P. Hall Packer, SB’s first Mayor.

Monmouth Beach is blessed to have good neighbors. Its Jersey Shore border mate to the north, the Borough of Sea Bright, is very rich in history. I had the honor of being appointed vice-president of the newly constituted Sea Bright Historical Society  — the first in borough history.

For many years I was also a member of the Monmouth Beach Historical Society and was president when the group had the vision to save the cultural center on Ocean Avenue from a wrecking ball in 2000. The group also published a 350-page history book on the borough, Monmouth Beach: A Century of Memories in 2009.

Former Sea Bright Councilman Marc Leckstein is president of the Sea Bright Historical Society. Marc, an attorney in Little Silver, is a thoughtful and determined student of history. He has done a superb job of helping others to better understand and apprentice Sea Bright’s grand heritage.

Courtesy of Marc, here are the Mayors of the Borough of Sea Bright:

Mayor                                      Term of Office

P. Hall Packer                            4/27/1876 – 3/18/1901

George W. Elliot                       3/18/1901 – 12/1/1906

John W. Eyles                           2/01/1906 – 1/1/1908

P. Hall Packer                            1/1/1908 – 4/29/1909

James H. Johnson                  5/5/1909 – 1/1/1010

Charles V. Shropshire             1/1/1010 – 12/30/1911

George W. Elliot                        1/1/1912 – 1/1/1916

John W. Eyles                            1/1/1916 – 11/7/1917

John Storer                                11/17/1917 – 12/31/1917

P. Hall Packer                             1/1//1918 – 1/2/1922

Thomas J. Sweeney                1/2/1922 – 11/19/1922

William R. Fowler                     11/22/1922 – 1/1/1924

P. Hall Packer                             1/1/1924 – 2/15/1924

Sharon D. Barber                      2/15/1924 – 1/1/1925

William R. Fowler                     1/1/1925 – 1/2/1928

Philip Walton                             1/2/1928 – 1/1/1932

William R. Fowler                     1/1/1932 – 1/1/1936

Walter J. Sweeney                   1/1/1936 – 1/1/1944

Thomas J. Farrell                     1/1/1944 – 1/1/1952

George H. Krauss                     1/1/1952 – 1/1/1954

Thomas J. Farrell                     1/1/1954 – 1/1/1964

Frank VanDuzer                        1/1/1964 – 1/1/1968

Cecile F. Norton                        1/1/1968 – 12/21/1987

Andrew B. Manning                1/1/1988 – 12/19/1988

Charles R. Rooney, Jr.            1/1/1989 – 2/5/1999

Gregory Harquail                     3/5/1999 – 1/3/2004

JoAnn Kalaka Adams             1/3/2004 – 1/1/2008

Maria D. Fernandes                 1/1/2008 – 12/31/2011

Dina Long                                    1/1/2012 – 1/1/2020

Brian P. Kelly                              1/1/2020 – Present

For more fine Sea Bright history, have a look at the “Sea Bright Historical Images” Facebook page created by Marc — HERE

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