On Improvements at the Stephen Crane House a Successful
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ASBURY PARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY Where the Past JOIN UP OR Meets the Future RENEW YOUR ©R. Sternesky MEMBERSHIP! See Page 4 for Details! ©© 2020 2019 Asbury Asbury ParkPark Historical Society Spring-Summer Winter 2020-2021 2019 We’reA Milestone Just Getting Year...a Warmed Mission Up for to2019! Unify! Time’s Running Out! Order Your Join us for our first (virtual) 2021 Wall Calendar TODAY! meetings this Jan. and Feb.! Each third Thursday in January, the Asbury Park Historical Society has traditionally invited the public to its first and biggest monthly Photo of meeting of the year, hostedPhoto at the city’s of Public Library — a special 2018 Weekend event that’s featured guestEileen speaker and/orpresentations, book signings, and in Old complimentary refreshments.musician With the to ongoing be public health emer- Monmouth event gency continuing to castfeatured a shadow over at indoor an gatherings, however, the Society is instead inviting all interested members of the public to “zoom in,” for our firstupcomingvirtual annual meeting. event Scheduled for 7 pm on January 21st, 2021, the event allows all inter- ested members of the Historical Society the option to access the meet- ing in real time as a live streamed offering, or to view the proceed- ings at a later date. Society officers will address members regarding the activities of the APHS in meeting the considerable challenges of 2020, as well as the organization’s direction as we move forward into LEFT: First-time visitors enjoy a close-up look at The Stephen Crane House duringthe new the year. 2018 In addition, Weekend seats in Old on theMonmouth Board of seriesTrustees of localthat are historic up for site tours. RIGHT: renewal in 2021 will be voted upon (note: only current paid members Mark your calendar for fundraisers,are able to parties vote for board candidates and). open houses! Mark your calendar for fundraisers,In lieu of parties,a live presentation, and the Society open will offer ahouses! special video on It’s a calendar of happenings that range from open houses to exex-- mission.Comthe historymission. The of afternoonsourThe headquarters afternoons of May atof 508 May4 Fourthand 4 5,(10 Avenue,2019 am-5 will thepm) historicrepresent and May site the 5 clusive affairs — and and from from festive festive thank-yous thank-yous for for our our supportive supportive third(12-5that yearmarkspm) thatwill the therepresent25th home anniversary ofthe the third Asburyof yearits rebirth thatPark theas Historical The home Stephen of Society the Crane Asbury has neighbors and dedicated volunteers, to a generations-spanning sasa-- takenParkHouse Historical part in 2021.in the Society county-wide has taken event; part in the the only Continuedcounty-wide participating on pageevent; prop4 the- lute to one of the biggest milestones in music history. All on the ertyonly inparticipating the city, and prop- a popular erty in stop the city,for hundreds and a popular of Old stop Monmouth for hun- agenda in the months to come, and all coming to you courtesy of visitorsdreds of sinceOld Monmouth its debut on visitors the tour since in its2017. debut Attendees on the tour are in invited 2017. the Asbury Park Historical Society’s Special Events Committee. toAttendees view the are most invited recent to viewimprovements the most recentto the improvementsproperty, take toin thean As Asbury Park approaches the 150th anniversary of its 1871 founding, the informativeproperty, take slideshow in an informative on the house’s slideshow colorful on the history, house’s and colorful speak city’s Historical SocietyA LIBRARY has announced OPEN that it HOUSEwill be marking that “sesqui- history, and speak in person to our Historical Society docents. Check A work in progress for the better part of a year, the upstairs library in person to our Historical Society docents. Check in at visitmon- centennial”A work in milestone progress withfor the the betterpublication part ofof a year,commemorative the upstairs item library that’s in at visitmonmouth.com for full details on the tour routes and par- at The Stephen Crane House is getting “ready for its close-up” mouth.com for full details on the tour routes and participating sites. beingat The pitched Stephen as “a Crane perfect House gift for is anyone getting who’s “ready ever for lived its close-up” in or simply in ticipating sites. lovedinSpring Spring the 2019 place 2019 (see Where (see page thepage 2 City of 2 this ofMeets this newsletter), the newsletter), Sea.” as part as partof a ofslate a $10,000 of proj- slateects that of projects also included that also the includedinstallation the of installation a new state-of-the-art of a new state- fire A KICKOFF TO SUMMER PARTY Lavishly illustrated with dozens of memorable photographs, and highlighted As directorA of KICKOFF the Bruce Springsteen TO SUMMER Archives PARTY at Monmouth Uni- of-the-artand security fire alarm and systemsecurity at alarm our 140 system year oldat our headquarters. 