History of Pine Beach
Pine Beach Chapel: Established on October 1, 1910 the Pine Beach Chapel was the result of effort put forth by Reverend August Pohlman, then pastor of the Temple Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. Pohlman had built the first summer home in Pine Beach in 1909 and was among the first to feel the need for a house of worship in the new resort. Dr. Pohlman became the first pastor.
In the beginning, the Chapel was a “summer church” for “summer people” used by both Protestants and Catholics, and it was not until 1932 that it was put to year-round use with a local resident pastor. All of the early pastors served without pay, and all of the trustees were summer people.
Pine Beach Yacht Club: 1916 Pine Beach Yacht Club was incorporated by Charles F. Wheeler and William L. Wilson, founders of the Pine Beach Yacht Club. On Saturday, August 12, 1916 the Club was officially opened.
Pine Beach Vol Fire Company: The need for a fire company in Pine Beach had been long talked about, but it was not until after the Borough was formed (1925) that an effort was made to create one. The leaders in the movement were Howard Hutchinson, LeRoy Hutchinson and Charles Creamer, Jr. The formal organization of the Pine Beach Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 took place the evening of December 11, 1925. The 12 charter members, ages 18 to 60-plus, represented almost the entire year-round male population of the young municipality.
The need for money and equipment to make the new company a firefighting organization was a matter of immediate concern. The women of the “Friday Evening Club” a card-playing group, affiliated as the Ladies Auxiliary. The Auxiliary quickly embarked on money raising projects with dances, card parties, suppers, raffles and cake sales.
Albert Schweigart’s offer of the hotel bus for conversion as a fire truck was gratefully accepted. The chassis was overhauled, painted and equipped with two 35-gallon tanks, two portable chemical extinguishers, 12 shovels, two dozen buckets, two 14-foot ladders and 200 feet of hose. In September, 1928 the converted hotel bus was replaced with a used Model T Ford Fire Truck, which gave good service for ten years.
Manpower shortage during World War II gave rise to a corps of female firefighters. Elizabeth Schiel, Evelyn Benedict, and Reba Creamer are remembered as the principals of the group who were instructed in the operation of the fire truck, attended drills and answered fire calls.
Admiral Farragut Academy: Admiral Farragut Academy started in 1932 in Pine Beach, NJ, housed in an old Hotel on the Toms River. Graduates included Alan B Shepard. It was founded as a college preparatory, military-style boarding school for boys in grades 6-12. During Farragut’s first 12 years, the school became so popular that a second campus was purchased in 1945 on the shores of Boca Ciega Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida. The northern campus closed in 1994.
Establishment of “The Borough of Pine Beach”, Borough of Pine Beach Founders Day
Significant dates in the Establishment of “The Borough of Pine Beach”, Supporting Information for the determination of the Borough of Pine Beach Founders Day
February 26, 1925 – Chapter 12, Laws of 1925 “An Act to incorporate the borough of Pine Beach in the county of Ocean” was approved by the State Legislature.
March 25, 1925 – A majority of Electors residing in the territory of Pine Beach voted “Yes” to adopt “An act to incorporate the Borough of Pine Beach in the County of Ocean”. There were 63 Yes, 15 No and 1 Spoiled. The document was signed by the Berkeley Twp Clerk on March 26, 1925.
April 21, 1925 – Pine Beach Borough’s First Election was held for the positions of a Mayor, Council Members, an Assessor, and a Collector.
April 27, 1925 – Pine Beach Borough Organizational meeting was held and the Oath of Office was administered to the elected officials who were sworn into office.
Recommended Date for the Borough of Pine Beach Founders Day: based on the research and analysis of the historical data available, Larry Perlberg and Justine Saxton of the Pine Beach Historical Committee recommend that we establish March 25, 1925 as Founders Day for the Borough of Pine Beach.
Supportive Reasoning: based on Paragraph 3 of Chapter 12, Laws of 1925 provides that the adoption of “An act to incorporate the borough of Pine Beach in the county of Ocean” by a majority of the electors shall affect the incorporation of the Borough of Pine Beach. The incorporation of the borough of Pine Beach automatically resulted at the conclusion of the vote held on March 25, 1925.
Reference Resources:
- The New Jersey State Library
- Borough of Pine Beach historical archives
- Berkeley Township historical archives
- Ocean County Historical Society