’22 Oceanfest at Long Branch on Monday, July 4th from 10 am to 10 pm. Presented by the Greater Long Branch Chamber of Commerce, it includes: arts & crafts, food & drink, sand-sculpting, music & entertainment, and NJ’s biggest fireworks display. The event dates to 1990. MORE INFO.

Robert Pinsky (l) with his brother Richard (r) at a Long Branch beach, 1968. Robert served three-terms as Poet Laureate of the United States (1997-2000) and has authored 19 books. Born in the city in October 1940, he graduated LBHS and holds a doctorate from Stanford. He has called Long Branch “inherently poetic.”

Kay Dunhill dress factory on Westwood Avenue, 1940. The company was started on Lower Broadway in September 1935 by Chester Hirsch, Phil Iselin, and Mack Kalison. When the Westwood Ave building opened in 1938 it was the “most modern sewing factory” in NJ. At its peak, the company had 350 employees. In April 1951, Bendix Aviation acquired the building.

Seashore Day Camp prior to demolition, June 2022. John and Anthony Cittadino started the Second Avenue children’s physical fitness business in 1926. John Villapiano, a former NJ assemblyman and pro football player, and family acquired the camp in 1974.

Seashore Day Camp — kids and coaches, 1956. The popular city business ended operations in 2022 after 96 years.

Ocean Blvd in West End looking south, June 2022. The distinctive red Windmill is at the bottom

The Surf Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge on Ocean Blvd, 1964. Max’s now rests here.

Monmouth County’s first “motorized” firetruck was obtained by the city’s Independent Fire Engine & Truck Company in 1910.

Michael G. Celli is sworn in as an elected member of the Long Branch City Council, Daily Record, May 1965. City Clerk Sanita J. Camassa (l) swears him in. At right is his wife Dr. Mary Jane Celli, who was elected to the city council herself in 1994 and still serves today. A 1946 LBHS graduate and owner of Celli Antiques, Mike was also a 30-year US postal worker and the union local president in Long Branch. He died in June 1998. Is there another husband-wife ever elected to the Long Branch City Council?

Professional gamblers and con men were drawn to Long Branch, early 1890s. But by 1894 Monmouth Park was closed and book-making and gambling were outlawed in 1897 in NJ.

“The Presidential” beach tower on Ocean Blvd, 2022. This 24-unit high-rise directly across from the county’s Seven Presidents Park was built by Stavola Companies. Opened for Spring 1989; units were $410,000 to start.

US Senator William W. Barbour (R-NJ) at a ceremony for new Oceanic Hook & Ladder Company firehouse, 1939.

John Guire Company on Brighton Avenue, 1937. The West End coal and feed grain business was started in 1898 by two brothers (John and James). Still in operation — it’s the city’s oldest retail business. MORE INFO.

Long Branch Public Library on Broadway, 1937.

Fire at the H. Kaabe Glass Company warehouse on Washington Street, February 1971. Henry Kaabe opened his business on Broadway in 1920.

Long Branch Daily Record frontpage, August 1967.

Long Branch map from Atlas of Monmouth County by F. W. Beers, 1873.

St. Luke Methodist Episcopal Church, 1926. The house of worship was at Broadway and Washington Street.

Chester A. Arthur Apartments on Union Avenue, 2010s. The $1 million senor citizen high-rise was opened in September 1963. James Mancuso was the architect and Anthony Miller was the builder. The 60-unit complex was a project of the Long Branch Housing Authority which was establied in April 1938. John Schulz was a longtime LBHA Executive Director. The structure is named for Chet Arthur (1829–1886) — the 21st President of the United States — who summered in Long Branch mostly from 1881-1885.

Ink in the Veins — “The Outlook” editorial masthead, October 1947. The Outlook is the student newspaper of Monmouth University. The college got its start at Long Branch High School in November 1933 as “Monmouth Junior College” before moving to its WLB campus in 1955. The managing editor that fall was Thomas E. Booth, Jr. The Freehold native and WW II US Army veteran died in January 1978. His son Michael Booth was the founder/publisher of the city’s weekly Atlanticville News (from 1976 to 2001) and is current publisher of The Coaster, an Asbury Park-based weekly.

Stage Stars — This North Long Branch house was rented by the much-celebrated stage actress Lillie Langtry in Summer 1887. It’s located at the corner of Columbia and Riverdale Avenues. The house was owned by Hattie Russell, also an actress (and a Crehan, Brooklyn’s famed theatrical family). Langtry was born on the Island of Jersey in the English Channel. She died in 1929 — fittingly enough, in Monte Carlo. “Social, political and artistic giants were enraptured by her charm and beauty,” according to Lillie Langtry: A Biography of her Life by Loves written by Noel Gerson. She was “the most famous, some would say infamous, woman of her age.” (Photo: APP, 1970)

Sketch proposal for a second Wave Hotel-Resort on Ocean Blvd. in Long Branch. The new facility will have 107 room with spa and pool. Developer PV Motel, LLC also agreed to built a public plaza on the oceanfront.

City school students get a spirited talk from a Long Branch firefighter at the Elberon Engine Company firehouse, May 2022. The company was founded in 1890.

Old Hoey Lodge on Cedar Avenue in West End, early 1900s.

Star of the Sea Lyceum, early 1900s. Built in 1900, the Catholic elementary school at Third and Chelsea Avenues closed in 1986.

Savoy Apartment Building in West End is engulfed in flames, Long Branch Daily Record, March 1933. The fire burned through the night wrecking two city blocks along Ocean Avenue and West End Court.

Surfing off Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, 2022 (R.C. Staab Photo). For the ’22 Summer, a city adult beach badge is $45 (kids, seniors and students get discounts). A daily beach pass is $5 weekdays/$7 weekends. At the county beach, a seasonal badge is $75. A daily pass is $10.

