Ocean’s
The Eden Woolley House
Ocean’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2019
Heritage
The Township of Ocean Historical Museum
Vol. 35, No. 2, Spring /Summer 2019
Major exhibit opens to the public in the Richmond Gallery, Sunday, July 28
Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage
W
hen the Founders crafted the U.S. Constitution, they gave the authority to decide who could vote to the states. All but one decided it would be men— white, property-owning men, 21 years old and older. The one exception was New Jersey. For the first few decades of our new nation, propertyowning women in New Jersey could vote. But in 1807, state legislators took a step backwards and rescinded the right. New Jersey women joined their sisters across the country who were shut off from the ballot. The new exhibit, “Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage” opening in the Woolley House, Sunday, July 28, tells of the remarkable campaign waged by women across the country to gain (and for New Jersey women, to regain) the vote.
long friends. Together, they made a formidable team that reigned for more than 50 years as the iconic leaders of the suffrage movement. Anthony and Stanton travelled the country making speeches and gathering support. When Stanton, mother of seven, cut back on travel, she stayed hard a work—writing Anthony’s speeches, organizing supporters, even rewriting the Bible from a feminist perspective. Both women were bitterly disappointed when Congress refused, following the Civil War, to expand the language of the 15th Amendment to bar discrimination New Jersey native Alice Paul (far right) headed the militant branch of in voting based on both race and the suffrage movement in the lead-up to the 1920 passage of the 19th sex. Their outrage generated harsh Amendment. When others backed off from strident demonstrations statements from these former aboafter the U.S. entered World War I, Paul and her followers stepped up litionists that created a lasting ratheir efforts. They picketed the White House and confronted Wilson cial rift among suffragists. for “making the world safe for democracy” while denying it to half Anthony and Stanton did not the American population. They faced arrest, refused to eat, endured give up. In 1878, they pushed for force-feeding, and ultimately won the day. —Library of Congress a 16th Amendment to guarantee women the right to vote. The not own property, keep their own wages, “Susan B. Anthony Amendment,” as The start of a movement or enter into any legal contract. Women it became known, failed in this first atMost historians mark the start of the were shut out of most professions. Ditempt and was introduced anew to each American suffrage movement from the 1848 vorce was near impossible, Women’s Convention in Seneca Falls, New even in cases of abuse. A York, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton woman’s place was in the and Lucretia Mott. Both women had dishome—often an inherited Exhibit Opening covered their political voice fighting for home whose title had been the abolition of slavery. Both had felt the ceded to her husband. VOtes for Women sting of being shut out by male-dominated In 1851, three years afThe Story of Suffrage leadership. They were outraged, frustrated, ter the Seneca Falls conferand ready to take on the status quo. ence, Elizabeth Cady Stan1 to 4, Sunday, July 28, 2019 The status quo at the time was a sorton met Susan B. Anthony. The RIchmond Gallery ry mess for women. Not only were they Though strikingly unlike Eden Woolley House barred from public speaking and leaderin appearance and tempership positions, but married women could ament, they became life-
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Ocean’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2019
Wine and Cheese Open House, 7 p.m., Friday, June 21 at the Eden Woolley House
Hand-drawn 1849 map to be unveiled
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recent phone call from the Shrewsbury Historical Society (SHS) brought a happy surprise. They had a gift for us: a copy of a map of Shrewsbury, hand drawn in January 1849—mostly likely created to outline the boundaries of the new municipality, the Township of Ocean, scheduled to split from Shrewsbury a month later. They have given us both a digital and a full-size paper copy of the original, now framed and ready to be unveiled to the public at a wine and cheese open house at the Woolley House, 7 p.m., Friday, June 21.
