Ocean’s
The Eden Woolley House
The Township of Ocean Historical Museum
Heritage
Vol. 30, No. 1, Winter 2014
A year of festivities planned
New Jersey celebrates its 350th anniversary
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o, exactly what did happen in 1664 that makes 2014 our 350th anniversary? After all, by then the Lenape had been in what we now call New Jersey for 3,000 years. As early as 1609, the Dutch had a few settlements on the west side of the Hudson as part of New Netherlands. And even the Swedes had colonized along the Delaware by 1638.
The answer: In 1664 the English arrived. They took over New Netherlands and began colonizing what they named New Jersey (originally Nova Caesarea) on a serious scale--complete with proprietary governors, guarantees of freedom of religion, counties (by 1682), and townships (soon after).
What were they thinking?
The English king--thinking that the voyages of John Cabot nearly two hundred years earlier gave Britain claim to the lands of New Netherlands--ordered the takeover. The king was Charles II (son of the Charles beheaded by Oliver Cromwell). On September 8, 1664, four English frigates sailed into New Amsterdam har-
Sir George Carteret
Lord John Berkeley
bor and seized (without resistance) all of New Netherlands for the British crown. New Amsterdam became New York (named for the Duke of York, the king’s brother, who had organized the mission).
What happened to New Jersey?
In appreciation for their loyal support during the English Civil War, the Duke of York granted Sir George Carteret and Lord John Berkeley the land that would become New Jersey. Both men had defended King Charles I and the crown against Cromwell. They named their land grant New Jersey after the Isle of Jersey, Carteret’s home (where he had harbored the exiled Charles II before the restoration of the monarchy).
In 1673, Berkeley sold his share of the land grant to the Quakers, and the colony was officially divided into East and West W New Jersey. The boundary ran roughly from the ocean (just north of today’s Atlantic City) to the Delaware (just north of today’s Delaware Water Gap). The two parts were reunited in 1702, when the Quakers’ West New Jersey went bankrupt and ownership was returned to the crown. The East-West division is still evident in the Burlington/Ocean and Hunterdon/Somerset county borders.
Although Dutch (pur (purple) and Swedish (blue) settlements extended into New Jersey, the colony was largely uninhabited by Europeans until the English takeover in 1664.
From its role in the founding of the country to its contributions to the arts and sciences, New Jersey’s story is a fascinating tale. Throughout 2014, chapters of that story are being told at venues across the state. Visit nj350.com for details.
The Museum celebrates its 30th
A “The Coming of the English,” by Howard Pyle, depicts Peter Stuyvesant on September 8, 1664, ready to surrender his undefended colony. New Amsterdam was quickly renamed New York (after the king’s brother, the Duke of York, who organized the “invasion”). Little else changed for the Dutch settlers, who continued life much as before. (The mural is found in the Hudson County Court House, Jersey City)
lthough we count our years in decades, not centuries, and the whole state is unlikely to join in our celebration, we are excited this year to acknowledge our own milestone. The Township of Ocean Historical Museum incorporated in 1984. That makes this our 30th anniversary. We’ve come a long way--from two rooms in the Oakhurst School to the Eden Woolley House, from a modest local resource to the “Best Museum in Monmouth County.” Join us August 17 to celebrate. Details inside.
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Ocean’s Heritage, Winter 2014
Left: Steinbach, circa 1955, was the centerpiece of a model train layout complete with skaters on Sunset Lake. Center: The mini exhibit, “Remembering Asbury High,” premiered in the Our Town Gallery. Right: The Hearth and Home Gallery was transformed into a craft boutique and bakery.
Model trains, a new exhibit, miniatures, a “handmades” boutique, and “homemades” bakery
The December Holiday Weekend delivered as promised We’ve been hosting a Holiday Weekend the first Saturday and Sunday of December as long as we’ve been a Museum--and that makes it 30 years! This one drew well over 200 visitors, including many who came (most for the first time) to see the premiere of our new exhibit, “Remembering Asbury High.” There was much to see and do. Little ones hunted for hidden snowmen. Guests of all ages delighted in the model train layout. The trains--1950s commuter style-- encircled the Steinbach building in the center of downtown Asbury Park, complete with period cars along Cookman Avenue. A miniature “Dainty Apparel” and a classic
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Standing room only
rain enthusiasts filled the Oakhurst Schoolhouse auditorium November 11 to hear speaker Gary Crawford describe the role the railroads played in the Jersey Shore’s growth and development.
metal 1950s dollhouse were tucked into the Museum galleries. Those who came to shop were not disappointed. For these two days
the entire Hearth and Home Gallery was bedecked in hand-made quilts and crafts and filled with home-made cakes and cookies. The front porch was covered in fresh wreaths, on sale by the Ocean Garden Club. For the 27th year, the winning quilt raffle ticket was drawn on Sunday afternoon. It belonged to Oakhurst resident and Museum member Carmel Smith. (The 2013 raffle netted the Museum just over $3,000.)
