LB hotels …
Magnificent seashore lodgings highlight a city’s glory …
I’m endlessly fascinated by the magnificent seashore hotels that sprawled along the Long Branch coastline. These grand resorts that once blanketed the city’s oceanfront provide fabulous imagery — mostly from around the turn of the 20th century.
A natural “Bluff” along the Atlantic Ocean provided the spectacular setting for these massive wooden public palaces. The bigger, the better. It was an age when Long Branch was the nation’s greatest vacation destination. And all classes of citizens — presidents to peasants — enjoyed the shore scene back then.
The first hotel at Long Branch was opened before the 1776 Revolutionary War. “Fish Tavern” — located at Ocean and Cooper Avenues — was a simple two-story building offering food and lodging. It mostly hosted seashore visitors from Philadelphia who came by stage-coach. By 1792, it had new owners (Herbert and Chandler) and a new name (“The Shrewsbury”). According to The Story of the Jersey Shore by Harold F. Wilson (1964), The Allegheny House — a converted farmhouse at Broadway and Liberty Street — was the city’s largest hotel when it opened in 1846. James D. Wardell was the owner. It burned in 1866.
At the peak of the Long Branch resort craze, a visitor could get a room including four large meals for $4 per day at the best hotels. “Social, financial, industrial, political, and theatrical stars of the first magnitude swarmed” to the hotels, according to the Long Branch Daily Record. But then things changed like they always do. Many city hotels fell victim to declining patronage and sadly to fire and storm damage. By June 1909, Daily Record publishers worried that a “lack of sufficient hotels is Long Branch’s one great deficiency.”
Among the lost Long Branch lodging legends were the: Ocean Hotel, Stetson House hotel, West End Hotel, Metropolitan Hotel, Howland Hotel, Mansion House hotel, Hollywood Hotel, Price’s Hotel, Clarendon Hotel, United States Hotel, Elberon Hotel, Takanassee Hotel, Brighton Hotel, Scarboro Hotel, Pannaci Hotel, Vendone Hotel and Atlantic Hotel and many others.
It’s the sheer size of some of these places I can’t get over. Have a look:
In the beginning …
Early On — Long Branch coast before major hotel development, 1857.
The Line-Up — Major hotels along the Long Branch coast, Harper’s Weekly, August 1873. Many of the grand hotels were “destroyed by a relentless succession of fire and fierce storms,” according to the late Monmouth County historian George Moss of Rumson.
Long Branch hotels along the coast, F.W. Beers map, 1873.
The Long Branch seashore from “New Jersey Coast & Pines” by Gustav Kobbe, 1891.
“The Granddaddy” — Leland’s Ocean Hotel in its glory, 1873. The hotel on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Broadway was the biggest in the country. Set along 700-feet of oceanfront, it could feed 5,000 people on a summer evening.
By the Book — For a grand perspective on the old Long Branch hotel scene get a copy of Victorian Summers at the Grand Hotels of Long Branch, New Jersey (2000) by George H. Moss, Jr. and Karen Schnitzspahn — HERE.
Long Branch Hotels Still Operating …
Ocean Place Hotel
Spectacular Sunrise — Ocean Place Hotel, 2018 — MORE INFO.
King Pin — Ocean Place Hotel, July 4th, 2022 (David Booth Photo). United Capital Corp. of Great Neck, NY became owner In February 2012 (assuming a $60 million mortgage on the 16-acre property just prior to bankruptcy). Previous owner Olympus Real Estate Corp of Dallas bought the hotel in 1998.
Boardwalk Look — Ocean Place Spa & Resort, November 2023 (Paul Crammer Photo).
Historic Grounds — Ocean Place hotel, 2014. The hotel’s 17-acre grounds at the foot of Broadway had been President James Garfield Park until 1987.
Setting Sun — Ocean Place Hotel, 2021. Room for 250+ guests — it’s “a gem among NJ beachfront hotels.”
Beachfront Gem — Ocean Place Spa & Resort, Fall 2023 (Paul Crammer Photo). The hotel also enjoys “530 feet of uninterrupted beachfront access.”
The Plan — Ocean Place Hilton artist conception, Red Bank Daily Register, December 1984.
Digging In — Mayor Philip Huhn at ground-breaking ceremony for the new Ocean Place Hilton Hotel on Ocean Blvd, Red Bank Daily Register, November 1988.
Foundational — Ocean Place Hilton under construction. Red Bank Daily Register, May 1989.
Big H — Ocean Place Hilton Hotel, 1994. Ground was broken for the landmark 255-room oceanfront hotel in November 1988. Developers — William J. Maloney, father and son — had acquired the property from the city for $1.6 million. The hotel opened for business in July 1990; Frank Gaynor was the first general manager.
Hotel Plus — Ocean Place Spa & Resort along the Long Branch promenade, August 2022. Today’s 12-story hotel offers 52,000 square feet of meeting/event space, private beach, two restaurants, fitness facility, spa, tennis courts and indoor and outdoor pools.