The discovery and restoration SHS volunteers discovered the original several years ago while searching through a closet at the Shrewsbury Historical Society Museum (419 Sycamore Ave.). After agreeing to fund the map’s conservation and receiving a grant from the Monmouth County Historical Commission, the SHS entrusted the rare document to the famed Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia. More than a year later, it was fully restored, framed, and on display at the Shrewsbury Museum in time for this past “Weekend in Old Monmouth,” May 4 and 5. The history In all likelihood the map was drawn by
Benjamin W. Corlies, an Eatontown surveyor, whose initials “BWC” appear below its scale indicator. Corlies annotated the document with hand-drawn images of houses, churches, and waterways. It was from the Shrewsbury shown on the map that the Township of Ocean, by act of the NJ Legislature, February 21, 1849,
withdrew, taking with it all the land from Sea Bright south to the Manasquan inlet. Join us Come to the Woolley House, 7 p.m., Friday, June 21. Join us in raising a glass to the Shrewsbury Historical Society for its gift and to the Township on its 170 anniversary year.
Museum represented at Shore History Fair
Heather MacDonald (as Mabel Fenton) and Gary Edelson introduced the Museum to well over 100 visitors at the first Shore History Fair, April 27, at the Taylor Pavilion, Belmar.
Votes for Women continued from page one session of Congress for the next 42 years! The (by then) 19th Amendment, granting women’s suffrage, was finally ratified in 1920.
They didn’t live to see it
Neither Stanton nor Anthony lived to see passage. Their efforts fell short of their goals. But the inroads they gained, the organizations they created, and the national awareness they built set the stage for the next generation—the early 20th century activists who carried the camElizabeth Cady Stanton (seated) and paign for women’s suffrage to Susan B. Anthony victory.
The second wave
Among this second wave of suffragists were the daughters of Elizabeth Stanton and Lucretia Mott—and newcomers, including Carrie Chapman Catt and New Jersey native Alice Paul. Catt and Paul were rivals. Their strategies and styles were at odds. Catt favored local campaigns to change state voting laws. She thought militant demonstration unpatriotic after the U.S. entered World War I in 1917. In contrast, Paul took the fight for a U.S. Constitutional amendment to President Wilson’s doorstep. She lead an 18-month long picketing campaign at the gates to the White House. She welcomed arrest and used the mistreatment of imprisioned suffragists to build public sympathy. Faced with a public relations nightmare, Wilson gave in and threw his support in favor of the federal amendment. Passage of the Anthony Amendment was “the greatest expansion of democracy on a single day the world had ever seen” (Eleanor Clift, Founding Sisters). Join us at the July 28 opening to learn the full story.
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Ocean’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2019
Mark your calendar
Spring Tea contributing businesses, continued Prime 13 Steakhouse 710 Arnold Ave., Pt. Pleasant
Shrewsbury Volkswagen 702 Shrewsbury Ave., Tinton Falls
Purple Glze Donuts. etc. 516 Summerfield Ave., Asbury Park
Silverball Museum Boardwalk, Asbury Park
Red Lobster 2200 Rte. 35, Oakhurst
Sky Zone Ocean 2355 Rte. 66, Ocean
Rizzo’s Pizza Middlebrook Shopping Ctr., Ocean
Starbucks 2100 Rte. 35, Oakhurst
Saker ShopRite 10 Centerville Rd., Holmdel
The State Theatre New Jersey 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
SCOOPS The Ice Creamery 1805 Rte. 35, Oakhurst
The Studio (Dance) 409 Spier Ave., Allenhurst
Sea Grass Restaurant 68 Main Ave., Ocean Grove
Sunset Florist 2100 Sunset Ave., Ocean
Serpico’s Pizzeria & Restaurant 307 Main St., ALlenhurst
Swimsuit Station 3501 Rose Ave., Ocean
Shore Cake Supply 3209 Sunset Ave., Ocean
Taka Japanese Restaurant 600 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park
Shore Lanes Bowling 701 Rte. 35, Neptune
Taylor Hardware 914 Main St., Belmar
Shore Music Academy 68 Monmouth Rd., Oakhurst
Township of Ocean Community Pool W. Park Ave., Ocean
The ShowRoom Cinema 707 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park
Township of Ocean Wm. Larkin Golf Course 1003 Wickapecko Dr., Ocean 800-315-0018 Support for our use of the Woman’s Club of Asbury Park
. . . and these individual donors Joanne Ballack, Joan and Mike Berzansky, Joan Brown, Diana Gentile, Mary Hill, Diane Maher, Joy Maher, Maryanne McKean, Cheryl and Bob Miller, Brenda and Marko Wityk, and Christian Wityk
Coming Events
Museum Tea and Tour
Thurs., 7 p.m.: June 13, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12, Oct. 10--Woolley House. Tea and dessert at the Museum, complete with a guided gallery tour. $5, reservation required.