2013 Quilt winner, member Carmel Smith
In every way, the weekend was as magical as the season it celebrates!
From the visitors’ log . . .
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ast year, more than 1,300 people visited the Eden Woolley House. So far this year, despite some of the most severe weather in memory, guests continue to arrive. They come because of their interest in the stories we tell. And it turns out some have quite interesting stories of their own. Here are just a few. Oakhurst resident Karin Ahmed had discovered Kelly Lindhelmar’s blog and even contributed a post. But the two had never met until Karin invited Kelly to join Karin Ahmed (left) and her for a visit Kelly Lindhelmar to the Woolley House. Turns out Kelly, an Amercian Studies student at the College of St. Elizabeth, has converted her passion for history into a useful resource for all of
us (thehistorygirl.com). She has visited and blogged about more than 80 historic sites and museums in the state--including now the Woolley House.
Left to right: Connie and John Lysko, Sylvia Sylvia, Doc Richmond, Rose and Bob Accera, Sean and Kathy Moore.
The Superintendent and members of the Ocean Township Board of Education and their spouses had a private tour of the Museum, Sunday, January 26. They were taking Museum President Paul Edelson up on the invitation he extended at a presentation to the Board last October.
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Ocean’s Heritage, Winter 2014
Appointments to fill positions
Changes to Museum Executive Board
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ancy Emmons has stepped up to the position of 2nd Vice President (Memberhip), replacing Linda Wright who relocated out of state with her husband to be near family. Nancy vacated her role as Recording Secretary to take her new position. She was introduced to our membership in the Spring 2013 Newsletter where we learned that Nancy is a long-time Oakhurst resident, retired from Bell Labs, who also contributes to the Museum as a trained docent. New board member, Sergie Conklin, as been appointed Recording Secretary, filling the position vacated by Nancy. Nancy Her interest in history brought her to the Museum after retiring as a social worker for the state. She has trained as a docent and has joined the quilting team.
(We asked Sergie about her unusal name. She expalined that it came from a novel and was her great-aunt‘s middle name. That aunt died of typhoid at 17. Her survivng twin [Sergie’s grandmother] used the name for her daughter who in turn passed it on to the Sergie we know!)
Carriage Stone donated
Are your 2014 dues paid?
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carriage stone was a convenience for passengers stepping out of their carriages at the curbside. Ours, installed at the Museum’s front walk, is a recent gift from Chris Meyer, owner of the Shore Antique Center, Allenhurst, who believes it came originally from a Woolley home on West Park Ave., Oakhurst. Chris Meyer delivers his gift to the Woolley House--an antique carriage stone inscribed “M. Woolley.”
Congratulations to our newest board members who bring fresh ideas and new energy to our work.
Coming Events General Meeting and Speaker Event
Nancy Emmons
Panel: Remembering the West Side Music Scene
Tuesday, March 11, 7:15—Oakhurst School Auditorium. Musicians and Asbury Park native sons Dorian Parreott, Gladstone Trott, and Clifford Johnson share memories of the city and stories of their musical careers.
Spring Tea Sergie Conklin
Museum membership runs for a calendar year. That means, if you haven’t already, it’s time to pay your 2014 dues. More than a third of our revenue comes from our memberships. They keep us afloat --and demonstrate (to grant-givers and others) the extent of our community support. Consider paying at the special anniversary level of $30 (or higher) and pick up a handsome Woolley House Tote (see photo) at the Museum--our gift of appreciation to you.
In memory
We mourn the passing in recent months of three Museum members.
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eorge Barthelemy, 92, 84-year resident of Oakhurst, died December 20. At the time of his passing, he held the records as the oldest and the longest-serving member of the Oakhurst volunteer fire company. company.
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irginia Montedoro, 76, a 46-year resident of Oakhurst, died on October 12. She was a registered nurse and a founding member of St. Anselm Church where she was a vocalist and choir member.
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Mark your calendar
avin Siciliano, 81, long-time Oakhurst resident, died October 31. He was among the Korean War veterans honored in the Museum’s flag-raising cer cer-emony last July.
Saturday, April 26, 1:30—West Park Recreation Center. Tickets on sale March 1.