Home to a Holiday — Ocean Place Hotel during OceanFest ’22 (Dave Booth Photo).
Down the Shore — Ocean Place Spa & Resort, 2019. The Dallas-based Olympus Real Estate Corp. acquired the property in June 1998.
First Plan — Ocean Place Hilton sketch proposal. Red Bank Daily Register, October 1986. It included two towers and room for 450 guests.
Bungalow Hotel
Bungalow Hotel in Pier Village at Ocean Avenue and Laird Street, 2010s. Opened in May 2009, the 24-room boutique hotel was built by David Barry, president/owner of Applied Development Company which also built the $40 million Pier Village community — MORE INFO.
Wave Resort & Hotel
High Tide Life — Wave Resort & Hotel nearing completion along the oceanfront, May 2019.
Wave Resort & Hotel on the boardwalk, 2019. The 6-story beauty sits in the heart of Pier Village.
Smart Stay — The Wave Resort & Hotel on the boardwalk, 2022. Long Branch’s stylish oceanfront hotel was built by Kushner Companies. The 67-room boutique hotel in Pier Village opened in 2019. — MORE INFO.
More to Come — Proposal for a second Wave Resort & Hotel on Ocean Blvd. In May 2022, the Long Branch City Council approved a plan for 107 rooms with spa and pool. Developer PV Motel, LLC also agreed to build an oceanfront park for the public.
Garfield-Grant Hotel
Garfield-Grant Hotel, 1920s. Opened in October 1925 at the corner of Broadway and 5th Avenue with 86 guest rooms (each with a bathroom and telephone) and six ground-floor retail storefronts. William Foor was the first manager.
Garfield-Grant Hotel, 1940s. Named to honor two American Presidents who summered at Long Branch: James A. Garfield, who died in LB in 1881 and Ulysses S. Grant who summered here for over a decade starting in 1869.
Garfield-Grant Hotel on Broadway, 1950s. The structure still stands today — used as business offices and the city’s municipal court. The Monmouth County District Court first convened here in September 1966 (the first lease was 5 years for $14,965).
Garfield-Grant Hotel, 1958. Designed by renowned New York architect, William Van Alen (1883-1954), who is best known for his 1930 work on the classic NYC skyscraper, the Chrysler Building.
Garfield-Grant building, 2020s. As a hotel, it struggled from the start — in January 1934 the original developer the Community Hotel Corp. went into receivership. Henry J. Shaheen and John F. Kiely bought the business in 1953, when it was a 70-room hotel with a bar and two dining rooms.
Garfield-Grant Hotel, 1960. The bar and dinning room closed in August 1965; hotel service ended in 1967.
Garfield-Grant Hotel nearing completion. Long Branch Daily Record, September 1925. Construction cost on the six-story structure was $450,000. Cauldwell Wingate Company of NYC were the builders.
Garfield-Grant Hotel, 1920s. The yellow-brick, terra-cotta structure was “Italian Renaissance” design.
“Continental Room” at Garfield-Grant Hotel ad, Red Bank Register, June 1965. When first opened, the main dining room could accommodate 200 guests.
Garfield-Grant Hotel, 1970s. The Long Branch Daily Record reported in 1953, that the Garfield-Grant Hotel was a “community proposition” project — it was owned by a corporation composed largely of local residents. From 1937, it was called Garfield Grant, Inc.
Garfield-Grant Hotel, 1920s. Owners claimed it was the only completely fire-proof hotel in the country.
Takanassee Hotel
Takanassee Hotel in West End, 1930s. The 150-room hotel was on the corner of Ocean and Brighton Avenues.
Takanassee Hotel, 1920s. The doors opened in July 1907. Construction cost was $500,000.
Takanassee Hotel, 1908. Built on the grounds of the old West End Hotel — “one of the most picturesque sites on the Atlantic Coast.”
Takanassee Hotel (r) opposite the West End Cottages (l) on Brighton Avenue, 1910s — MORE INFO.
Takanassee Hotel, 1920s.
Takanassee Hotel on Brighton Avenue, 1909.
Takanassee Hotel, 1910s. Brighton Realty Company was the developer and Clarence D. Wilson was the architect. Former mayor Wilbur A. Heisley owned the land.
Takanassee Hotel, 1908.
Brighton Avenue in West End looking east to Ocean Avenue, 1910. At left is the Takanassee Hotel and to the right are the West End Cottages.
Takanassee Hotel, 1920s.
Takanassee Hotel in West End, Summer 1919. A hotel once “rich with history and glamour,” according to a Long Branch Daily Record editorial upon its demolition, October 1934.
Takanassee Hotel, 1920s.
Takanassee Hotel, 1920s.
Takanassee Hotel, 1917.
Takanassee Hotel, 1910s. The brick, six-story hotel was torn down in October 1934.
Takanassee Hotel, 1920s. The hotel struggled for years with multiple owners during the 1920s.
Takanassee Hotel, Feb. 1907. The last of the grand oceanfront hotels in Long Branch. Opened in the early 1900s — it would be 40 years before another city hotel was built.
