrew Photo).

Holiday Crowds — Long Branch oceanfront on July 4, 2024 (David Booth Photo).

No Parking — Long Branch boardwalk along Ocean Avenue after major storm damages, 1944.

High Rent — Monopoly board-game “Chance” card for the “Boardwalk” property. Named for the Atlantic City boardwalk — the nation’s oldest — it is the game’s most expensive property ($400 to buy; $50 for rent). Parker Brothers stated selling the game in 1935.

All the Way — Long Branch Pier, early-1980s. At the height of its renaissance.

First Tee — “Pier Putt” — the new miniature golf course under construction at Pier Village, May 2024 (David Booth Photo). The 9-hole putting course off Chelsea Avenue opened for Summer 2024 — MORE INFO.

Long Branch Casino, 1915. The first miniature golf course in the city was opened on casino property along Ocean Avenue, according to the July 1927 Long Branch Daily Record. The 18-hole putting course was built by the Long Branch Chamber of Commerce and managed by Edgar Marsh.

Putt-Putt Pioneer — Charles F. Gardner (r) builder of the city’s first miniature golf course along the boardwalk. Next to him are Mayor J. Williams Jones and tournament competitors, John Badgley and Joe Schebelli. Long Branch Daily Record, July 1930. The 18-hole course at the foot of South Broadway cost $15,000 to build.

A wide and inviting Long Branch boardwalk and some miniature golf too, 1950s postcard. Opened for Summer 1941, developed by Frank Marazzo , it was called the “Deck Golf Course.” The first Monmouth County Miniature Golf Championship was held there in August 1945.

“Long Branch Golf Land” along the boardwalk, 1960s. The miniature golf course opened in July 1960 (Angelo Valenzano, Patrick Moscatello, and Mike Marchito were owners) and operated there until 1970.

“Jungle Golf” at Ocean Avenue and Broadway, 1983. Proposed by Mayor Henry Cioffi and the city council in December 1978, the tropical-themed mini-course (several Florida palm trees were flown in and planted but didn’t survive a year). Opened in July 1979, Francis Marincola was the owner.

“Jungle Golf” on Ocean Avenue, 1980s. “Miniature golf” was invented in 1927 in Chattanooga, Tennessee by Garnet Carter, according to the Asbury Park Press. It was so popular that by 1930, some 30,000 mini courses were operating nationwide. At the start they were sometimes called “Tom Thumb” courses.

40 Year Ago — Old “Jungle Golf” on Ocean Avenue under demolition, Red Bank Daily Register, May 1984. The property owned by Ric-Cic, Inc was wrecked to built the new Ocean Blvd. The course cost $175,000 to build.

Gone Golf — “The Square” miniature golf in West End grand opening, Long Branch Daily Record, July 1965. The 19-hole course was developed by Dom and Carol Soriano.

Down the Shore — Long Branch coast swept clean for beach-goers, 2016 (Kraler Photography). The city bluff has “no parallel upon the Atlantic coast.”

250+ Years Ago — Map of Long Branch coastal area, 1765.

Sign of the Times — Pier Pub boardwalk entrance during the fire, June 1987. Edward B. Cross and Robert J. Sussman leased an old fisherman’s sandwich shop at the end of the pier in 1977 and rebuilt it as a nautical-motif restaurant-nightclub with spectacular ocean views and called it the “Pier Pub.” In 1981, Francis Marincola acquired majority control of the pub. It all burned in June 1987. Ric-Cic, Inc. owed the pier from 1978.

Long Branch boardwalk aerial image, Spring 2024.

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.

Stretched Out — Long Branch Pier on the Atlantic Ocean, late-1970s (Dan Hennessey Photo).

Amusement Relic — Long Branch Pier remains, 1990s.

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 beach and boardwalk, Summer 1978. Note the phone booths.

Today’s City — Pier Village aerial image looking down Chelsea Avenue, May 2024 (David Booth Booth). Dean Marchetto Architects of Hoboken was designer of the 16-acre residential/commercial site; it opened in 2005.

Long Branch Pier area, late-1950s. “The beachfront still beckons, but years of neglected development have muted its calls,” according to a March 1966 August Park Press story.

Great View — Long Branch pier and patrons — facing the Leland’s Ocean Hotel, Long Branch Daily Record, 1880.

First Boardwalk — Ocean Hotel and its huge promenade deck, 1882. 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 (colorized). Long Branch Daily Record, July 1910.

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 pier and Chelsea Avenue Pavilion are at right. The city-owned facility was hosting live music along the oceanfront as early as the 1890s. It was wrecked in a vicious 1944 storm.

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.

Long Branch in the New Jersey Coast & Pines by Gustav Kobbe, 1891.

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.

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.

City Oceanfront — Ocean and Chelsea Avenues intersection, mid-1930s. As part of the city’s major overhaul of its coastline in 1907 the Ocean Avenue was lengthen to 2 miles and widened to 60 feet.

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. The pier had “lost its ability to draw quality business,” according to the Red Bank Daily Register, April 1978.

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. The Long Branch Zoning Board of Adjustment granted its approval in April 1978.

“The Whip” — Fun on the Long Branch Pier (NJ State Archive Photo), 1940s.

Sun & Fun — Long Branch Pier and Boardwalk, 1950s.

Long Branch Pier and Boardwalk, 1960.

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.

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.

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.

Build a Boardwalk — New York Herald editorial, October 1905.

City coast during OceanFest ’22 (Dave Booth Photo).

“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.

Ocean Avenue looking north, 1894. Then it was a dirt road — absent a boardwalk and a seawall.

Pier Village at Laird Street, 2014.

Waterslide at Long Branch boardwalk, 1970s.

Long Branch boardwalk damage from the Great Atlantic hurricane, September 1944.

Long Branch Pier, 1980s.

“On the Beach, Long Branch, NJ” by Winslow Homer, 1870s.

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.

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 coastal map, 1879.

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.

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 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, 1870s.

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.

Long Branch Pier and beach, 1960s.

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.

A Maybe? — New Long Branch Pier sketch proposal, 2013. “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,” according to a March 2018 Asbury Park Press report.

The Ocean Place Hotel along the Long Branch boardwalk, June 2020 (Red Bank Pulse Photo).

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.

Long Branch boardwalk in winter, 2017 (MAC Photography).

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.

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.

Full Picture — Long Branch pier, boardwalk and Ocean Avenue, 1939 (NJ State Archives Photo).

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.

Hot dogs on the Long Branch boardwalk, 1940s. (NJ State Archives Photo).

Long Branch boardwalk, 1940s (NJ State Archives Photo).

Beach and boardwalk, 1940s (NJ State Archives Photo).

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).

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, 1909.

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.

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 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.

“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).

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 — When completed the wharf structure 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Funland Park at Long Branch Pier 1952.

Long Branch Pier, 1950s.

Long Branch Pier aerial view, 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.