Asbury Park

Situated on the Jersey Shore, the city of Asbury Park, New Jersey is in Monmouth County. It was developed in 1871 as a residential resort. It was developed by brush salesman James Bradley who was the one to decide to go with electric power rather than gas and also came up with the idea of the Asbury Park Boardwalk. Bradley named the resort in honor of Francis Asbury, who was the first American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Another Asbury Park pioneer named Uriah White installed an artesian well water system, and a number of luxury hotels, including the Plaza Hotel, were built along the waterfront. The New York and Long Island Branch Railroad brought up to 600,000 vacationers annually to vacation in Asbury Park. In the 1920s, the Paramount Theatre, a casino, and more than one red brick pavilions were designed by famous New York architect Warren Whitney. In 1935, a law was passed in the New Jersey legislature which gave control of Asbury Park Beach to the Governor, Harold Hoffman, and a commission set up by him. The city sued in order to regain control of their beach, and that suit went all the way up to the state's highest court at the time, the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals, which in 1937, denied return of the beach. When the governor moved to enlarge the state's control in 1938, the lower house staged a walk-out. The Senate adjourned, which made a vote impossible. The disruption prevented the entire state from participating in the 1939 New York World's Fair. In 1938, the courts returned control of the beach to the municipal government.

Regular Blogs