Old U.S. Life-Saving Station at Lake Takanassee.  An early and eager advocate for better conditions here was Captain Asher Wardell who served as “Station Keeper” at #5 from 1894 to 1904. A Long Branch native, Wardell had served in the Civil War — enlisting in the Union’s 1st New Jersey Cavalry as a teen and rising to sergeant. He died in June 1905 (Painting by Peder Johnson).

Map of Long Branch coast, 1889.

San Alfonso Retreat House on Ocean Avenue in West End, 1960s.

New Long Branch Community Pool on Atlantic Avenue in Pleasure Bay Park, 2021 (David Booth Photo). Built by developer Green Field Builders, the $2.1 million complex offers adult and kid pools, a play area, snackbar, and seating. It’s now open to non-residents. MORE INFO.

Developer Celeste Carlesimo at her “West End Mini Mall” on Brighton Avenue, October 1976. Russomanno Contracting had owned the building which she bought for $100,000 in 1974. When competed — “a new concept in community shopping” — nine different stores covered 6,000-square-feet. She later opened the Tasti D-Lite in West End.

Fountains Motel (l) and Club Spanky (r) on Ocean Avenue, 1970s.

Bonforte’s Market in West End, 1948. Roy and Albert Bonforte opened the new store at the corner of Brighton and Sairs Avenues in 1940. The business was started by their father in 1857.

Long Branch coast looking north, 2020.

Brighton Avenue in West End, 1907.

West End movie theater, 1983. It opened as Grant’s Movies 1 & 2 in February 1974. The first two films were: “Crazy Joe” and “Fantasia.” Music Makers Theatre Circuit acquired the business in 1978 and Loews Theatre took over in 1988.

West End movie theater, 2010s. The double-decker twin theater held 340 rocking-chair seats each.

Lowes Theatres in West End, 1993. The city movie house closed down in June 1995 and the building was torn down in August 2017.

West End along the coast in early 1960s (Long Branch Public Library Photo).

A. Cella’s Choice Fruit store on Brighton Avenue in West End, 1900.

Long Branch, NJ postcard, 1960s.

Long Branch, NJ postcard, 1960s.

Former President Theodore Roosevelt at Branchport train station, May 1912. Long Branch Mayor Bryant Newcomb (l) introduced him. TR was campaigning for the 1912 Republican Party nomination for US President. He won the NJ primary that month but lost the nomination to his hand-picked successor and incumbent President William H. Taft. Despite the loss, the 26th president still ran for an unprecedented third-term on the Progressive Party ticket (or “Bull Moose Party”). Both presidents were beaten that November 1912 by Democrat Woodrow Wilson (then serving as NJ governor). Wilson’s victory came with just 41% of the vote — nationally and in NJ too. TR had easily carried NJ in ’00 (as VP) and ’04 (as President). TR died in January 1919.

Beach day in Long Branch, 1960s. Beach revenues topped $3 million for the city of Long Branch last summer.

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

A young Bruce Springsteen hanging out in West End, 1973. “The Boss” — just 25 at the time — is outside the “Turntable Record Store” on Brighton Avenue.

First Baptist Church of Long Branch on the corner of Bath Avenue and Emmons Street. Built in 1886, it burned in 1892 and was rebuilt.

The Rothenberg building at Ocean Avenue and West End Court. Built in 1901.

Chelsea Avenue, 1930s. The building to the left is the Hotel Garofalo — which catered to Italian-American guests. Prior to 1913, it was the Marlboro Hotel run by Jacob Prown.

McCue’s Dairy — delivery the old-fashioned way, 1930s. Martin McCue started the Willow Avenue business just before the turn of the century and sold to Shore Dairies in 1962.

West End postcard, 1960s.

Sea Verge apartments on Ocean Blvd and Bath Avenue, 2010s. The 7-story, 125-unit complex in West End opened in September 1964 (monthly rents started at $119.50). Renna Construction of West Orange built the $2 million luxury high-rise.

Long Branch News building, 1868. Launched in 1863 by Anthony Reckless and Rev. Robert T. Middleditch as an offshoot of the Red Bank Standard. With Long Branch hotel businesses clamoring for a regular newspaper, Captain James B. Morris, a Civil War vet and Freehold resident, acquired the paper in 1866. He renamed it and moved all print operations to Long Branch. By 1872, W. Jacob Stults had acquired the paper. An August 1899 Red Bank Daily Register profile called him a “virile writer and hustling businessman.” Considered a “country newspaper” — it became “as good as any in the state” and “one of the most profitable.” After Stults sold the paper in 1887 for $9,000 it “went to pieces.” Born in Hightstown in 1830, Stults was publisher of his village newspaper before his 20th birthday. He would return to Hightstown in 1907 to run the Gazette. He died in January 1916.

“Revealed by Ruins” — What’s left after the old Rockwell Hotel is torn down. Long Branch Daily Record, October 1956. The Long Branch Times building was at Broadway and Rockwell Avenue. Alden T. Hyde launched the “Republican” weekly newspaper in 1890.

Acerra Brothers baseball team, 1940s. A semi-pro baseball team of 12 Long Branch brothers coached by their father, Louis “Pop” Acerra (born in Italy and a longtime foremen for the NY & LB Railroad, he died in July 1966). They played from 1938-52 and won the Long Branch City League Championship 10 years in a row. The brothers were: Joe, Paul, Lou, Alfred, Eddie, Jim, Freddie, Richie, Bobby, Charles, Billy and Anthony. In 2017, the brothers were inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. And Audrey Vernick wrote a book about them, Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team (Clarion, 2012).

(Future US Congressman) Frank J. Pallone, Jr. as he appeared in “Who’s Who” for Colleges/Universities. Long Branch Daily Record, December 1972. Frank was then a senior at Middlebury College in Vermont where he was also President of the Student Government. In May 1982 he won his first election — to the Long Branch City Council.

