Tag: history

Tuckahoe Train Station Mill Street and Railroad Avenue Tuckahoe, NJ 08250

Tuckahoe Train Station Mill Street and Railroad Avenue Tuckahoe, NJ 08250

Tuckahoe Train Station

Mill Street and Railroad Avenue

Tuckahoe, NJ 08250

http://www.uppertwphistory.org/

https://www.facebook.com/UpperTwpHistory/

Open: Please check the website for the times they are open.

Admission: Free but donations accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

The Tuckahoe Train Station at Mill Street and Railroad Avenue

I visited the Tuckahoe Train Station during Christmas of 2024. The holiday events were long over but the station was still decorated for the holidays. In the Summer of 2025, I arranged a full tour of the station museum and the rail yard.

The station’s historic sign

The station’s historic sign

The station was once the hub of the area and visitors would depart from cities like New York and Philadelphia. The trains stopped running to this area in 1981.

The train station from the front of the building in the winter of 2024

The station again in 2025

The train station history

The Summer of 2025:

My tour of the train station started with the history of the station and the development of the train station and transportation to the area. The coming of the railroad meant the development of the area as a resort town bringing hundreds of visitors each summer.

The tour started at the inside of the station and took me through the first and second floors of he old station house.

The first floor of the Tuckahoe Train Station

The Ticket a room is now the gift shop

The display cases of memorabilia from the station days

The classic train sets

Ticketing and travel materials

The entrance to the baggage Room

The Baggage Room

The old Ticketing Room

The Ticketing window

The old seating area in the Ticket Room. The tour guide told me that unions version of the benches was built brand new to match the antique one. I could not tell the difference.

The pot belly stove that kept everyone warm in the winter months

The next room over was the Waiting Room where there were more artifacts to see.

The Waiting Room

The seating in the Waiting Room

Then we toured the upstairs where the Conductor’s office and bedroom were located.

The Conductors office on the second floor

The conductor’s uniform

The we moved on to the Conductor’s living quarters when at the station working. This type of work had so much more to it in the days when rail travel was the way to go.

The Rail Conductor’s bedroom

The simple bedroom was enough so the conductor could get some rest

The artifacts from the turn of the last century

After we toured the entire building with the docent really giving me the thorough tour and history on the station and its artifacts, we went outside to discuss the trains.

We headed outside to tour the individual trains and their history. This once major shore hub has quieted down with the reduction in rail transportation due to cars.

The outside of the train station and its collection of train cars.

The train station outside where the cars are located

The Blue Comet Beach Train

The Blue Comet was once the ultimate in luxury travel when you came to the shore. This once ‘grand dame’ of travel is being renovated by the museum.

The Showman’s Car

The Pennsylvania Starline

The long line of train cars

The train cars being renovated

The Beach trains

The last part of these interesting and engaging tour was a tour of the Signal and Control Building, where all communications for the railway took place.

The Control and Signal Building

The inside where controls and repairs take place

The signal board to the train turnaround at the Y

The full tour of the Tuckahoe Train Station Museum will give you a glimpse of a once vibrant rail head and the life of visitors down the shore. The inner workings of a train station at that time are on full display here.

The History of the Tuckahoe Train Station Museum:

(from the museum website)

n the 1890’s the West Jersey and Seashore railroad, opened by the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Atlantic City Railroad, owned by the Philadelphia and reading railway, offered competing service from, Camden to southern New Jersey seashore resorts. The first railroad line through Upper Township was completed in 1863, and the station at Tuckahoe was built over 30 years later in 1894. In 1933 the two railroads consolidated to form the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. Tuckahoe served as the junction of the Ocean City and Cape May branches.

Passenger Service stopped in 1981 and soon after, freight service halted in 1983 except for the transport of coal and then oil to the power plant at Beesley’s Point. which lasted until May, 2019. The current Cape May Seashore Lines was founded in 1984 by Tony Macri.

In 1984, the Tuckahoe Train station was placed on the State and National Register for Historic Places, but afterward fell into a condition of disrepair. However, the building was restored to its original appearance in 2001 and is now the headquarters of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township.

‘The gardens that once enhanced the grounds were established as an Eagle Scout Project in 2003. Today, the township maintains the building and the grounds. The station is now a centerpiece for local township history and the location of the Santa Express Train rides at Christmas.

I found the tour fascinating of how this museum was once the hub of transportation for this section of the Jersey Shore.