Takanassee Hotel, 1908. George Rainear acquired the hotel that year for $80,800 but former city mayor and circuit court judge Wilbur Heisley was the “silent” owner; he died in August 1934. Heisley moved to Long Branch the year be became a lawyer in 1879.
Takanassee Hotel postcard, 1920.
Takanassee Hotel, 1930s.
Takanassee Hotel sketch, 1908.
Takanassee Hotel on Brighton Avenue, 1910s. At far right is Huyler’s Candy Company store on Ocean Avenue.
Takanassee Hotel Front Desk, 1907.
Takanassee Hotel Dining Room, 1907.
Takanassee Hotel Roof Garden, 1907.
Takanassee Hotel early sketch, 1908.
Howland Hotel
Howland Hotel on Ocean Avenue, 1903. Obadith Sairs built the original oceanfront structure in 1827 with 60 rooms. Later on “Howland House” would be one of the longest lasting big hotels operating along the ocean.
Howland Hotel in West End, late 1800s. Henry Wardell Howland took control in 1842, expanded operations to 400 rooms and ran the hotel generally with success until retiring in 1877. Born In Long Branch in November 1816, he was a father of nine. He died in Asbury Park in July 1897.
Howland Hotel, 1868. Richard Dobbins acquired the property in 1878. Among those to visit the hotel before the start of the Civil War, according to a January 1923 Long Branch Daily Record story, were Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and John C. Calhoun — infamous Confederates all.
Howland Hotel, 1905. In 1906 the property was acquired by David Elinsky. A declining version of this would go up in flames in two separate fires, December 1912-Janruacy 1913.
Howland Hotel along Ocean Avenue, early 1900s. A waterview jackpot for up to 400 summer guests.
Sarah Howland obituary. Asbury Journal, March 1901. With a neat Long Branch-Monmouth Beach connection.
Henry Howland obituary. The Philadelphia Times, July 1897. The hotel was considered a favorite summer spot for the “Philadelphia folks.”
“New Howland Hotel” on the corner of Ocean and Avery Avenues, 1930s. It was re-opened in Spring 1926 by Ben Wolfson.
Side-by-side hotel giants along the oceanfront: West End Hotel and Howland Hotel, Sanborn Maps, 1890.
Howland Hotel (c) with Green’s Pond (later Lake Takanassee) in the forground, late 1800s.
Remember these Long Branch Hotels?
While researching the history of Long Branch hotels, I found reference to several for which I could not locate images. These include the: Abbotsford Hotel, Alleghany House, Allen’s Hotel, Bath Hotel, Bennett’s Hotel, Cavanagh’s Hotel, Commercial Hotel, Conover House, Denyse’s Hotel, Dunbarton House, Dalton Hotel, Fern’s Hotel, Grand View Hotel, Hathaway House, Lawn House, Liberty Hotel, McElhinney’s Hotel, Murray’s Hotel, Monmouth House, National Hotel, Rhineland Hotel, Shelburne Hotel, Senate Hotel, Surf House, Stratton Hotel, Redmond House, Union Hotel, Victoria Hotel, Versailles Hotel, and Waldorf Hotel. I’m certain there are many others!
Price’s Hotel
President’s Pick — Price’s Hotel at Pleasure Bay, 1920s. US Grant, his party and their four horses arrived at the hotel one summer afternoon and ordered luncheon, according to a 1907 Long Branch Daily Record story on Edward Price and his wife Ann. “The welcome was so hearty and the cooking so good” the couple’s fame quickly spread thanks to Grant.
Edward Hartshorne Price, Long Branch Daily Record, Feb. 1907.
Price’s Hotel at Pleasure Bay, 1930s. Opened before the US Civil War, the landmark hotel burned in November 1953.
Price’s Hotel, early 1900s. By 1937, the 16-room hotel and restaurant were considered “the choicest spot in Jersey,” according to the Long Branch Daily Record.
Price’s Hotel, 1917. The oldest hotel on the Shrewsbury River — when first established in 1854 it was called “Captain Price’s Kitchen.” A larger hotel went up in 1859.
Price’s Hotel at Pleasure Bay, 1916. Born in Oceanport in May 1827, Captain Edward Hartshorne Price would become the “best known summer hotel proprietor on the Jersey Coast” before his death in February 1907. His wife and the mother of 10 children, Anna (West) helped run the business (her “shore dinners” and “clambakes” were very popular). She died in January 1898.
Price’s Hotel, 1910s. Frequently referred to as “a historic Shore landmark,” everyone from presidents to industrialists to actors visited. Presidents Grant, Harrison, Garfield and Wilson were all guests there.
Price’s Hotel, 1950. In later years the hotel was run by Price family members, including William C. Price (who was born there). He was also a charter member of the Long Branch Ice Boat & Yacht Club which got its start there in 1901.
Scarboro Hotel
Scarboro Hotel, 1910s. The birthplace of Norman Mailer — Pulitzer-prize winning novelist — in January 1923.