US Representative Frank J. Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) speaking at the Long Branch Library, 2019. Born in the city in October 1951 and a 1969 LBHS graduate, the congressman has served as a member of US House since 1988. He currently serves as the powerful Chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Pennsylvania Club at Ocean and Brighton Avenues, 1905. John Hoey was the builder in 1868 but it became a betting house through NYC professional gambler Col. John Chamberlain (he also opened the first Monmouth Park in 1870). He kept a French Chef on staff and fed his patrons for free (women and locals weren’t welcome). Even greater glory came with Phil Daly who took over in 1877. It was “easily the highest class and most exclusive gambling club in the Unites States,” according to the APP, March 1910. Among the games of chance were: roulette, poker, faro, and baccarat.

The Pennsylvania Club, early 1900s. Known as the “Monte Carlo of America” — is was finally closed after a police raid in 1902. The glided-domed palace was demolished in September 1909.

The Pennsylvania Club, 1909. The flamboyant owner Phil Daly died in March 1910.

Beth Miriam Synagogue on North Bath Avenue. The first synagogue in Long Branch was built in 1888.

“Memorial List” — Long Branch High School, World War II dead, 1947.

Nautilus Motel-Apartments in West End, 1970s. The 22-unit Ocean Blvd. complex opened in 1968. Today, the spot is the Nautilus Condominium.

Anthony “Little Pussy” Russo’s Cadillac sits in front of the Harbor Island Spa in West End, where the notorious local mobster was murdered in April 1979. The man “everyone feared” was shot four times in the head. Born in July 1916, he grew to be considered by law enforcement as Monmouth County’s top organized crime boss. No one was ever changed in the crime.

City firefighters can only watch as a “swift and suspicious” blaze takes the Riviera Hotel at Ocean and Morris Avenues. November 1956 (LBFD Photo). The three-story hotel with restaurant and bar was undergoing renovations and vacant at the time. In June 1954, Newark nightclub owner Paul Pugliese paid $100,000 for the 57-room hotel. Fred Lizza was a previous owner. Later the Stef Court motel was built on the land.

Fire at the Isle de Capri Hotel at Ocean and Pavilion Avenues. April 1959. Charles Massa owned the 100-room beachfront hotel at the time. It had been known as the Atlantic Hotel (LBFD Photo).

Oceanic Engine & Truck Company, #1, 1960s. On Norwood Avenue, it’s the city’s oldest volunteer fire company (LBFD Photo). Thomas L. Worthley was the first fire chief in Long Branch, serving from 1874 to 1878.

A Long Branch beach before the summer crowds — “Clean, calm and beautiful” (Darlene Barbella Photo).

Aerial image looking west up Brighton Avenue, Fall 2021. Photo.

Long Branch coast in West End, mid-1980s. Looking south to the LB pier in the distance.

Long Branch Elks Club on Garfield Avenue, 1908.

Dr. George Sheehan (r) running in a Takanassee Lake 5k, August 1981. Regular summer racing along the West End lake began in 1964 organized by the Shore Athletic Club. “The Doc” called the Long Branch course his favorite place to race. After the celebrated physician, author and runner died in 1993, a remembrance plaque for him was placed on the north side of the lake (SI Photo).

East End Hotel in North End, 1883. Opened in June 1872 by Jim Fisk and Jay Gould after major renovations and improvements, it was a total flop. By 1881, hotel operations had ended. “Jubilee Jim” Fisk — a textbook “Gilded Age Robber Baron — ran 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. In 1869, he and Gould had tried to corner the gold market. They had the same success as with the hotel in North End. Apparently, Fisk didn’t live to see the hotel open — he was murdered amidst scandal in January 1872. Gould cried at his partner’s deathbed in NYC. Born on April Fools’ Day, Fisk was just 36. In 1900, “The Reservation” colony was developed by Nate Salsbury on the property. Since 1977, Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park has held the grounds.

Dr. James O. Green is considered the “Father” of the Long Branch Fire Department, 1880s. He founded the Neptune Hook & Ladder Co. in 1866. An early physician in town, his home/office was on the corner of Grand Avenue and Broadway. He died in 1916. His father, Capt. James Green (1800–1863) started the life-saving service at Greens Pond (now Takanassee Lake). The Long Branch Fire Department was officially organized in November 1878, according to a May 1964 Long Branch Daily Record story on its history. John E. Rogers of the Atlantics was the first chief.

Louis Libutti and wife Catherine at Old Orchard CC for his installation as president of the Greater Long Branch Chamber of Commerce, Long Branch Daily Record, January 1969. Upon his death, the chamber named its highest honor, the Louis G. Libutti Community Service Award. He was considered a man of high “integrity and energy” in helping to advance city business interests. Twice elected chamber president, Libutti was a much respected senior executive at Wheelock Signals, which operated a large plant in the city. Born in NYC, he joined the Branchport Avenue electrical relay component manufacturer in 1949 — where he rose to be VP/Treasurer and Director of Personnel before he died in January 1970. The origins of the city’s chamber of commerce, date back to the Long Branch Board of Trade formed in January 1891. By 1913, it had incorporated as the “Long Branch Chamber of Commerce.”

Long Branch cottage at 7 1/2 West End Court where local musician Bruce Springsteen wrote “Born to Run” in 1975. Springsteen’s first hit tune, the song is ranked #27 on the 2021 Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

West End fire aftermath, 1909.

Neptune and Oceanic fire companies line-up at the Norwood Avenue station, 1870s.

Neptune Hose Company No. 1, February 1899.

Neptune Hose Company No. 1, 1911. Organized in 1877, part of the Long Branch Fire Department. At one point in 1977 (with 600 members and 9 fire companies), Long Branch had the nation’s largest active volunteer fire department, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Dan George, Head Coach of the Long Branch High School football team at his last game at Bresett Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, 2021. During his 23-year tenure with the Green Wave, he won 152 games, three sectional state championships and seven division titles in the Shore Conference. Coach George graduated from LBHS in 1983.

Bendix Corp. building, 1954. The Westwood Avenue plant opened in July 1951 with 350 employees. Then a major supplier for the commercial aviation industry, Bendix later made diversification into an art form.

