Morro Castle 75th Anniversary Planned

ASBURY PARK- The Asbury Park Historical Society- in association with Monmouth University in West Long Branch, the Monmouth County Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and other organizations and historic preservation groups- is preparing to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the famous S.S. Morro Castle disaster.

A special press conference will be held Monday, September 8 (the 74th anniversary of the Morro Castle fire) at Tim McLoone's Supper Club in Asbury Park at 11 a.m. The supper club is located on the second floor of the pavilion just south of Convention Hall- at the boardwalk and Fifth Avenue.

The Morro Castle disaster, which resulted in the death of 137 passengers and crew members, occurred on September 8, 1934. A major commemoration of this historic event is being planned for September 8- 13, 2009 both in Asbury Park and at other sites along the Jersey Shore.

For more information about this event:

Visit the Morro Castle Anniversary Website
or
Read the Official Press Release.

Fourth of July Parade

Watch for the Asbury Park Historical Society's participation in the city's annual July 4 th parade!

The society has participated in all of the Fourth of July parades, since the traditional event was revised in 2003, but this year the society will explore the possibility of entering a decorative float in the parade. Anyone interested in helping with the float project can send a message to info@asburyparkhistoricalsociety.org

The society will also have a booth in Bradley Park, near Convention Hall, after the parade, where the society's newsletter, membership applications, books and merchandise, and historic preservation information will be available.

The parade, which will be held on Wednesday, July 4, will begin in the downtown Cookman Avenue area at 1 p.m., head north on Main Street , and east on Fifth Avenue to the beachfront. A reviewing stand will be erected near Fifth Ave. and Webb Street .

Fireworks will be held at the beachfront at around 9:30 p.m.

To sponsor your own group in the parade telephone Hazel Samuels at 732-502-4579.

“The parade gets bigger and better every year,” said Deputy Mayor Jim Bruno.

Historical Society Strives to Save Historic Building

The Asbury Park Historical Society invites the public to learn more about the historic B.P.O. Elks Lodge 128/Charms building in Asbury Park , which is in danger of demolition under the city's beachfront redevelopment plan.

The Historical Society hopes to save the building from the wrecking ball and invites people to attend an informative lecture about the history of the building to be given by Elks historian Tom Gardner.

The lecture, which will include some memorabilia, will be held on Thursday, June 14 at the Asbury Park Public Library, Grand and First avenues. The program begins at 7 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

The Elks Lodge was built in 1914 at the intersection of Heck Street and Monroe Avenue , near the beachfront, and enlarged in 1924. It was later used to house the Charms candy company and was vacated several years ago.

“Many well-known people in the area were members of the lodge and there were many different rooms and activities in the building,” Gardner said.

One primary goal of the Elks Lodge was to provide free health care for needy children in the area, regardless of race or religion. Gardner said the lodge created the free health-care project in 1922 and carried it on through the 1930s. The Elks provided a walk-in clinic and staffed it with doctors and nurses.

“You just walked in through the door and the Elks took care of you,” Gardner said.

Society President Johna Karpinski said the Elks building is on the Monmouth County Historic Sites Inventory and also listed in the historic preservation element of the city's Master Plan but she added that neither designation can prevent the building from being torn down under the waterfront redevelopment plan.

“We urge the public to turn out for this lecture and learn more about the building,” she said