Hotel Scarboro on Ocean Avenue in West End, 1900. The land previously held the Bath Hotel built by James Green in 1837; it was burned in April 1867.
Hotel Scarboro, 1898.
Scarboro Hotel, 1882. Using building remnants from the American Centennial Exhibition of 1876 (USA’s first official World’s Fair) held in Philadelphia, Richard J. Dobbins built a hotel on the Long Branch oceanfront. By February 1889, he sold everything to Richard Mears for $78,000.
Hotel Scarboro postcard, 1935. By Summer 1923 the hotel was greatly reconfigured at a cost of $100,000. The “rambling porches” were removed and the building was “streamlined and stuccoed.” City architect Clarence D. Wilson did the re-design.
Scarboro Hotel, early 1900s. The 200-room, four-story hotel was located at Ocean and South Bath Avenues.
“The Scarboro” hotel ad, 1920s.
Hotel Scarboro postcard, 1920s. “One of the landmarks on the city’s beachfront,” Long Branch Daily Record, 1942.
Scarboro Hotel, 1920s.
Hotel Scarboro, 1934. The property included nearly 450-feet of prime city oceanfront.
Scarboro Hotel, 1920s. Louis V. Kahn, who managed the hotel for over a decade beginning in 1905, believed that guests should get “all that’s coming to them and a little bit more.”
Scarboro Hotel, 1935. Louis and “Beck” Shapiro took control of the hotel in 1915 and made big changes — running the spot during summertime heydays for 30 years.
Scarboro Hotel, early 1900s. The Queen Anne-style hotel also had a fine restaurant and bar and offered ballroom dancing.
Scarboro Hotel with city firefighters, 1920s.
The Scarboro Hotel, 1930s. When it mostly burned in September 1941, it was the last of the grand city hotels.
The Scarboro Hotel, 1908. After a “mysterious fire” the city foreclosed on the property in 1945 and it sat in ruins along the oceanfront for about a decade.
Norman Mailer — Scarboro Hotel plaque dedication, 2017. A city native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Mailer lived at the hotel, which was owned by his family. He started his writing career here at the shore.
Scarboro Hotel, 1941. The four-story hotel was once a “Shore Showplace.”
The Scarboro Hotel, 1908. The hotel was very popular with Jewish visitors and organizations.
Seaview Towers — built on the old Scarboro Hotel property in 1954 and condemned in 2005 — it was demolished in April 2021. William Marlin, who built the twin towers, acquired the property for $10,000 In March 1953.
United States Hotel
United States Hotel on Ocean Avenue, 1861. Built in 1852 by Frederick Kennedy & Isaac Crater; they sold their interests in 1856 to John Crater.
United States Hotel, 1875. Samuel Laird acquired the 300-guest, 13-acre resort in 1868. He also owned the nearby Mansion House hotel. By 1877, it was considered the “best furnished hotel at the Branch.”
United States Hotel map, Atlas of Monmouth County, NJ 1889. The Ocean Avenue hotel was located between Morris and Chelsea Avenues,
United States Hotel, 1867. When built it was: “an immense structure for its day.” — The New Jersey Coast in Three Centuries, 1902.
United States Hotel, 1875. John Van Cleaf was an owner for many years.
United States Hotel sketch, 1858. When the property went up for auction in 1902, the Catholic University of America was the owner. It sold for $82,000. The hotel was torn down in 1902 and the property was divided into 36 building lots the next year.
United States Hotel on the bluff, 1900. William Hayes was in charge of bathing here for many years.
Ocean Hotel
Many names in an amazing career — Here it was the National House, 1855. The hotel trade at the spot began in 1832 — with “Cooper’s House” which held 175 guests. The inn continued to grow and by 1855 it was called the National House. It grew more and became the mammoth Continental Hotel in 1866. And finally in 1872, it was the Ocean Hotel. Some 1,200 guests filled it rooms in peak summer seasons.
Congress Hall on Ocean Avenue, 1860s. The main section built by C.C. Sprague and H.A. Stokes opened in Spring 1866.
America’s Biggest Hotel — Ocean Hotel, 1900. Fronting on Ocean Avenue between Broadway and Laird Street.
Long Branch coast looking south, Summer 1903. The Ocean Hotel is to the right. Note the horse-and-buggy and car mix but no modern transportation — before Ocean Avenue or a boardwalk.
Ocean Hotel, early 1900s. Beginning as a farm house for Dr. Elisha Perkins in 1831 — it grew to be the largest hotel in the country as a new century dawned.
Ocean Hotel, 1873. “The Leland family is universally recognized as the most celebrated in their profession. They hold the position … by personal merit and ancestral prestige … as the leading member of the hotel-keeping business through the world.” —The Lelands and American Hotels by Augustus St. Clair, 1877 — MORE INFO.
Ocean House Hotel ad, June 1897. Charles and Warren Leland, Jr. ran the operations. “We study to please!” was the family motto.