Nash Aluminum Window Company building in decline, 1969. Located near old Long Branch City Hall around Broadway and 7th Avenue (it was called the “Button Factory” and city owned). Harry Nash started Nash Manufacturing Company in Newark in 1927 and moved operations to South Broadway in 1944. Once in Long Branch his son, Joseph, made a fortune on factory-direct aluminum windows and doors — boom times too as the Jersey Shore was shifting to a year around locale. Nash died in June 1986.

Hollywood Hotel fire, March 1961.

West End at the turn of the century.

North Jersey Shore coast, 1950s. Click on image to enlarge. The city is about 6.30 square miles.

Keller Hotel on Brighton Avenue. Burned in July 1909, William Keller of New York built the four-story brick structure for $60,000.

Monmouth Junior College, 1951. AKA, Long Branch High School on Westwood Avenue.

Anthony M. “Doc” Villane, Jr. campaign ad, Long Branch Daily Record, October 1975. A much accomplished and admired city politician, he was born December 1929 in Newark. A longtime Eatontown dentist and resident of Lincoln Avenue in Elberon, Doc and his wife Sarah raised 5 children in Long Branch. A thoughtful and dynamic advocate for environmental awareness long before most others, Doc Villane was a respected Republican member of the NJ General Assembly from 1976 to 1988. In 1988, Gov. Tom Kean appointed him a cabinet member as the NJ Department of Community Affairs commissioner (the governor had called him “Mr. Shore Protection” in 1983). In 1990, Doc was appointed the NY/NJ regional administrator of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Long Branch Ice Boat & Yacht Club original clubhouse. Built on Shallow Point in Port-au-peck in 1901, it was moved to North Long Branch by barge in 1909. It was located at the shoreline north of the Pleasure Bay Hotel until after 1940.

E. Thurston Blaisdell with his horse “Prince” on Ocean Avenue near the Long Branch pier, April 1899. The owner of the Independent Ice Company of Long Branch, he died in 1962 at age 90.

Venetian Inn on Laird Street, 1960s. It opened as a hotel and restaurant in 1927, it had been the Ocean Park Hotel. It later became a Monmouth College dorm and finally burned in October 1975. Italian-born Frank Leo, Sr. was the longtime owner before selling in 1950.

West End Hotel on the oceanside, 1902. Up until 1870, it was known as the Stetson House hotel. It was wrecked in 1906 and the Takanassee Hotel was built on the site.

Map of Green’s Pond in West End, 1873. Later to become Lake Takanassee. The Green family donated the body of water to the city in 1952.

Takanassee Bridge, 2020. The bridge connects West End with Elberon over Lake Takanassee. Jesse and Corlies Howland built the original 260-foot long span — it opened in December 1912. Then the county’s first concrete bridge, it cost $27,000.

Woolley’s Service Station at Third and Morris Avenues, 1933. Owner Bob Woolley is kneeling.

West End buildings on fire, February 2012.

Brighton Avenue looking east, 1920s.

Bruce Springsteen and friend ride tandem past Steven’s Bait & Tackle shop on Brighton Avenue, 1973. Steven Vajo first opened the West End business in 1956 catering to local surf fishermen. In 1977, Joe LaPresti acquired the store that’s just steps from the Atlantic Ocean. Tom Karandrikas bought the business in 1998 and Bryan ZImmerman took change in 2000. The business closed in Feb. 2007.

The LBFD participates in the city’s Columbus Day parade, 1994.

Bath Avenue looking west, 1911.

This Bath Avenue house — would become the Ronald McDonald House in 1987. Previously, the building was a nurse’s dorm for the nearby Monmouth Medical Center.

Star of the Sea Lyceum grammar school, early 1900s. The city Catholic school was at Chelsea and Third Avenues. Designed by Jeremiah O’Rourke & Sons in 1900, the building still stands today.

Long Branch Steamboat Company schedule, 1919. The city would foreclose on the two old steamers in April 1937.

S.N. Janes cottage in Pleasure Bay, 1868 (G.W. Pach Photo).

Ghosts haunt a Long Branch mansion, 1868 (G.W. Pach Photo). No, just early poor photography.

Casino and Pennsylvania Club in West End, 1907.

Ocean Avenue cottages in West End, early 1900s.

LBHS Football Head Coach Frank Glazier, Jr. (c) with team co-captains, George Balina (l) and Sam Mills (r), 1975. Mills went on to pro football glory. Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 — he played 12 seasons in the NFL mostly with the Carolina Panthers (the team retired his jersey number 51). A five-time Pro-Bowl linebacker, he died of cancer in April 2005. Glazier then in his first season at LBHS was paid $1,700 for coaching duties. Although he never achieved the Sam Mills-level of splendor in Long Branch, the football coaching camp he founded in 1976, Glazier Clinics, still operates today. Coach Glazier died in 1993.

North End Motel, 1960s. Opened in June 1962, the 14-unit efficiency apartment complex was on Ocean Avenue and Avenel Blvd. It was torn down in November 1988 for the Beachcomber Towers condo.

Long Branch Water Company Works, 1888.

Island Inn at Atlantic and Rockwell Avenues, 1907.

“Movie in the Park” at West End, September 2021.

“The City Beyond the Bluff: The Life and Times of Long Branch” book by Sharon Hazard, 2009. ORDER.

Long Branch Daily Record final editorial, October 25, 1975.

Summer’s end in Long Branch, August 2021.

Woolley-Boglioli Funeral Home on Morrell Street, 2010s. Started by the Sexton Brothers in 1880. Willis Woolley acquired the business in 1923 and ran it until his death in 1958. His son Bruce C. Woolley then ran the operations until his death in 1977. Family relation Bill Boglioli acquired the business in 2011.

San Alfonso Retreat House in West End, 1980s. The re-built religious facility opened in 1967 and J. Gerald Phelan was the architect. The Redemptorist Order first acquired the 10-acre oceanfront property in 1925. St. Alphonsus Liguori founded the order in 1732.