Wine and Cheese Open House
1849 Map Unveiling
Fri., June 21, 7 p.m.—Woolley House
10th Annual American Doll Tea
Sun., July 14 (rain date July 21), 1 to 3:30-- Woolley House and grounds
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Exhibit Opening
“Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage” Public opening Sun., July 28, 1 to 4-- Woolley House. Private opening for members only, 7 p.m., Fri., July 27.
Museum Volunteer Appreciation Event Aug. 18—Woolley House
Archives and History Day
Sat., Oct. 12, 9 to 3—Library Headquarters, Manalapan
Anniversary Dinner
Sat,, Oct. 26, 1 p.m.—Deal Country Club. $55. Call 732-531-2136 or visit oceanmuseum.org for reservations.
Holiday Weekend & Exhibit Opening
Sat. and Sun., Dec. 7 and 8-- Woolley House.
In memory
Christopher Pulos, 54, died March 7. He was a pharmacy technician for 30 years. He and his mother Anne held a household Museum membership.
Bill Madden, 82, of West Allenhurst, died March 19. Bill was along-time member and faithful supporter of the Museum. He was an active member of the community, giving generously of his time to scouting, the League of Women Voters, and his church.
Kay Zimmerer, 94, formerly of Ocean, died December 31 within hours of her
95th birthday, in central Pennsylvania where she had moved to be near her son and his family. Kay was a founding member of the Museum and co-author of two books on the history of the Township. She and her family lovingly restored one of Ocean’s oldest homes, the Jeffrey farmhouse in Shadowlawn Manor, dating to the late 1600s. Her family is holding a service in her memory at the Museum August 10. Details will be posted on oceanmuseum.org as they become available.
Kay Zimmerer (left) and Marge Edelson, co-authors of two books on the history of the Township, from a 1973 Asbury Park Press article on the restoration of Kay’s Shadowlawn home dating to the late 1600s.
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Ocean’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2019
Hat contest winners (from the left)—Doris Carroll (Funniest), Debra Liebeskin (Most Original), Gerry Marchini (Most Elegant), and Karen Scarborough (Best Interpretation of the Theme). Inside the Woman’s Club—Museum president Paul Edelson gets ready to welcome guests. Young volunteers—(from left) Seated: Elizabeth Yaccarino, Sarah Taylor; Standing—Candace Howe, Abby Yaccarino, Nicole Harris, Clare Taylor, Allysa Cuccurillo, and Corrine Smith.
New venue made the Spring Tea the best ever
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eservations arrived at a record pace and the 15th Annual Spring Tea sold out quickly. It was an early sign that the team’s decision to move the event from the West Park Recreation Center to the Asbury Park Woman’s Club on Wickapecko Drive was a smart one. Saturday, April 6, dawned warm and sunny. As the hour approached, guests filled the elegant new space—filled with clothcovered tables, vintage china, multi-tiered trays of homemade finger sandwiches and sweets, and a dazzling array of 45 classy and tempting gift baskets. A team of young volunteers served tea. Co-chairs Brenda Wityk and Marge Edelson admitted some
trepidation over changing the well-seasoned formula. But they needn’t have worried. As one guest said, “I loved it. I won’t hesitate to recommend the tea to anyone!” The Spring Tea made the Museum more than $4,000. It’s an daunting amount of work—from soliciting the items for and creating the gift baskets, to handling reservations, to making and serving all the food, to setting up and taking down. But the hundreds of volunteer hours paid off, no matter how you measure. Many thanks to the more than three dozen volunteers and 64 businesses who made it possible. And special thanks to Vista Financial, LLC, for underwriting the cost of renting the Woman’s Club building.