Ocean Hotel Advertising Trade Card, 1885. By 1877, “the immense proportions of the Ocean Hotel can only be realized by a personal view and inspection,” according to The Lelands and American Hotels by Augustus St. Clair.
Leland’s Gun on the grounds of the Ocean Hotel, 1875. The cannon was fired upon the arrival of a ferry at the nearby pier. After years of success the hotel fell into decline and it was sold off in an 1891 foreclosure to Col. George Bliss for $68,000, according to the Shore Press. Warren Leland — who made and spent a fortune” — died in June 1893 at age 59.
Ocean Hotel, late 1800s. In September 1902, owner Samuel Prosky skipped out on his debts and the hotel never reopened.
Continental Hotel, 1867. When completed the hotel was a combination of thee buildings which a oceanfront piazza that stretched for more half a mile.
Ocean House hotel in the beginning, late 1800s.
Continental Hotel, 1866. The massive hotel and property set along Ocean Avenue at the corner of Broadway attracted huge crowds.
The Leland family took control in 1872 and made the hotel a success. Above is the massive hotel dinning hall (212 x 68 feet long with 29-foot-high ceiling) during that summer. It could accommodate up to 1,000 guests. The hotel employed 28 cooks and 150 waiters.
Continental Hotel, 1868. The hotel shut in 1903 and the city converted the area into a public park in 1905.
Continental Hotel, 1867. The hotel could accommodate up to 600 guests –with $5 per day a typical rate. It operated from June to September.
Asbury Park Press, July 1951. The dining room was the largest in the country.
Ocean Hotel highlights a busy Lower Broadway, Wolverton Atlas 1889.
Ocean Hotel on a tax map, 1875. The large “Bar & Billiard” room was located in the south wing. The hotel also had a bowling alley, shooting gallery, barber shop, florist.
Ocean Hotel, 1895. After much prosperity, sold the business in 1891 with the closing of nearby Monmouth Park racetrack — signifying the end of an era in Long Branch.
“Bathing Hour” at the Ocean Hotel, Harper’s Magazine, Summer 1877. Charles Leland is remembered for loving music and seeing that it was part of hotel culture — hosting 20-piece concert band performances usually on Saturdays. It wasn’t unusual for President Grant to drive up and “listen a little,” according to the Long Branch Daily Record in 1872.
“On the Bluff at Long Branch” by Winslow Homer, 1870. Note the Ocean Hotel sign.
Stetson House
Stetson House hotel, 1868. The large structure was built by Cornelius Lane in 1832. It was the first hotel to cater to visitors with modest incomes.
Stetson House. The first hotel at the shore to employ a band. Also first to have an elevator and telegraph service. President US Grant stayed here during his first Long Branch summer visit in 1869 and James Garfield liked to play billiards at the hotel.
Stetson House hotel, 1880s. John V. Conover acquired the 50-acre property in 1834 and expanded to 175 rooms. He sold to Charles A. Stetson, Jr. in 1865.
Stetson House hotel, 1867. One of the first images of this famous L-shaped hotel. It was sold and renamed the West End Hotel in 1870.
West End Hotel
West End Hotel and beach area, 1906. n its prime, the hotel could accommodate up to 1,000 guests and had 450-member staff.
West End Hotel, 1902.
West End Hotel (c) and West End Cottages (r), 1905.
West End Hotel, 1902. Opened in 1867, it was torn down in 1906.
West End Hotel (r) and Hildreth Pavilion (l), early 1900s. “The hotel was considered the finest in the country,” APP 1910.
West End Hotel, 1870s (GW Patch Photo). J.W. Jackson was the hotel builder.
West End Hotel, 1880s
West End Hotel, early 1900s.
West End Hotel, 1903. By 1906, Judge Wilbur Heisley owned the property and he would build the new Takanassee Hotel on the site. Opened in July 1907, it cost $300,000.
West End Hotel (r), 1882. The hotel and cottages were run by father and son Walter and Morgan Hildreth for over 30 years. The family sold all its interest in March 1905 for $150,000.
West End Hotel, 1905. It hosted six American Presidents.
Scenes from West End, 1881. At right is the West End Hotel and left are the West End Cottages (7 were built in 1880). It all was lost in a December 1913 fire.
West End Hotel, 1900. It was the first summer hotel with a elevator and first to offer hot and cold running water in rooms.
West End Hotel and Cottages ad, 1893. Nearby stables could accommodate 400 horses.
West End Hotel, 1905.
Mansion House Hotel
“Pioneer Hotel of Long Branch” — 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 1846 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.
“Our Summer Watering Places” — Laird’s Mansion House hotel, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Magazine, July 1865.
Mansion House hotel, 1865.
“The Morris House.” The oceanfront first opened its doors in July 1846.
Big Deal — The Mansion House hotel on Ocean Avenue, 1868 (it’s now Pier Village). Samuel Laird took control of the 14-acre property and hotel in 1856 and expanded the business.
Mansion House sketch, 1863. The seaside hotel was considered the finest of its day. First Lady Mary Lincoln and her sons stayed here in grand fashion in August 1861. According to legend, John Wilkes Booth was a regular guest here and planned the president’s assassination at this hotel.