San Alfonso Retreat House, 1933.

Long Branch coast in West End, 1960s.

New York Giants Hall-of-Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor with Howard H. “Chubby” Woolley, Jr. during LT’s visit to Long Branch City Hall, 2012. Howard is a Long Branch “Giant” — serving effectively as city Business Administrator from 1994 to 2017. Prior to that he was Executive Director of the Long Branch Sewerage Authority from 1991 to 1994. He was a longtime city Planning Board member and its chairman. A Brown University graduate, he was the youngest person ever elected to the Long Brnach City Council in 1974 at age 26. He lost a narrow race for city mayor in 1978 (losing by less than 300 votes out of nearly 8,000 cast). He was also part owner of the family clothing business, W.H. Woolley’s, a Broadway business landmark that first opened 1911; it closed in 1990.

West End Airdrome at Long Branch, 1909. The open-air movie theater located at Ocean and Brighton Avenues could seat 2,000. It was part of a chain along the Jersey Shore.

Anchorage Apartment building sketch proposal, 1972. Construction cost for the 9-story, 91-unit facility was $2 million. The Syracuse Brothers of New Rochelle, NY were the developers. The Ocean Avenue condo opened in May 1973; with a penthouse priced at $52,000.

The Imperial House high-rise condo on Ocean Avenue, 1973. The 18-story, 221-unit facility was built by Frankel Enterprises, Inc. of Philadelphia for $6 million. When opened in May 1973, a one-bedroom unit cost $38,000. The Colony Beach Club had stood on these grounds in West End.

Long Branch Senior Center on Second Avenue, 2021. Dedicated to city residents 60 years of age and older.

The SS Long Branch, early 1900s.

Pound boat coming ashore at Long Branch, late 1800s.

Summer evening concert in the park at West End amphitheater, August 2021.

Dr. Milford S. Pinsky optician’s office on Third Avenue, 1955. He was the father of former US Poet Laureate, Robert Pinsky. Both men graduated from LBHS.

Ocean Avenue cottages, early 1900s.

The Beach at Long Branch: Wreck of the Dora Baker. Harper’s Weekly, August 1867.

“Loyalty Day Parade” ad. Long Branch Daily Record, May 1967. Sponsored by local VFWs, the 5-hour event was conducted on Broadway.

Long Branch History Blanket (click on image to enlarge). From LB Historical Association, 1996.

Lake Takanassee looking west, early 1900s.

“The Victoria” at 88 Second Avenue, 1909. The 31-room guest house was run by E.L. Reynolds.

Corner of Second Avenue and West End Court, 1909. Note Phil Daly’s Club House to the left.

Baldanza’s Bakery on Prospect Street, 1960s. Sicilian-born Joseph Baldanza opened the shop in 1919.

Long Branch, from the Sea. 1876. In the background is the 180-foot spire of the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church at the corner of Broadway and Washington Street. Designed by E.H. Finch, it opened in July 1869 and burned in January 1893. Today, the spot is St. Luke’s Church.

Dilger’s Market on Joline Avenue and Washington Street, 1950s. For 37 years, the building housed the market. Owner Conrad “Honey” Dilger was a lifelong city resident, fireman, and decorated WW II vet. He died in 2009 at age 94. The 1900 building stood empty for decades and was torn down in August 2021.

Long Branch Opera House ad, Long Branch Daily Record, November 1913. Opened in November 1881, the building was on the west side of Washington Street near Broadway. In 1915, it became Oakwood Hall.

Star of the Sea Church Carnival, Long Branch Daily Record, July 1967. The parish summer fair was very popular in its day — held in the church parking lot at Chelsea and Second Avenues. The homey event ran mostly from 1936 to 1969. The Gothic house of worship — lording over all the fun — opened in June 1929.

The Scarboro Hotel on fire, September 1941. The last of the city’s “Grand Hotels.” The 200-room, Queen Anne-design stood at Ocean and South Bath Avenues. Opened in 1882 by Richard Dobbins, it went through several changes over the years. The family of famed author Norman Mailer owned the hotel. He was likely born there in 1923 and launched his writing career in that same hotel.

A fall sunrise in Pier Village, 2017 (Dwayne Dentz Photo).

Takanassee Lake looking east, 1912. The St. Michael’s Church (l) is in the background. The West End Catholic house of worship was dedicated in August 1891.

Real Off-Broadway, 2021. A sad look at some Third Avenue relics — soon to be gone. The tall building once housed the NJ Bell Telephone Company. It was good work for area residents until direct dial changed it all in the late 1950s.

Plenty of sun-worshipers during Oceanfest at Long Branch, July 4, 2017.

Shrewsbury River, 1960s. The body of water is a navigable estuary about 8 miles in length.

Long Branch Horse Show, August 1913.

Fine Fare Supermarket on Third Avenue, 2010s. In January 1977, Anthony Perri, Sr. and Jr. acquired the business and opened Fine Fare. The family continues to ably operate the popular “neighborhood” store. First opened as Safeway Foods in 1955. it became a Finast supermarket in 1971 and a Foodland supermarket in 1975.

Safeway Foods, 1955 — the Third Avenue supermarket became Fine Fare in 1977. The 20,000-squre-foot supermarket opened in June 1955. Turner Construction Company of New York built the new red-brick store for $250,000 on old NY & LB Railroad property acquired for $45,000.

James Barham, Co. on Second Avenue, April 1908. Called the “pioneer plumbing establishment in Long Branch,” by the Long Branch Daily Record. The business was started in 1868 by James Barham. He worked hard, expanded and upon retiring in 1904 sold the business to his son Joseph Barham and partners George Rowland, George Golden, and William Emmons. By 1956, the Thomas H. Barham Company was begun. The Brighton Avenue plumbing and heating contractor flourished becoming the state’s top mechanical contracting company. When sold to PSEG Energy Technologies in Janurary 2000, it was doing $40 million in annual revenues. Founder “Tommy” Barham died in April 1982.