Thank you to these contributing businesses Aerials Gymnastics 151 Industrial Way., Eatontown
The Coaster 1011 Main St., Asbury Park
Foodtown 1560 Rte. 35, Ocean Twp.
Moonstruck Restaurant 517 Lake Ave., Asbury Park
Allenhurst Cleaners 530 Main St., Allenhurst
The Caramel Shop 1215 Rte. 35, Ocean
Gloss Salon 4070 Asbury Ave., Tinton Falls
Nail Max 2005 Rte. 35, Oakhurst
All Seasons Diner 176 Wyckoff Rd., Eatontown
Casa Comida Mexican Restaurant 336 Branchport Ave., Long Branch
Grossman’s Deli & Grill 2005 NJ Rte. 35, Oakhurst
The Natural Pharmacy 851 W. Park Ave., Ocean
AMC Theatres Monmouth Mall, Eatontown
Costco 2361 Rte. 66, Ocean Twp.
Igloo Ice Cream, Italian Ice, ... Hwy. 35 and W. Park Ave., Oakhurst
Oakhurst Pizza & Restaurant Hwy. 35 & W. Park Ave., Oakhurst
The Atlantic Club 1904 Atlantic Ave., Manasquan
The Count Basie Theater 99 Monmouth St. Red Bank
Illiano’s Cafe 1 Corbett Way, Industrial Way W., Eatontown
Ocean Township Garden Club 1 David St., Ocean
Barnacle Bill’s Restaurant 1st St., Rumson
Cravings Gourmet Desserts 310 Main St., Allenhurst
Jimmy’s Italian Restaurant 1405 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park, NJ
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant 230 Rte. 35, Eatontown
Blue Swan Diner 2116 Hwy. 35, Oakhurst
Dandy Canine 1111 3rd Ave., Spring Lake
Main Street Bar & Grill 732 Hwy. 35, Ocean
Organic Hair Color NJ 600 Main St., Avon
Booskerdoo Coffee Asbury Park, Fair Havem, Holmdel, Monmouth Beach, Pier Village
Dani Risi Clothing Shop 329 Main St., Allenhurst
MJ’s Restaurant 3205 Rte. 66, West Neptune
Panera Bread which one?
The Diet Gourmet 167 Lincoln Ave., Elberon
Monmouth Bottle Shop 201 Monmouth Rd., Oakhurst
Park Avenue Tennis Center 615-2, W. Park Ave., Oakhust
Five Star Swim School 1 Corbett Way, Eatontown
Monster Mini-Golf 749 Hope Rd., Eatontown
Porta 911 Kingsley, Asbury Park
Bradley Beach Bowl 1217 Main St., Bradley Beach Broad Street Dough Company 2005 Rte. 35, Oakhurst
continued on page 7
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Ocean’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2019
1 p.m., Saturday, October 26 at the Deal Country Club
Let’s do lunch—and celebrate Museum milestones
M
ark your calendars! On Saturday, October 26 at 1:00, we are hosting a sit-down luncheon at the historic and elegant Deal Golf and Country Club to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Township of Ocean Historical Museum and the 10th year in our new home, the Eden Woolley House. We would love for you to join us in the celebration. The thirty-five years of our history are filled with milestones, successful events, and award-winning recognition. Ours is an American success story. It is a credit to the volunteer spirit of the community where individuals share their talent, time and resources for a common goal. We will be recognizing both Freeholder Lillian Burry, who has steadfastly supported the preservation of historic Monmouth County, and the volunteers who
Pictures and artifacts from the last 35 years will be on display and a silent gift auction will be part of the afternoon’s activities. Everyone is welcome—from founding members to the latest visitors. Tickets are an affordable $55 to encourage all to join us in celebration of this cultural gem in our community. Tickets go on sale August 1.
Oakhurst Schoolhouse, circa 1900. For the first 25-years of our existence, the Ocean Township Historical Museum occupied one of the building’s four original classrooms.
Call the Museum at 732-531-2136 or visit oceanmuseum.org to make your reservations.
led the way from our 1984 beginnings in the former Oakhurst School to the restoration of the Eden Woolley House in 2009.
