Friends of OCNJ’s Richard Barth writes in:

Ocean City’s Historic District is one of the things that makes this town more than just a beach. Long before the Boardwalk and the Ferris wheel — and long before it was called Ocean City — this island was Peck’s Beach, land that Lenape people had fished and gathered from for generations. In 1879, a group of Methodist ministers chose it as the site for a new seaside religious community. Within a year, 48 buildings had gone up around the camp meeting grounds between 5th and 6th Streets. Over the following decades, the neighborhood filled in with the Victorian architecture — the “Painted Ladies” many of us walk past every day between 3rd and 8th Streets, Central and Ocean Avenues — that still defines the character of the North End.

OCEAN CITY – As you drive into the resort via the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, you’ll pass a charming home, with its pointy roof and decorative wooden trim, that resembles an enchanted cottage in an antique children’s storybook.

The “Storybook” house, located behind a picket fence and mature holly trees at 533 West Surf Road, was owned by Nancy McCutcheon for the past 27 years. To her, the 1920s home was a dream fulfilled. Her parents stopped to admire it during Sunday drives in the 1940-1950s. (From the 1950s to 1980s, the home belonged to Gertrude Muller, who rode the famous diving horses at Atlantic City’s Steel Pier.)

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If you have lived on St. Charles Place for more than five decades, you probably called the beautiful green house in the middle of the block "Mrs. Foster's house." It was green and sat in the middle of two building lots with a driveway on the side that led to a detached garage. It had a shaded backyard with a clothesline and a flag pole out front. Ocean City charm at its finest. It lasted a long, long time, but met its demise in the past few years.

Friends of OCNJ History & Culture is about celebrating our old homes, historic buildings, and our gardens in Ocean City. On Wednesday July 8, 2026, we had third annual Historic Homes Garden Tour.

Since its founding in the mid-1800s, Ocean City has transformed into a vibrant shore town steeped with history and rooted in heritage. In recent years, a group of determined homeowners and historical enthusiasts, known as the Friends of OCNJ, have banded together to preserve the town’s most historic properties, shining a light on the value and character they have brought to the community.

In his essay published in the May 28, 2026, Shore Local (p. 38), OCNJ History and Culture President Sne Avichal shares why one of Ocean City’s greatest and most unique advantages for the future is in celebrating the stories, traditions, and architecture of its past. Avichal makes a strong argument for not only the value of history for history’s sake, but the very real economic power of heritage tourism and property values.

He writes: “Historic preservation is often framed as nostalgia, but in communities across the country, it has also become one of the strongest economic drivers of tourism and long-term economic value. Places like Charleston, Savannah, Newport, and Cape May have shown that visitors are increasingly drawn to destinations with authentic character and a visible connection to their past.”

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Read the latest entry in Friends’ ongoing Ocean City Sentinel series Preservation Success Stories. This month takes a look at Lisa Sarajian’s Craftsman, built in 1928. The nearly century-old home features a gabled roof, wraparound porch, hardwood floors, and a striking interior staircase with two landings.  

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A recent article in OCNJ Daily titled Ocean City to demolish old homes for parking highlighted two 100+ year-old homes slated for demolition (now sadly gone).

It got us thinking. Did you know that houses in Ocean City used to get relocated all the time, and we’re not talking a few feet? We mean blocks. A house on 3rd Street might end up on 23rd. That was just how things were done.

OCEAN CITY – John Zdon grew up in Marlton and the beach was usually just a day trip for his family. As he grew older, he started to venture out on his own and Ocean City became a common destination. After marriage to wife Cheryl and the birth of children, they wanted a family vacation destination to build memories. Ocean City became that place.

The last days of 1100 Central…but maybe the dawn of new day for preservation.