Weekend at Old Monmouth
Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4. A self-guided tour of Monmouth Counties premiere historical sites, including the Eden Woolley House. General Meeting and Speaker Event
An architectural history of homes Tuesday, June 10, 7:15—Oakhurst School. Architect Frank Tomaino outlines the progression of house styles. Exhibit opening
The History of Houses
Sunday, June 29—The Richmond Gallery of the Eden Woolley House. A look at the evolution of what we call home and a close-up of several houses of interest.
American Doll Tea
Sunday, July 13 (Rain date July 20)— The Woolley House and ground. Tickets ($25 for one child and her favorite adult) go on sale June 1.
Vietnam War Veterans Flag-Raising Saturday, July 26, 6:30 p.m.—The Woolley House and grounds.
Museum 30th Anniversary Luncheon Sunday, August 17—The Deal Country Club.
Ocean’s Heritage, Winter 2014
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Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4
Weekend in Old Monmouth
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he first weekend in May, May 40 or more of Monmouth County’s most note-worthy historical sites will open, free of charge, to visitors. It’s the seventh annual “Weekend in Old Monmouth,” a self-guided tour sponsored by the Board of Chosen Freeholders and the county Historical Commission. And once again, the Eden Woolley House is “on the map.” In recent years the tour has included sites from all corners of the county, as diverse as Woodrow Wilson Hall at Monmouth University, the Allen House in Shrewsbury, and the Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club in Rumson. The booklets (available on line and at each site, including our Museum) describe each venue, suggest tour routes, and provide an easy-to-use map. Whether you take the weekend or just a few hours, whether you visit all the sites or choose a few favorites, consider taking advantage of the county’s opening its historical treasures all at once for your convenience and enjoyment. Google “Weekend in Old Monmouth” for details.
Support from trusts and foundations
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ou know that the Museum is an all-volunteer organization, that all the funds we raise go to operate and maintain the Woolley House. But perhaps you did not know the role that several trusts and foundations play in raising those funds. Our sincere thanks to those listed here whose generosity helps make our operations and programs possible. • The William T. & Marie J. Henderson Foundation ($1,000) • The Renzulli Charitable Trust, sponsored by Libero Marx and Giuliana M. Renzulli ($250) • The Brunetti Foundation ($500) • The Rita & Harry Greenberger Foundation Inc. ($500) • The Jersey Shore Greek Festival Outreach Fund ($1,200)
Paul Edelson (center) accepts a $1,200 gift from Greek Festival Chair George Moutis (left) and Father Andrew Eugenis. (St. George Orthodox Church gives 10% of its festival profits to local causes, as nominated by its members, in our case Penny Gabriel.)
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xperience New Jersey history at the state History Fair, Saturday, May 10, from 11 to 5 at Washington Crossing State Park along the Delaware River, eight miles north of Trenton in Titusville . It is a rain or shine event with free admission (but an $8 per vehicle parking fee). This year’s fair celebrates New Jersey’s 350th anniversary. The fair, which is marking its own 10-year anniversary, has something for everyone. Enjoy living history demonstrations, military reenactments, tours, exhibits, music and dance provided by historical organizations from across the state. The Eden Woolley House will again be represented. Call the Museum if you’d like to join the fun. Find more information at www.njhistoryfair.org
Flag-raising for Vietnam veterans Continuing the Museum’s program of honoring our military veterans (World War II in 2012, Korea in 2013), this year we will recognize the service of Vietnam veterans living and deceased at a flag-raising ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 26 at the flag pole on the Eden Woolley House grounds. Please send the name, service and rank of any veteran you would like honored to: Ocean Museum PO Box 516, Oakhurst, NJ 07755, or e-mail: oceanmuseum.org, or leave a message at 732-531-2136.
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Reopening Thursday Nights
he Museum has been closed Thursday nights for the winter months. We reopen Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. starting March 13. Always, you or your group can visit the Museum outside our regular hours by appointment. Call 732-531-2136.