Party to honor our Museum volunteers
The American Doll Tea Eden Woolley House and Grounds
1 to 3:30 Sunday, July 14 (Rain date, July 21) Museum galleries filled with doll collections and living history demonstrations. A Victorian playhouse to visit. A custom-made craft project. An original story of the sisters who lived in the Woolley House in the 1800s. A fashion show featuring the girls and their dolls. Homemade, child-friendly treats, lemonade, and iced tea. A Doll Shop stocked with handmade doll clothes and accessories.
$30 for one adult and one child (5 years or older) (Additional children, $10 each; additional adults, $25)
Call 732-531-6040 or the Museum at 732-531-2136 to reserve your space
T
he details are still being worked out. But we know one thing: on Sunday, August 18, we will celebrate the more than 100 volunteers on whose time and talents the very existence of the Museum depends. Think about the events and programs we provide. The nearly 2,000 visitors our docents welcome each year. The five buildings we’ve restored and the six we maintain. The galleries we fill and the regional history we document and share. Our “Hometown Histories” television show, our website, newsletter, and social media feeds. ALL THIS FROM VOLUNTEERS! They will be honored at a reception on the Woolley House grounds. Look for an invitation in your email.
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Ocean’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2019
Message from the Museum President
About Time
The Susan B. Anthony Amendment was first introduced to Congress in 1878. It failed to pass. And for decades, it continued to fail until finally, in June 1919, support for women’s suffrage won the day. Exactly 100 years ago, Congress sent the proposed 19th Amendment to the states for ratification. Fourteen months later, in August 1920, a woman’s right to vote became the law of the land. About time! Discrimination against women extended beyond the ballot box. Through much of the 19th century, women gave up their
legal status when they married. They surrendered their property. With some exceptions, they could not vote, sign contracts, or sue. Widows could not be legal guardians of their under-age children. The contributions of women, for the most part, were omitted from the history books. Women’s work during World War I helped demonstrated that women were just as patriotic and deserving of full citizenship as men. And the militant demonstrations and campaigns of the suffragists called the question. Under escalating pressure from proponents, President Wilson urged Congressional support for the 19th Amendment.
As the country gears up to celebrate the centennial of the 19th amendment, we have the opportunity to pay tribute to the courageous and trailblazing women who fought for more seven decades to end discrimination. Our exhibit, “Votes for Women: The Story of Suffrage,” opening in the Richmond Gallery, July 28, honors the struggle for the vote—with particular attention to New Jersey’s unique suffrage history. Other historical groups around the state are gearing up for their own events and exhibits. Stay connected: discovernjhistory.org/njwomenvote2020
Results of the Heart of Gold fund-raiser
Tea and Tour June 13 • July 11 • August 8 • September 12 • October 10
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Brenda Wityk
By the Numbers
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he Museum is open for visitors from 7 to 9 every Thursday night, March through November. and through October we are offering “Tea and Tour,” one Thursday night each month. Our docents will be there, as always, offering free guided tours of the Museum exhibits. And for a small fee (just $5.00), visitors will be served homemade dessert and tea. You’ll need a reservation. Call the Museum at: 732-531-2136.
Ocean’s Heritage is published three times a year by the Twp.of Ocean Historical Museum Museum President, Paul Edelson Newsletter Editor, Peggy Dellinger
t was Vice President Brenda Wityk’s brainchild several years ago to first partner with Earth Treasures on a fund-raiser for the Museum. This year’s “Heart of Gold,” held at the Woolley House on March 27, yielded the Museum over $2,000. “It is the least laborintensive event we host,” Brenda admitted. “We are so grateful to the members and friends who cashed in their unwanted jewelry and to Earth Treasure for donating 15% of its profits to us.”
Suffrage
15
States that had granted full women’s suffrage before the passage of the 19th Amendment.
36
States required to ratify the 19th Amendment. It came down to one member of the Tennessee Assembly (Harry Burn) who, an expected “nay,” voted “aye” on the advice of his mother, August 18, 1920.