U.S. Life-Saving Service, Takanassee Lake Station, 1908. Captain William Van Brunt was the Keeper at the time. Built in 1893, the station went “inactive” in 1938.

Damiano Funeral Home at Franklin and Third Avenues, 2020. Newark natives Ralph and Marie Damiano opened the mortuary in July 1933. The business grew and their daughter, Vida, assumed control in 1968. Their grandson, R.J. “Buddy” Damiano, became the manager in Janurary 2001. “Traditional values, diversity and innovation” continue as the firm’s hallmarks. MORE INFO. A much accomplished and respected city man, Ralph Damiano graduated from Cooper Union of NYC, was wounded in battle during World War I, served as president of the Long Branch Chamber of Commerce and director of the Monmouth County Red Cross. Born in Foggia, Italy, he died in March 1971.

Britton’s Liquor Store on Joline Avenue/Route 36. The family-run business dates to 1867, starting as a pharmacy on Broadway. John T. Britton, III opened the spirits business at the current location in Sept. 1962.

West End Park amphitheater on Brighton Avenue, July 2021. The $43,291 band stand opened in 2013.

The Elberon Casino at Lincoln and Elbeon Avenues. Built in 1883 and designed by Peabody & Stearns. Later a private home, it was torn down in 1959.

City of Long Branch lifeguard boat, 2021.

Patten Point Yacht Club, June 2021.

Ocean Avenue looking north, 1901. The large structure at left is the Lenox Hotel at the corner of Broadway.

Long Branch High School marching band on Chelsea Avenue, 1958. At left is Truppa’s Ice Cream shop.

Jersey Shore map of LB area, 1776.

Jersey Shore Fishing Chart, 1960s.

Ocean Avenue looking north, 1894. A dirt road and no seawall.

Long Branch High School on Westwood Avenue. APP, December 1933. This was around the time when the school was hosting the new Monmouth Junior College and its 300 students. The school moved to its present WLB campus in 1956.

City women promoting a Suffrage event at LB Casino, 1915. The speaker, Anna Howard Shaw, was a leader in the women’s vote movement. Born in the UK, she was a physician and a Methodist minister.

St. Michael’s Church on Ocean Avenue, 1970s. The West End church was dedicated in August 1891. The Rev. Richard Cream was the first pastor from 1892 to 1928.

APP story on the death of mobster Anthony “Little Pussy” Russo in Long Branch, 1979.

Branchport Avenue looking south, early 1900s.

“Old Willows” on Second Avenue, early 1900s.

Jeremiah Curtis cottage on Ocean Avenue in West End, 1873. The property later was part of the San Alfonso Retreat House started in 1922.

Chelsea Avenue looking east postcard, early 1900s.

Patten family mansion, 1896. Later to become the Patten Point Yacht Club.

Patten Point Yacht Club, 2017. Thomas Patten, Sr. built the 22-room mansion on the banks of Shrewsbury River in 1892.

Baldanza’s Brothers Bakery on Prospect Street, 1930s. Italian-born brothers Joseph and Harry founded the city business in 1919.

Baldanza bakery plant on Poole Avenue, 1940s.

Baldanza bakery trucks, 1950s.

Oceanic Fire Engine Company, #1, 1912. Fire Chief Charles Brown is front center. The company was organized in January 1872.

Shadow Lawn S&L postcard, 1950s.

Dr. Edwin Sternberger house on Ocean Avenue, early 1909.

Receipt from the Thomas B. Barham Company in West End, 1904.

US President William McKinley (l) and Vice President Garret Hobart vacationing at Long Branch, Summer 1899. By that fall, VP Hobart would be dead.

The Phil Daly Houses — “Phil” & “Kathleen” — at the corner of Second and Chelsea Avenues, 1930s. (Note the new Star of the Sea Church at back left).

Another look at the Daly Houses, 1910s. (Note the old Star of the Sea Church at left).

San Alfonso Retreat House on Ocean Avenue, 1940.

Letter from US President Harry Truman congratulating the Long Branch Daily Record on its 50 years of publishing, 1951. The city’s last daily newspaper folded in 1975.

Original US Life-Saving Station at Long Branch #5, 1880s.

West End aerial image, mid-1960s.

Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 1906. At the corner of Second and Chelsea Avenues — it’s the city’s oldest Catholic church.

Star of the Sea Church, 1910s. It was built in 1852 and burned in December 1926.

“Long Branch by Moonlight” by W.J. Linton, in Harper’s Weekly 1869.

Storm damage along Ocean Avenue, Sept. 1944.

Seaside cottage of George W. Childs, 1868. He was the main Long Branch benefactor of President US Grant.

Branchport Hose Company ready for duty, 1907.

The Plaza — West End Auto Palace near the Takanassee Hotel, 1909.

News account of the wreck of the steamship St. Paul at Long Branch, January 1896.

Steamer Ship St. Paul beached at Long Branch, January 1896. Its cargo was gold.

Old Ocean Avenue, early 1900s.

Temple Beth Miriam, 1907. The oldest synagogue among Atlantic coast resorts, it was built on North Bath Avenue in 1888. Rabbi Benjamin Morris led this city synagogue from 1888 to 1912.

US President James A. Garfield memorial statue on the Long Branch oceanfront promenade. He died in LB in July 1881.

Patten’s Corner turnpike in Long Branch, 1916.

Star of the Sea Church on Chelsea Avenue, 1930s. Built at a cost of $200,000, the Holmesburg granite house of worship was dedicated in June 1929.

Big Power: Long Branch’s Mayor & US Senator. He was the last mayor of Long Branch before the city incorporated in 1904.

West End Casino, 1920s.

Old US Life-Saving Station and Takanassee Beach Club remains, 2012.

St. Michael’s Church neighborhood, 1950s.

Dawn at “Monmouth University Bluffs” beach in West End, 2021.

Lake Takanassee in West End, early 1900s. Originally called “Green’s Pond,” the Peter’s family gave it to the city in 1949.