Mansion House hotel location, 1890 Sanborn Map.
Mansion House hotel, 1870s. After a December 1884 fire badly damaged the hotel, it was finally torn down to make way for a new pier in 1910 (George Gold owned the land).
Mansion House hotel location marker, 2011. Mrs. Lincoln so enjoyed her time at Long Branch she recommended it to the Grants.
Mansion House hotel, 1868. John Van Cleaf was an owner for many years.
Mansion House dining room, 1865. H.E. Gawtry and W.L. McIntyre owned the hotel when it burned in 1884.
Clarendon Hotel
Clarendon Hotel, 1860. The original structure, the Land’s-End hotel, was built by Richard Wardell in 1808. Hugh Manahan took control in 1835 and expanded the hotel; he sold to Enoch Hendrickson in 1858.
Clarendon Hotel on the ocean, 1868. It stood on the southwest corner of Ocean Avenue and Broadway and could host 150 guests. Later called the Ocean Wave Hotel, it was torn down in 1906.
Elberon Hotel
Elberon Hotel. Built by Charles Franklyn and Lewis B. Brown in 1876; it was wrecked in a November 1914 fire.
Elberon Hotel, 1889. Owner Louis B. Brown is credited as the key developer of the Elberon section of Long Branch.
Elberon Hotel, 1900. The designers were McKim, Mead & White — the Gilded Age’s elite architects.
Elberon Hotel (l) and the Franklyn Cottage (where President Garfield died in 1881), early 1900s.
Elberon Hotel, early 1900s. President and Mrs. Garfield were said to have loved this spot and spent many pleasant days there.
Elberon Hotel, early 1900s. The grounds included the hotel and several large cottages for rental.
Elberon Hotel, early 1900s. (Edward Thomas Collection). Former US Senator James Smith, Jr. (D-NJ) bought the property in 1904 for $87,000.
Elberon Hotel, early 1900s.
Elberon Hotel, early 1900s.
New York Hotel
New York Hotel. Built in 1867 by Isaac Cooper along Branchport Creek. By 1873 the hotel was called the River Side House.
Metropolitan Hotel
Metropolitan Hotel, late 1880s. Built by Samuel and Joseph Cooper in 1854 and expanded in 1866. Dr. Arthur Conover took ownership in 1874; the hotel burned in April 1876.
Metropolitan Hotel. The 12-acre resort hotel — located at Cooper and Ocean Avenues — could accommodate up to 600 guests. Rates were $25 per week.
Metropolitan Hotel, 1868. The Brighton Hotel would later covered the grounds.
Brighton Hotel
Brighton Hotel on Brighton Avenue, 1908.The Metropolitan Hotel had stood on the grounds until it burned in 1876. Dr. Arthur Conover did the rebuilding.
Brighton Hotel, 1905. Russian-born Joseph Margolius ran the place for 25 years; he died in 1933.
Brighton Hotel, 1910. Also known as the the Ambassador Hotel, it burned in January 1929 and was rebuilt.
Brighton Hotel, 1910s.
Bel-Air Hotel on Brighton Avenue (previously the Brighton Hotel) just before it was torn down in March 1965. Harry Barsamian had acquired the hotel in 1953.
Brighton Hotel and Cocktail Lounge ad. Long Branch Daily Record, May 1941.
The Bel-Air Hotel in West End (previously the Brighton Hotel) is torn down. Long Branch Daily Record, March 1965.
Brighton Hotel, 1940s.
Brighton Hotel, early 1900s.
Central Hotel
Central Hotel on Third Avenue. Built in the 1870s, it later became the beginnings of Monmouth Medical Center.
Hotel Pannaci
Hotel Pannaci, 1920s. The location boasted a grand view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hotel Pannaci, 1911.
Hotel Pannaci on Ocean Avenue near Bath Avenue, 1908. Italian-born Gernando Pannaci acquired the hotel in 1898 for $41,250 and ran it until his death in April 1923. He was the grandfather of the late Monmouth County historian and author George Moss.
Hotel Pannaci. Built in 1868, it was originally Iauch’s Hotel.
Hotel Pannaci, 1907. It was torn down in November 1934.
Hotel Pannaci, 1924.
Hotel Pannaci, 1907. The hotel also has a cafe and restaurant.
Hotel Pannaci, 1912.
Hollywood Hotel
Hollywood Hotel, 1909. Located at the southeast corner of Hoey and Cedar Avenues.
Hollywood Hotel, early 1900s.
There She Goes — Hollywood Hotel fire, Long Branch Daily Record, March 1961.
Hollywood Hotel sketch, 1907. The original hotel was built by John Hoey in 1882. He was president of the Adams Express Company.
Hollywood Hotel, 1934.
Hollywood Hotel festivities, 1893.
Hollywood Hotel dining room, early 1900s.
Hollywood Hotel, 1907.
Hollywood Hotel, 1902. The legend is that the community near Los Angeles, California was named after the Long Branch area and hotel.