Bethany Beach History Museum 214 Garfield Parkway Bethany Beach, DE 19930

Bethany Beach History Museum 214 Garfield Parkway Bethany Beach, DE 19930

Bethany Beach History Museum

214 Garfield Parkway

Bethany Beach, DE. 19930

(302) 539-8011

https://www.townofbethanybeach.com/110/Town-Museum

https://www.visitdelaware.com/listing/bethany-beach-museum/4112/

Admission: Free

Open: Sunday Closed/Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm/Saturday Closed

My Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33997-d33672776-Reviews-Bethany_Beach_History_Museum-Bethany_Beach_Delaware.html

The entrance to the museum from Bethany Beach City Hall

The City Hall sign

The History of the Museum:

(from the museum website)

The museum is right in the hallway of the museum. Just go through the front door and the museum is to the right. The Bethany Beach History Museum is currently located in the foyer of the Town Hall at the intersection of Garfield Parkway and Route 1. The exhibits contain memorabilia and photographs from the Bethany Beach area

The front of the museum building

The museum is run by volunteers who work on the displays and set the exhibitions. The exhibits that were part of the museum display were the history of the Bethany Beach Lifeguards, the Bethany Beach Women’s Club and the history of Bethany Beach.

The inside of the museum

The first display was on the history of Bethany Beach as a religious community. This was a display on the Tabernacle and the religious services.

The history of the town as a Methodist community.

The history of worship in the community

There was also an interesting display on the Native American tribes and their using the community as a fishing and hunting spot during the summer months.

The Native American history of the community and the dedication of the Chief Little Owl statue

The Chief Little Owl statute outside of City Hall

Chief Little Owl

The display of natural disasters in the town including the 1962 flood

The museum has displays of various aspects of the community from the farming industry to

The displays of the town’s history

The town’s Methodist past

The town’s Religious past

The early farming industry of the town

The start of the family resort

The Storms of the past especially the 1962 storm

The development of the town as a community

The back part of the gallery

The back gallery displayed the history of all the clubs and organizations of the town. These included the Woman’s Club, Police and Fire Departments and many of the civic clubs in this small beach town.

The history of the Women’s Club

The history of the Native Americans in the area

The museum also had a wonderful display on their Life Guards in town and the history of search and rescue.

The history of the Life Guards in Bethany Beach

The Life Guard uniform

The history of the Civic organizations in town

For such a small town, the town has such a rich history and an interesting past. For a beach community, there has been and still is a lot to get involved in.

The museum does a nice job displaying these accomplishments and an interesting perspective on a small town.

Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary 11400 3rd Avenue Stone Harbor, NJ 08247

Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary 11400 3rd Avenue Stone Harbor, NJ 08247

Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary

11400 3rd Avenue

Stone Harbor, NJ 08247

(609) 368-5102

https://www.facebook.com/p/Stone-Harbor-Bird-Sanctuary-100064916130839/

Home

Open:Sunday-Saturday 24 Hours

Admission: Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

The sign welcoming you

The History of the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary:

(from the park’s website)

The Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary is a wonderfully preserved microcosm of what the barrier islands of New Jersey looked like hundreds of years ago.  As you walk along Sanctuary paths, it is easy to imagine the Lenni-Lenape Indians wandering through the maritime forest, crossing wind swept sand dunes, past groves of white cedar, birch, pine, holly and sassafras trees, taking time to drink water from a spring fed freshwater pond and then, fishing in the salt water meadows surrounded by herons and songbirds.

As early as the 1870’s and 1880’s, the Sanctuary area was recognized as a “veritable paradise of birds” for ornithologists.  The primary attractions were Little Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Green Herons and egrets.  Once the 96th Street Bridge opened in 1911, those who wanted to study, hunt or collect the eggs of birds no longer had to walk across four miles of marsh.  Easy access to the heronry was a boon to birders but also a threat to birds whose plumes and eggs were valued.

In 1941, the Stone Harbor Bird Club was organized in the home of Lillian R. Leuallen.  The Bird Club was renamed in 1946 as the Witmer Stone Club to honor Witmer Stone, one of the first ornithologists to document birds in the Sanctuary area.  With considerable foresight, the Witmer Stone Club proposed early in 1947 that the Borough of Stone Harbor establish a “sanctuary”.  In October of 1947, the Borough Council passed Ordinance #208 which preserved 31 acres of land as a wildlife sanctuary.  Subsequent to expert study in 1961 which demonstrated that no birds were nesting on the beach side sanctuary acreage, the Stone Harbor Borough Council sold ten acres to the east of Second Avenue.  The remaining 21 acres bounded by Second Avenue to the East, Third Avenue to the West, 111th Street to the North and area between 116th and 117th on the South represents the Sanctuary as we know it today.  The Sanctuary remains one of the few bird sanctuaries in the world that are completely within municipal boundaries.

One can’t overstate the foresight and commitment of the residents and Borough officials to conservation as well as the preservation of open space and wildlife in 1947, 1961 and every year since.  This commitment was reinforced by the United States Park Service in 1965 when it designated the Sanctuary as a National Natural Landmark.