S.S. Long Branch, early 1900s.

Guttenplan’s Bakery on Third Avenue, 1970s. The family run business started in 1908. The Third Avenue shop opened in 1956 and shut in 1992.

Wellington Inn on Brighton Avenue, early 1900s. It was Phil Daly’s Pennsylvania Club, a very popular gambling house which closed in 1902 and was torn down in 1909. John Hoey was the builder back in the 1860s. Games of chance included roulette, faro, cards and dice. In 1897 gambling was outlawed by the state.

M. O’Connor Tire Repair in West End, 1908.

Star of the Sea Church on Chelsea Avenue, 1950s.

Long Branch Elks Lodge on Garfield Avenue, 1940s. Previously, the Garfield Hotel, the Elks took over in 1908.

Long Branch Elks Lodge #742, 2018.

“Happy New Year” ad from W.H. Woolley, LB Daily Record, December, 31, 1913.

Long Branch Daily Record building, 1909. The paper left the 8,000-square-foot building in 1971 and moved to South Seventh Avenue. The longest serving editor was Houston Brown (1929-1942). In 1976, Michael Booth launched the Atlanticville, a weekly newspaper, a few doors from the old LB Record building.

Long Branch Daily Record building front door, 1930s. According to George H. Moss, Jr., the former Monmouth County Historian, Long Branch had at least 25 newspapers in its history.

Chabad of the Shore on Ocean Avenue, 2020. A brand new $20 million synagogue-shopping center combo in West End that “spreads Jewish awareness.”

The original St. James Episcopal Church in Long Branch, 1910. Located on Broadway, the wooden house of worship was dedicated in August 1855. Rev. Harry Finch was founding rector. It was replaced with a stone church in 1913.

Long Branch Trust Company sketch proposal for new drive-in bank in West End, 1955. Samuel Morris was president and the new branch was designed by Farmer and Cranmer of Asbury Park. Today, it’s a Chase Bank branch.

New San Alfonso Retreat House in West End, 1967. It has been run by the Redemptorist Fathers — a congregation of Catholic missionaries — since 1922.

Original San Alfonso Retreat House in West End, 1949. The oceanfront complex was the combination of several large summer homes.

Coast Lanes, 1960s. The 16-lane city bowling alley opened in September 1958 at 260 Third Avenue. The Carotenuto Brothers built the alley. It suffered a major fire that same year.

US Life-Saving Station #5 in Long Branch remains, 2011. All of the land in the area was originally owned by Henry Green.

Star of the Sea Academy on Chelsea Avenue, 1950s.

Star of the Sea Lyceum on Chelsea Avenue, 1963.

NFD’s Mack Auto Car & Hose Wagon, 1922.

The first LBFD chief’s car with Chief John W. Guire at West End firehouse, 1932.

Original Branchport Avenue firehouse, 1890.

Oceanic Fire Engine Co. No. 1, 1911. Incorporated in March 1872, it’s the city’s first volunteer fire company.

Oceanic Engine & Truck Co. No. 1, 1960s.

Original Norwood Avenue Fire Station, early 1870s.

Neptune Hook & Ladder Company No. 1 original firehouse sketch, 1866.

LB Fire Department chief’s vehicle, 1959 Chevy BelAir.

“Great West End Fire” in Long Branch, 2012.

“Great West End Fire” in Long Branch, 2012.

“Great West End Fire” in Long Branch, 1909.

“Great West End Fire” in Long Branch, 1909.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in front of Reed’s Bicycle Shop in West End, 1973. The photo became a cover for the band’s second album: The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle.

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

Long Branch coast, 2020.

Map of New York and its Vicinity by D.H. Burr, 1834.

Ocean Avenue, 1875.

Ocean Avenue, early 1900s.

St. Michael’s Church in West End, early 1900s. Dedicated in August 1891, the first pastor was the Rev. Richard Crean (from 1892 to 1928). The popular Monsignor Paul Bradley led this Catholic church from 1969-1989.

Simpson Methodist Church on Third Avenue, early 1900s. Opened in 1883. Today, it is the Long Branch Church of God.

Takanassee Lake looking west, 1908.

US Life-Saving Station at LB, 1919.

Huyler’s Candy Store on Ocean Avenue, 1909. Later to be the Surfside Beach Club.

St. Michael’s Church in West End, early 1900s.

Pound boat comes ashore in LB, 1906.

Pound boat comes ashore in LB, early 1900s.

The Bluffs of Long Branch. Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, August 1872.

St. Michael’s Church in West End, 1950s.

Natural gas tanks on Long Branch Avenue, 1961.

APP story on “Mr. Long Branch” — R. Barry Kamm, who died in November 1992.

Long Branch day dawns, 2020.

Dorothy Parker birthplace marker in West End, 2005. The celebrated writer, citric, wit and founding member of the Algonquin Hotel Round Table, was born in Long Branch in August 1893. She died in NYC in July 1967.

Typical Central Jersey passenger train that ran from Sandy Hook to Long Branch, 1930s.

Beached Finback whale in LB. APP, 1958.

Atlanticville logo. The weekly newspaper was launched in 1976 by Michael Booth.

Adonis shipwreck off LB, March 1859.

US Life-Saving Station #5 at Long Branch, 1905. Built in the 1890s, it later became the Takanassee beach club.

St. Paul steamship wreck off LB, 1886.

Helmbold Cottage, 1875.

LB oceanfront cottage, 1880.

Episcopal Church, late 1800s.

Pach Brothers Photo Studio, 1867.

Westwood and Third Avenues intersection, 1931.

Three NJ Governors: Foster Voorhees (1889-1902), John Fort (1908-11) and Edward Stokes (1905-08) vacationing at Long Branch, 1905.

Bridge over Lake Takanassee, 1908. The body of water was once “Green’s Pond.”

Long Branch is in there somewhere.

Patten Point, Long Branch. and Monmouth Beach in background, 2019.

Pound boat comes ashore in LB, early 1900s.