Hollywood Hotel, 1908.
Hollywood Hotel, early 1900s.
Hollywood Hotel, 1940s.
Hollywood Hotel promotional, 1940s.
Hollywood Hotel, 1905.
Hollywood Hotel on fire, March 1961.
Hollywood Hotel, 1900. It was a collection of five old seashore cottages.
Hollywood Hotel, 1905. Wrecked by one major fire in July 1926 (started by a firecracker), it was rebuilt. Only to burn again for good in March 1961. At the time of both fires, the hotel was undergoing major upgrades.
Hollywood Hotel postcard, early 1900s. The hotel could accommodate 300 guests.
Hollywood Hotel, 1908.
Hollywood Hotel fire, March 1961.
Hollywood Hotel, 1905.
Hollywood Hotel pool area, 1930s. According to a 1926 Long Branch Daily Record story, the pool (with 427 x 212 dimensions) opened in July 1890 and was “the first of its kind ever constructed along the Jersey Coast.”
Hollywood Hotel postcard. The main buildings were Cottages 4 and 6.
Hollywood Hotel pool area, 1950s.
Hollywood Baths, part of the Hollywood Hotel in West End, 1905. The first Hollywood Baths were opened on July 4, 1890 by John Hoey and shut in 1930.
Hollywood Hotel postcard, early 1900s.
Hollywood Hotel entrance at night, 1952.
Hollywood Hotel, 1946. The hotel was acquired by RST Reality Corp (Irving Cohen was president) in 1951.
Hollywood Hotel, 1904.
Hollywood Hotel on Cedar Avenue, burned in a March 1961 fire.
Hollywood Hotel, 1910s.
Hollywood Hotel in flames, March 1961.
Atlantic Hotel, East End Hotel, and Arlington House
Atlantic Hotel in North Long Branch. Built by Aaron Christeller in 1862; the hotel could accommodate 250 guests. The area is now Seven President’s Park.
East End Hotel in North Long Branch. Built by Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, it opened in June 1872. Sometimes the place was called the “Grand Excursion House.” A pier and train depot were also built nearby. The area is now Seven President’s Oceanfront Park.
Arlington House hotel, 1879. Hit by a major storm in 1880, the doors shut in 1881. John Hoey bought the property and used the lumber to build the Hollywood Hotel. Later, Nate Salisbury would built “The Reservation” on the property. The area is now Seven President’s Park.
Florence Hotel
Florence Hotel on Ocean Avenue. Built in 1879 by Richard Dobbins, it later became the Star Hotel. It had 44 guest rooms and was owned by Woehrs and Strause families. Annie Oakley was a frequent guest here. By May 1935 it was condemned and torn down.
Greene’s Hotel
Greene’s Third Avenue Hotel, 1909.
Lenox Hotel
Looking north on Ocean Avenue, 1901. The Lenox Hotel is on the left and the pier is at right.
Lenox Hotel, 1905. Located on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Broadway. In August 1916, Bryan Kennelly sold it to John Wilson for $10,500.
Lenox Hotel at Ocean and Broadway, 1937. By March 1947, Stanley Budnick was the owner with plans to create a modern hotel.
Lenox Hotel, 1903. It burned in February 1914 when owned by Bernard Harris of New York.
Lenox Hotel along Ocean Avenue in the distance at left., 1911.
Long Branch Carnival in Ocean Park at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Broadway, early 1900s. The Lenox Hotel is in the background.
Corner of South Broadway and Ocean Avenue, 1978 (Dan Hennessey Photo). The spot had been the Wilson Hotel run by John W. Wilson who also owned the Lennox Hotel at that location.
Dalton Hotel
Dalton Hotel on the corner of Brighton and Sairs Avenues, 1909.
Manahassett Hotel
Manahasset Hotel postcard, 1920s. (it says Monmouth Beach but the hotel was in Long Branch).
Manahassett Hotel, 1905. The Manahasset Park Association had begun development of the area in 1894. William Wolter owned the hotel prior to WW I.
Manahasset Hotel, 1919.
APP page one story about the burning of the old Manahasset Hotel, Feb. 1929.
Manahasset Hotel, 1910s.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle ad, June 1920. The 42-room hotel was really in North Long Branch. The two previous owners dating back to 1911 were Anna Levine and Peter A. Walters.
Hotel Phelando
Hotel Phelando at Chelsea and Ocean Avenues, 1921. Offered a “commanding view of the ocean.”
Hotel Phelando, 1911. Opened in June 1909, the hotel was condemned by the city in 1934.
Hotel Phelando, 1912. The hotel had 150 guest rooms and a restaurant that seated 250.
Hotel Phelando. Long Branch Daily Record, 1915. Rosa Pollock ran the hotel for many years.
Hotel Phelando, early 1900s. It was a “Kosher” hotel.
Hotel Ocean Plaza
Hotel Ocean Plaza, 1914.