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Panel discussion, March 11
Musicians to share their memories of Asbury Park’s jazz scene On Tuesday, March endary churches and clubs where they 11 at 7:15, at the old heard and played the music they love. Oakhurst Schoolhouse, Jon Leidersdorff, owner of the recently 163 Monmouth Road, opened recording studio, The Lakehouse Oakhurst, three musiin Asbury Park, moderates. As a musician cians and Asbury Park himself --and one who has invested his native sons share their own business in the future of the city--Jon insider’s experience brings a fresh and informed perspective of the city’s jazz scene to the evening. His Lakehouse Recording from the 1940s to toStudio is also a music academy, educating day. The event is the next in the Museum’s area enthusiasts--from toddlers to seniors. Speaker Series and augments our major Panelist exhibit, “Asbury Clifford JohnPark: The His- “As a kid ‘grooving it up’ in the son was born tory of a Jersey city, Asbury was heaven.... and raised in Gem,” currently Asbury. He has in the Richmond Music blessed everyone.” had a distinGallery of the guished career ---Gladstone Trott Woolley House. as an insurance Organ virexecutive and church leader. But his tuoso Gladstone Trott, music educator/ ongoing passion is music. He has keyboardist/horn player Dorian Parremade his mark as a jazz saxophonist. ott, and saxophonist Clifford Johnson Panelist Dorian Parreott is already tell stories of growing up as musical prodigies in a city famous for its mu- known to the Museum. He shared his sic. They talk about the men and women memories and memorabilia for the current who nurtured their talents and the leg- Asbury exhibit and he performed with his
(Clockwise from top left) Dorian Parreott, Clifford Johnson, Gladstone Trott, and moderator Jon Leidersdorff. trio at our October Ghost Walk. As part of the panel discussion, Dorian has a chance to explain how an Asbury-High-classof-1954 graduate with a full athletic college scholarship ends up as a music educator, performer, and instrument repair expert. Panelist Gladstone Trott, Asbury High class of 1975, sheds light on a somewhat later generation of native musicians. He puts it like this:
Reserve your table
Spring Tea tickets available starting March 1
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he Museum’s 10th Annual Spring Tea will be held Saturday, April 26, from 2 to 4 (seating at 1:30) at the West Park Avenue Recreation Center, Oakhurst. Tickets ($25) are available starting March 1. Call 732-531-2136 to reserve your space. Single tickets are available, but the most fun is coming with friends and reserving tables for four or eight! You’ll enjoy tasty tea sandwiches, breads, desserts, and scones (with whipped cream, butter, or jam)--all made by Museum volunteers. You’ll be offered a variety of delicious teas. There will be a gift basket auction, a sale of
quilted crafts and doll clothes, and a fancy hat contest. The Tea sells out every year. Please buy your tickets early. They must be purchased in advance--none are sold at the door. Gift Auction Items Welcome Did you receive a holiday gift you can’t use? Maybe we can! We welcome new items for the Spring Tea gift baskets (and the 30th Anniversary Luncheon silent auction). Call 732-531-2136 or simply bring your items to the Museum (hours are printed on the back of the newsletter). We will transform your donations into delightful packages--and revenue for the Museum!
“As a kid “grooving it up” in the city, Asbury was heaven. No matter the type of music that struck your fancy, it was available to you. If the sounds of a merry-go-rounds calliope were your thing, you had the Boardwalk. If you wanted to draw closer to God, you had your choice of churches. Or, you could worship at the secular temples like the Orchid Lounge, Cuba’s Nightclub, or the the Wonder Bar. Music blessed everyone.” The panel discussion is open to the public, free of charge. Donations are appreciated. Refreshments are served. (We collect and welcome nonperishable items for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.)
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Join us at Deal Country Club Sunday, August 17
30th anniversary celebration
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Message from the Museum
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President
hanks to the talents of Peggy Dellinger our Exhibit Chairman, we have opened five major exhibits and many mini exhibits since moving to the Eden Woolley House in 2009. None has had the impact of our two current exhibits: “Asbury Park: History of a Jersey Gem” and “Remembering Asbury High.” The main exhibit traces the rich history of Asbury Park from its beginnings to the present day with facts, pictures and artifacts. The Asbury High display highlights the memorable sports figures from 1920’s to the 1970’s and artifacts of student life from the Driftwood yearbook, the weekly studentproduced newspaper The Megaphone, prom pictures, and sporting events programs. I have been a lifelong Shore resident with many ties to Asbury Park, but there were many new facts I learned from these informative and entertaining exhibits. If you haven’t been yet, don’t miss them! If you have visited, tell a friend. The Asbury exhibits will be up until the end of May. Our regular hours are listed on the back page of this newsletter, but we also make arrangements by request for small groups to visit the Museum on off hours. AND, don’t miss our speaker event on March 11th at 7:15 in the Oakhurst School when Asbury native and jazz musician Dorian Parreott presents a program ”Remembering the West Side Music Scene” with fellow musicians Gladstone Trott and Clifford Johnson. Join us for a trip down memory lane. Paul Edelson
o celebrate its 30 years of volunteer service to the community, the Township of Ocean Historical Museum is holding a luncheon at the Deal Golf and Country Club, Sunday, August 17, at 1. Everyone is welcome--from our founding members to our latest visitors and all those whose interest, time, and talents took us on the remarkable journey from two rooms in the Oakhurst Schoolhouse to the award-winning Museum headquartered in the Eden Woolley House. Tickets are $45 (the committee is committed to keeping the price attractive and affordable). The celebration includes a sit-down luncheon, a gift auction, photographs and artifacts depicting our 30 years, and a program to recognize some of the exceptional volunteers and supporters who lead the way.