McCue’s Dairy. APP ad, 1942.

Seaside Chapel on Chelsea Avenue, dedicated July 1867. The church was struct by lightning and burned down in 1886.

The Mirimar on Ocean Avenue, 1863.

Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church on Broadway. President Grant was at the dedication in 1880. It burned in 1894 and was rebuilt as St. Luke’s.

Long Branch map, 1879.

Steamership Rusland beached off LB, 1877.

Steamership Amerique beached off LB, 1877.

Harbor Island Spa, 1957.

Geraldo Rivera: “He prints puff!” — New York Daily News, July 1992.

LB aerial image, 2019.

Independent Fire Engine & Truck Company #2 on Third Avenue, 1940s. Founded in 1910, it is the city’s youngest fire company.

LB boardwalk storm damage, 1944.

LB boardwalk storm damage, 1944.

US Life-Saving Station at LB, 1878.

“Famous Bluffs of Long Branch,” 1868.

Patten Steamboat Line schedule, 1902.

Patten Steamboat Line schedule, 1902.

Patten Line Steamboat: SS Thomas Patten, early 1900s.

Sketch of the house of Arthur H. Hearn, a replica of William Shakespeare’s birth home at Stratford-on-the-Avon, built at the corner of Second and South Bath Avenues in 1890. It burned in 1920.

NJ Gov. Jim Florio meets Atlanticville newspaper columnist Charlie Booth in West End, 1991.

Dudley Arms apartments on Broadway, 2018.

Asbury Park Press, November 1968.

Sea Verge Apartments on Ocean Blvd, 2018. The seven-story oceanfront high-rise opened in 1964. Construction cost was $2 million.

Long Branch Ice Boat & Yacht Club, 2018. Organized in 1901.

Patten Point section of LB, 2019.

Asbury Park Press, May 1960.

Long Branch map, 1873.

“The Gambling Evil at Long Branch,” according to Harper’s Magazine, 1889.

Shipwreck of the “Hannah” from Norway, 1879.

US Post Office of Long Branch on Third Avenue, 1920s. Opened in 1914, the building was named the “Pat King Postal Building” in 2002, in honor of the city police sergeant killed in the line of duty in 1997.

Courtroom in Garfield-Grant building, 1985.

Boardwalk Politics — Mayor Adam Schneider (r) after endorsing Gov. Chris Christie for re-election in NJ, June 2013. The Republican Christie won and also carried Long Branch with nearly 55% of the city vote.

West End cottages, early 1900s.

Asbury Park Press, May 1948.

Henry R. Cioffi hugs his wife Jean upon being elected mayor of Long Branch, 1970. Known as “Skip,” he was elected to three mayoral terms serving until 1982. He was also a former city councilman, US Marine, and Ivy League finance graduate. He died in 2020.

Asbury Park Press, 1954.

Asbury Park Press, July 1958.

Asbury Park Press, January 1952.

Asbury Park Press, May 1959.

H. Victor Newcomb house on Ocean Avenue in Elberon, 1881. The architects were McKim, Mead & White. Cost to build: $33,000. Newcomb was a railroad tycoon and banker. Lyman Bloomingdale bought the house in 1901.

Siegel Cottage, 1914.

Dunbarton House, 1868.

Gustavus Pach Photograph Gallery, 1867.

Long Branch “rich map,” 1886.

First Baptist Church on Bath Avenue, 1913.

Neptune Hose Company, No. 1, early 1900s.

Myron Oppenheim house, early 1900s. He also once owned Shadow Lawn later Monmouth University.

Chelsea Avenue, 1917.

Washington Street, 1917.

Actor Oliver Byron. A Long Branch home owner seen here in 1842.

Edwin Booth cottage, late 1800s.

Phil Daly cottages, early 1900s.

Oceanfront cottage, 1875.

Map over LB area, 1770s.

NJ railroad system around LB, 1887.

Oceanfront cottage, 1940s.

Johnny Brockriede, 1960s. “Long Branch’s finest supporter” died in April 2012 at age 67. One of the city’s most successful and generous businessmen and entrepreneurs, John left a mark all over LB.

Off-Broadway Cocktail Lounge Jazz & Blues Bar, 1990s. Found on 4th Avenue, previously it was the Happy Hour inn.

Old Phil Daly cottages on Second and Chelsea Avenues, 1930s. Torn down in 1909.

Patten Avenue bridge under construction, 2005.

Conte’s Car Wash aerial image, 1961.

Conte’s Car Wash on Joline Avenue, 1970s.

Ocean Avenue opening, 1948.

Dr. William A. Conover house, 1868.

Beth Miriam Synagogue, 1942.

Diller house, 1905.

Blue Dolphin Pub ad, 1980s. The spot became the “Twin Peaks” go-go bar in late 1991.

Club Spanky on old Ocean Avenue, 1980s. Band mates Rod Faccone, Jr. and Ron Rosenzweig opened the rock ‘n’ roll night club in August 1978.

Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 2019.

Mayor Adam Schneider tosses a football while waiting for elections results (he won a fourth term), 2002.

St. Michael’s Church on Ocean Avenue, 1986.

Long Branch-Monmouth Beach stage coach in West End, early 1900s.

Map of Long Branch area, 1765.

Mary Patten steamship, early 1900s.

Long Branch Carnival, 1900.

Long Branch Horse Show, 1913.

Long Branch postcard, 1976.

MIllionaire’s Row on Ocean Avenue, late 1800s.

St. Michael’s Church, 2009.

Conte’s Car Wash, 1970s. Longtime owners Louis and Mary Conte of Oceanport started their very successful Joline Avenue business in 1961. Mary died in 2002; Lou in 2006.

Neptune Hose Company No. 1, 1905.

Park & Tilford store on Brighton Avenue, 1905.

Brighton Avenue, early 1900s.

Bruce Springsteen in West End, 1970s.

NJ Governor Franklin Murphy and staff in LB, 1905.

St. Michael’s Church in West End, early 1900s.