Over the years, the Sanctuary has been home to thousands of birds and visited by more than a million people representing all fifty states and most countries in the world.  It has been estimated that Sanctuary visitors spend more than $5 million each year, locally. Although some like the New York Times in 1960 glorify the Sanctuary, referring to it as “The Everglades of New Jersey”, Stone Harbor residents think of the Sanctuary as a symbol of the character of this quiet, single family town which respects the nature and wildlife that surrounds them while placing a premium on livability, aesthetics and serenity.

The front of the sanctuary from 3rd Avenue

I took a walk when I was in Stone Harbor through the town’s Bird Sanctuary to hopefully view some rare birds. While I did not see much, I heard a lot of singing and scrawling as I walked the path through the trees.

The front gardens in the sanctuary

The gardens were still in bloom in the late Summer and many colorful wildflowers attracted all sorts of butterflies and other insects.

The sign greeting you about the experience

The front path of the sanctuary

You head over the bridge to the paths that take you into the woods

Walking down the pathways through the woods

The path takes you into a deep wooded area in the middle of the town and by the time you get to the middle of the path, you can hear the mating calls of many birds. It’s funny to note that we are a couple of blocks from the shore.

Walking through the pathways

Reaching the middle of the beach woods

The middle of the bird sanctuary noisy with bird calls

Walking back through the pathways through the roads

Touring through the Bird Sanctuary does not take a long time, but offers relief from a busy shore town.

Video on the park:

The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage 610 Washington Avenue Woodbine, NJ 08270

The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage

610 Washington Avenue

Woodbine, NJ 08270

(629) 626-3831

https://woodbinemuseum.org/

https://visitnj.org/sam-azeez-museum-woodbine-heritage

https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Sam-Azeez-Museum-of-Woodbine-Heritage-of-Stockton-University-100085580916230/

Open: Sunday-Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm/Saturday Closed

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46938-d3915473-Reviews-The_Sam_Azeez_Museum_of_Woodbine_Heritage-Woodbine_Cape_May_County_New_Jersey.html

The front of the Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage

The entrance sign that welcomes you

The History of the Sam Azzez Woodbine Museum:

(from the museum’s website):

The Sam Azeez Museum of Woodbine Heritage is an independent non-profit charitable organization preserving the unique history of Woodbine, NJ.

Established in the 1890’s through Baron de Hirsch’s philanthropy, Woodbine began as an agricultural colony for Russian Jewish immigrants seeking freedom denied in their homeland. As poor soil conditions limited farming, Woodbine evolved into Cape May County’s manufacturing center while maintaining founding values of education, religion and inclusion.

The museum occupies the historic Woodbine Brotherhood Synagogue, listed on the Natural Register of Historic Places. The restored sanctuary hosts special services, while the Brotherhood Hall houses exhibitions including the community-contributed Collective Memory Wall.

The historical significance of of the Town of Woodbine

The entrance to the museum

The museum is another interesting look at New Jersey history and the development of the immigrant story of assimilation into American society.

I was given a personal tour by the Assistant Curator and she explained the resettlement of Russian Jewish immigrants by a wealthy patron into this South Jersey community.

The main gallery of the museum

The panels tell the story of how these community came into being and how these people built a community through agricultural and eventually manufacturing and small businesses that supported the community around it. It established a town that was self sustaining and grew to the community center.

The panels show the growth of Woodbine as a community

The residents established their own sports teams, community organizations and civic groups like the councils and fire and police departments.

The records of the many town organizations of Woodbine

Display of one of the first families to settle in Woodbine

Display of the religious faith of the community

One of the most touching displays is of survivors of the concentration camps during the holocaust. These pictures represent these women as children and them today.

The display of the women who survived the camps

The history of the community and the growth of diverse businesses in Woodbine

Creating and building the Synagogue in the community

On the second floor of the building is the old synagogue of the community which is only used during the high holidays. This is used by descendants of the community and family members of theirs.

The inside of the synagogue on the second floor of the building

The front of the temple

The chandelier is original to the temple

The space was being prepared for the Jewish New Year and the crowd of people who would be attending.

The Memorial Wall

The traditions of the religion being practiced in the community

The self-government of the community

Still the younger generation was all American and wanted to assimilate into society with an all American past time of things like baseball.

The Woodbine youth baseball team

The uniform of the old baseball team for youths in the town

The last display is of the famous alumni who once lived in the community. These are the men and women who once lived here and went on after all odds to do great things and make our country better.

The Hall of Fame

The museum I thought had a bit of an identity crisis as I really did not know what the museum was about.

I was pleasantly surprised to find an interesting part of New Jersey history I had never known. It just goes to show you how a museum can educate you with just one visit. The Assistant curator said there will be more to come in the future.