Archival Library:

HPAC continues to extend its Archival Library. If anyone is in possession of photographs of street scenes or individual houses, between 5th Street and Chatsworth Avenue, from 1870 to 1960, please submit them to the Borough Hall at 300 Engleside Avenue, Beach Haven, NJ 08008  or call Jeanette Lloyd at 492-2704. All photos will be scanned & originals will be returned.

A Great Example of What We are Trying to Preserve:

Housed in a majestic Queen Anne style home, located on New Jersey’s famed Long Beach Island, and listed in both State and National historic registers, the “Williams Cottage Inn” is the culmination of a painstaking three-year effort to save one of the few remaining beachfront Victorian estates left in the Garden State from the wrecking ball. Originally constructed in 1886 by legendary Philadelphia architectural firm Wilson Brothers & Company, the once palatial summer retreat of Dr. Edward Williams had deteriorated over the years and was about to be demolished, when the Blahut family of Southern Ocean County came forward and purchased the property to keep it from being destroyed. Their goal was to carefully restore the landmark circa 1880s residence to its former grandeur and transform it into a truly outstanding small luxury hotel, thereby promoting the local economy and history of the Beach Haven community. The Queen Anne style mansions built in Beach Haven at the end of the 1800s are among the most beautiful historic buildings in the State. These wonderful turn-of-the-century Victorian homes are the reason Beach Haven is referred to as “the Queen City” of the Jersey shore. “They form an essential part of the history of our community and those of us who love Beach Haven could not bear to see the old Williams house torn down”, said owner and developer of the property Jim Blahut. “We have turned the house into a luxurious eight room Bed & Breakfast not just so people can have a great place to stay when visiting Long Beach Island, but also to preserve a very important piece of our history”. Known locally as “the Onion Dome” for its distinct onion-shaped cupola, the meticulously restored Williams Cottage Inn includes a grand entry parlor, formal dining room, large library and eight luxurious guest rooms each with a unique theme and décor. The Inn is located at the center of Beach Haven’s recently expanded historic preservation district and sits less than a hundred yards from Long Beach Island’s spectacular eighteen mile long beach, a pristine stretch of sea and sand consistently ranked as one of the best summer vacation spots in the entire United States.

For more information go to www.williamscottageinn.com.