140-year old On head the- by more than 300 significant dates from the 150-year timeline — as well versity,As director a longtime of the Bruce central Springsteen figure on the Archives Shore area at Monmouth music scene, Uni- and quarters.afternoon On of Sunday,the evening MONTH of Thursday, DATE, theMay public 2, the is publicinvited is to invited take a as a special section on the “pre-history” of the coastal community — the aversity member, a longtime of the Asbury central Park figure City on Council, the Shore Eileen area musicChapman scene, hasand tofirst take look a first at this look resource at this forresource the preservation for the preservation of the noted of the19th notedcen- “AP150” Wall Calendar for 2021 documents Asbury Park’s “roller-coaster” applieda member both of her the artistic Asbury credentials Park City andCouncil, her administrative Eileen Chapman expertise has 19thtury Americancentury American author’s literaryauthor’s legacy, literary during legacy, a specialduring aextended special ride through the years, from its mapping out by visionary planner (and self- toapplied numerous both herprojects artistic designed credentials to preserve and her administrativeand promote our expertise city’s appointedMembershipOpen House moral Partysession crusader) with (2-? James complimentary pm), A. Bradley,with complimentary torefreshments the new century inrefreshments ourthat downsaw the- “principalto numerous export” projects and designed best known to preserve signifier: and its promote multi-faceted our city’s mu- “zombie”stairsin our reception downstairs city re-emerge room, reception andinto donationsthe room, spotlight and welcomed asdonations one of America’stoward welcomed the Best ongoing toward Places sic.“principal As chair export” of our and Special best Eventsknown Committee,signifier: its Eileen multi-faceted has teamed mu- torenovationthe Travel. ongoing Representing of renovation our State a twelve-month andof our National State guided and Historic National tour Site.that Historictakes on theSite. people, the places, and the headline-making events that helped write the story of the withsic.Author As fellow chair Rick APHSof Geffken, our Specialtrustees who gave EventsTeddy a presentation Committee,Chomko ,based SusanEileen on Rosenberghishas book teamed still-young Acity, WEEKEND the calendar “captures IN OLD the spiritMONMOUTH of a place that’s managed andwith“Lost Jenniferfellow Amusement APHS Stine trustees Parks — as well of Teddy the as Jerseya Chomkoteam Shore” of skilled, Susan at our volunteers Rosenberg2018 annual — and toTheThat pack first first more SaturdaySaturday history into andand its SundaySunday relatively inin briefMayMay 150meansmeans years the than return many ofA American WeekWeek-- toJennifer meeting,assemble Stine returns an —exciting onas wellFebruary spring/summer as a squad18 for aof virtual skilledof activities event volunteers based that onbegins — his to ason- townsend in could Old claim Monmouth in centuries, the of annualannual existence,” scheduleschedule in the of words self-guidedself-guided of APHS historic trustee MONTHsemblenew book an DATE, exciting “Stories with spring/summerof Slaverya Kickoff in Newto Summerof Jersey.” activities “for Keep thatLocals it tunedbegins Only.” to withour a Tomhouse Chesek. tourstours coordinatedcoordinated by by the the Monmouth Monmouth County CountyContinued Historical Historical on pageCom 2- Kickoffwebsite to for Summer details! “for Locals Only.” (Continued(Continued on page 44 )) Visit Our Website at www.aphistoricalsociety.org AThere’s It’s21st No century NoTime Time tostreet CHILL,to CHILL, project for for uncovers a Busya Busy Historical Historicala long-lost Society! Society! track... a path back to the days of the city’s electric trolley line and Asbury Park’s system continued to serve tourists and residents year- round, up to its final trip on October 22, 1931. With gas-powered vehicles taking their place as the dominant form of transportation, the trolley system (by then under the management of Coast Cities Railway Company) suf- fered financial failure, and a fleet of city buses would take over the existing trolley routes, with the old streetcar tracks being paved over. Fast forward nearly 80 years into the future. The streets of Asbury Park boast newly designated bike lanes and improved pedestrian crossings; summer-season jitneys, electric scooter and bicycle rentals have emerged as new ways to get around town — and a still-ongoing road project is see- ing major improvements to Main Street (NJ Route 71). As part of a Transit Village Initiative project with the state Department of Transportation and NJ Transit, the city undertook a much-needed revitalization of the side- walks and curbside areas along Main — in the process bringing the early historyAPHS ofpresident Asbury Park (and into dealer the light in rareof the books) 21st century, Don Stine when theis pictured excava- tionwith work an all-new, revealed custom-built, the iron tracks illuminatedand paving bricks bookcase, of the commissionedtrolley era. toto househouse and display a collection of first editions and other antique An electric trolley car (at far left) works its route past the F.W.