Newing’s Hotel
Newing Hotel on Broadway near Norwood Avenue, 1909. Archie Newing, a city commissioner, ran the place for years. The hotel closed in 1922 and was made into separate businesses.
St. James Hotel
St. James Hotel on Second Avenue, 1909.
Imperial Hotel
Manhattan Hotel
Manhattan Hotel postcard, early 1900s. Phil Daly’s twin homes — the Phil and the Catharine.
Fucci’s Hotel
Fucci’s Hotel & Restaurant on Ocean Avenue, 1940.
Atlantic Hotel
Atlantic Hotel on Ocean Avenue, 1910s.
Old Atlantic Hotel, 1911. Known as the “Pavilion Hotel” when first opened by Samuel Morris and Isaac Levy in 1851. Richard Dobbins acquired the property in February 1879 and renamed it the Atlantic Hotel.
Atlantic Hotel on Ocean Avenue, 1908. Simon Glaser acquired the West End property in 1907 for $18,000.
Atlantic Hotel, early 1900s. The hotel was known for attracting New York City stage actors
Atlantic Hotel on Ocean Avenue, 1920. The Katz and family ran the hotel for years.
Atlantic Hotel, 1910s.
Atlantic Hotel, 1921. Located on the corner of Ocean and Morris Avenues, it was badly damaged in an August 1925 fire.
New Atlantic Hotel. 1930s.
New Atlantic Hotel, 1926. The year it was rebuilt.
New Atlantic Hotel, 1945.
New Atlantic Hotel, 1940s.
New Atlantic Hotel, 1937.
New Atlantic Hotel, 1942.
New Atlantic Hotel aerial image, 1950s.
The Atlantic Hotel (then called the Isle de Capri Hotel) on Ocean Avenues goes up in flames, April 1959. Charles Massa owned the 100-room beachfront hotel at the time. (LBFD Photo).
Taft Hotel
Taft Hotel on Cooper and Grant Avenues, 1910. It burned down in Sept. 1945. Louis Silk ran the hotel.
Rothenberg’s Hotel
L. Rothenberg’s Hotel on Ocean Avenue. Built in 1910, burned in the 1930s.
Rothenberg Hotel in West End, 1918.
The Rothenberg building at Ocean Avenue and West End Court. Built in 1901.
Hotel Milborne
Hotel Milborne on Bath Avenue, 1920s. The hotel burned in 1938.
Beachcomber Hotel
Beachcomer Motel in North End on fire. February 1964. Located at Ocean and Atlantic Avenues, it was unoccupied at the time and Dr. James Tsigounis was the owner.
Beachcomber Hotel on fire. Long Branch Daily Record, February 1964.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel
Vendome-Plaza Hotel on Ocean Avenue, 1948. “The modern hotel.”
Hotel Vendome, 1935.
Hotel Vendome, 1917.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel, 1924. Opened in 1920, the three-story hotel at Ocean and Avery Avenues was badly damaged by fire in July 1962.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel, 1930s.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel, 1924.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel, 1908.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel, 1920s.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel resting on the oceanfront, 1959.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel, 1940s (NJ State Archives Photo). The dome previously sat on top of the New York Club — a gambling house run by Phil Daly.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel, 1920s.
Vendome-Plaza Hotel tear down. APP, October 1963.
Bridgewater Inn
Bridgewater Inn at Pleasure Bay Park, 1905. Aso was the Avenel Hotel.
Wardell’s Hotel
Wardell’s Hotel in Pleasure Bay, 1923.
Wardell & Son’s Port-au-Peck Hotel at Pleasure Bay, 1906.
American Hotel
American Hotel, 1865.
Landmark Hotel
Landmark Hotel at Five Corners, 1970s. It all started as the Columbia Hotel built by Joseph H. Flanigan in 1896, a committeeman when Long Branch was part of Ocean Twp (he died in 1911). Later on it became the Landmark Hotel.
Landmark Hotel & Cocktail Lounge front, 1987. Then owned by Bob Pichi and Cyril Meyers, it was later commended by the city and torn down in 1995.
Landmark Lounge ad, 1963. The place was known for it’s nightlife.
Landmark Hotel in decline, early 1990s.
5 Points Intersection — Second Avenue and Lower Broadway, 1901. The Landmark Hotel is at right.
Fountains Motel
Fountains of Long Branch Motel, 1960s.
Fountains Motel on Ocean Avenue, 1970s.
Stef’s Court Motel
Stef’s Court Motel, 1980s. On the corner of Ocean and Morris Avenues.
Ocean Court Motel, 2000s.
Clubs
Pennsylvania Club, 1905.
New York Club, 1905. It was on Ocean Avenue in West End.
New York Club postcard, early 1900s.
Johnson Club House, 1905.
Phil Daly’s Club House, 1905.
West End Shore Club, 1910.
West End Shore Club, early 1900s.
Club San Remo on Ocean Avenue, 1930s.
Club San Remo on Ocean Avenue, 1950s.
Amazing collection. Enjoyed it immensely.
Absolutely fantastic!
Love the history rich Jersey Shore!