Tour old Beach Haven via bus with town historian Jeanette Lloyd

What better way to celebrate Beach Haven’s 125th birthday than by traveling to the places that were there during the early development in 1874? The Long Beach Island Historical Association will rediscover times past through a “Discover the History of Beach Haven Through a Unique Bus Tour,” held Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Photo by Jack Reynolds
The bus tour will begin at the Long Beach Island
Historical Museum, at Engleside and Beach avenues.

Beach Haven historian Jeanette Lloyd will lead the excursion through the major streets of town, narrating historical information about the many different sites. The bus tour has been changed this year to include more stops, a total of 44 sites “that are all gone.”

“You’ll find out what made Beach Haven special, who were the visionary people, workers, business merchants and baymen who made it all possible by visiting their houses and the clubs and hotels where they gathered,” said Lloyd, who is also a trustee of the LBI Historical Association.

Some “very, very old photographs” of Beach Haven landmarks have been blown up into 18-by-24 posters to help tour-goers travel back in time.

“We have 24 of them,” said Lloyd.

The tour will highlight some of the area’s notable locations, from Ostendorff’s Garage and Walsh’s Baseball Grandstand on Bay Avenue to the Public Wharf, Acme Hotel and Morrison’s Restaurant on Dock Road. The Seven Sisters Houses built by Floyd Cranmer will also be highlighted, as well as the Baldwin and Engleside hotels, John Crozier Cottages and the site of the Lucy Evelyn schooner, among others.

The trip is casual, and questions are welcome.

Seating on the Beach Haven School bus is limited to 35 people. Boarding will take place at the Long Beach Island Historical Museum, located at Engleside and Beach avenues in Beach Haven, at 10:15 a.m.

Interested participants must reserve their spot on the bus by purchasing tickets at the LBI Museum prior to the tour. Tickets cost $20 per person.

For more information, call 609-492-0700.

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.