Book Description

Belmar, Volume II transports the reader back in time on another delightful journey to this well-known seashore community in Monmouth County. Significant images that have surfaced since the publication of the first volume provide a continuing pictorial saga of the town from its early development--when it was called Ocean Beach in the 1870s--through its growth as Belmar from 1889 to the 1960s. Previously unpublished photographs from the albums of families who visited Belmar provide a fascinating look at their summer homes including both the plush "cottages" of the wealthy and the small bungalows of average families. Pictures of Belmar's famous lifeguards and their revered leader Howard Rowland, will bring back fond memories for those who frequented Belmar's beaches in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Finally, the diverse year-round community of Belmar is not forgotten, as one chapter focuses on the shops and businesses around town, many of which have existed since the nineteenth century and continue today.