Oakhurst Schoolhouse, 163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, was home to the Museum from 1984 to 2009
(Left) Marge Edelson, Joe Palaia (then state Assemblyman), and Ann Stiles pose for the press to publicize the 1988 quilt raffle, on display behind them. (Right) Volunteer Nancy Noaz engages attentive students in the first years of the Museum’s third grade program.
The Township of Ocean Museum, 1984 to 2014
By the Numbers The numbers show at a glance how far we’ve come
53 Museum family memberships, 1984
445 Museum family memberships, 2013 16 Hours a month the Museum was open for our 24 years in the Oakhurst Schoolhouse, 1984-2008
50 Hours a month the Museum is open since our move to the Eden Woolley House, 2009-present
5,000 Total visitors to the Museum our first 24 years, 19842008, not including 3rd graders
7,000 Total visitors to Museum our first 5 years in the Woolley House, 2009-2013, not including 3rd graders
400 3rd grade classes who have visited the Museum over our 30 history (about 8,000 children)
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Ocean’s Heritage, Winter 2014
Jules Plangere, Jr., former publisher, CEO, and chairman of the board of the Asbury Park Press, recalls his career and the remarkable turn of events that led to his ascent as an award-winning media executive and philanthropist.
I Remember . . . My years at the Asbury Park Press
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late in life and had no children of his own. I became like a son to him--in ways, it turns out, I could not have imagined.
From Asbury High to the South Pacific
On a day I won’t forget, Wayne learned I was on my way to a lawyer’s office in Newark to draw up my will. He asked to ride along with me and on the way his motive became clear. He turned to me and said, “I am leaving my half of the newspaper to you.” Wayne McMurray died in 1974.
was in the right place at the right time. That’s how I’d explain it. My life began as the only child of a Spring Lake gardener. Today, I sit here--comfortably retired from a highprofile career--living in a home built on the property of the very estate where my father worked! It has been an unexpected, unforgettable turn of events.
I graduated from Asbury Park High School in 1940. It was the school of choice for most Spring Lake eighth graders (who could also have gone to Neptune or Manasquan). Asbury was ranked high in the state for academics and sports. Its Group IV status clinched the deal for me: I became co-captain of the tennis and basketball teams. We commuted to school by train, which stopped at Asbury’s North Station, a short walk from the school. I entered Rutgers in the fall of 1940, the first in my family to attend college. After two years of ROTC, I left Rutgers, enlisted, and served in Jules saw combat in the the South Pacific during the last years Pacific and served after of the war. I was newly married, and the war as an aide to the peace mission in Korea returned from the army ready to find a job and settle into civilian life. (shown here).
The bank wasn’t hiring. The Press was.
It was 1947. My father had served in World War I with the man who was then president of the First Merchants National Bank in Asbury. I knocked on his door, looking for work. He wasn’t hiring, but directed me next door to the Asbury Park Press. The Press hired me under the new GI Bill, which covered 35% of my salary for two years--and required that I change assignments every six months. I worked the full spectrum of jobs at the paper--billing, sales, reporting, editing. Eventually I settled in production, which I headed for 24 years. In 1964, I was named secretary of the corporation and 10 years later became general manager. Through these early years, Wayne McMurray, the paper’s publisher and half-owner, was my mentor. He had married
The publisher dies
The next 25 years
For the next 25 years (until the paper was sold to Gannett in 1997), the Lass family and I shared ownership of the Press. We were owner-operators of modest backgrounds, close to the communities we served. We took the paper in the direction of our vision and make decisions based on our commitment to integrity and fairness, without pressure from shareholders. The Press went from a local newspaper to the second largest in the state. We grew along with the populations of the counties we served. We went from using linotype machines and photographic plates that had to be picked up in Trenton to installing leading-edge technolgies that revolutionJules Plangere in 1991 when he stepped ized how the paper was produced. down after 14 years as publisher. Revolutionary technologies did more than automate production. They changed the game for newspapers. Television, cable, and the internet redefined everything--from the news cycle to the business model. At 93, I look back with wonder and gratitude over the course of my life. I’ve played a role in delivering balanced news to the public. And now, through the Plangere Foundation, I have a way to continue to contribute. Jules Plangere, Jr.