4
Constitutional amendments ratified during Wilson’s two-term presidency (16th-income tax, 17th-direct election of senate, 18th-Prohibition, 19th-women’s suffrage).
65
Percent of eligible women voters (those who met requirements whether or not they registered) who did not cast ballots in the 1920 Presidential election, the first after passage of the 19th Amendment. Includes the large percent of women (the “antis”) who opposed suffrage.
>60
Years it took for 12 hold-out states to ratify the 19th amendment; the last Mississippi, in 1984.
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Ocean’s Heritage, Spring/Summer 2019
Kay Harris is an Asbury Park native. After retiring from AT&T, she opened the Asbury Galleria in the city and began substitute teaching in Asbury Park High School. Kay is the driving force behind the effort to establish an Asbury Park Historical Museum (which found a temporary home on the Boardwalk over the winter months). Her book, From Amistad to the White House, takes readers to key sites in the African American quest for freedom. Here Kay remembers growing up on the West Side, daughter and granddaughter of legendary civil rights and community leaders.
I Remember . . .
Growing up on Asbury’s West Side
I
was born in 1952 and lived until after college with my parents and three siblings on Asbury’s West Side—first on Sylvan Avenue on the second and third floors of my grandmother’s two-family house, and later in a home on Bangs Avenue where my father had his medical practice. Into the 1960s, the neighborhoods where we lived were diverse. Black and white children played together (but we were not allowed to go inside the houses of white families). In many ways, mine was an all-American childhood, typical of the time. We were always outdoors playing pick-up football and baseball, jacks, and jump-rope with the neighborhood kids. We watched my mother turn the pears and apples that grew in the yard into jam and delighted in turning the petals of the roses my grandmother grew into trimming for our mud pies.
My grandfather, Lorenzo Harris, Sr. died before I was born. But he was very much alive in family stories and city lore. He came to Asbury Park in 1916, a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, looking to make a living as an artist in the city. At the time, elaborate sand sculptures were a popular tourist attraction along the shore. He came to Asbury from Atlantic City where racial prejudices got in the way of his work. He found his new home more receptive and worked as a commercial artist and in the summer, sketched portraits of tourists and amazed them with his sculptures.
Witness to change
I attended the Bangs Ave. school that my grandparents, a decade before, had worked to integrate. I graduated from Asbury Park High School in 1970, a month When Lorenzo Harris, Sr. first arrived in before the West Side riots that made na- Asbury Park to work as a sand sculpture artist, he posed as an Arab, hoping to avoid tional headlines.
Most importantly, he met and married my grandmother, Kathryn Garris. Together they made a formidable team. They were founding members of the Neptune/Asbury Park NAACP. They challenged and broke down racial barriers—from integrating area schools to opening the city’s amusements, theaters, and restaurants to African Americans.
My father lived up to his legacy
My grandparents set the bar high. But my father, Lorenzo Harris, Jr., lived up to his legacy. He attended Howard University and became a doctor who cared for more than the medical needs of the West Side. He served on the racially motivated harassment he had the board of the Boys and Girls Club for three Over these years, Asbury Park—as cities encountered in Atlantic City. decades. He set up an impromptu clinic durthroughout the country—suffered from ing the riots and organized sessions in their the lure of the suburbs. Many of the African American profeswake to air the concerns of the rioters. He was elected the first sionals and business owners who served as our role models African American member of the Asbury Park governing body moved to surrounding communities. Stores relocated from where he served from 1973 to 1985. He was a role model who the city to the new nearby suburban malls. Ocean Township continued to shape and inspire until his death at 80 in 2001. opened its own high school in 1965, and overnight Asbury Park High School lost its largest sending district. Increasingly, white families from the sending districts that remained chose private over public school.
Roots in the city
Throughout, my loyalty to and connection with the city remained. My roots are deep.
Today
Growing up, I was always “Dr. Harris’s daughter,” but it was an identity challenge worth negotiating. I am grateful for the love and lessons I received from my family. And though today I live in Neptune, the memories of the West Side stay dear to my heart. Kay Harris
