By Kimberly Burnett
POINT PLEASANT BEACH — Nestled in a small building behind Borough Hall, under the water tower, the Point Pleasant Historical Society is overflowing with a wealth of information and history of two boroughs.
Containing documents, photographs, clothing, model ships and more, the Historical Society is the go-to spot for the history of both Point Pleasant Borough and Point Pleasant Beach.
On March 14, the society will have the first of eight meetings for the year and the group is hoping to add to its membership roster of over 165 members.
Historical Society President James Malone and Administrator Richard Morris help keep the society running and help organize the artifacts, along with the help of other members, including Sal Marino.
“We have such a wealth of information here that I don’t think our citizens know about,” Mr. Malone said.
The building, where the society has been located since 1993, is only so big. Not everything the society has acquired over the years can be stored in that two-room facility.
To accommodate the overflowing collection, the society has spread out and taken over a trailer and some items have been moved to Mr. Morris’ donated log cabin at Riverfront Park.
“We are getting overwhelmed with a lot of stuff,” Mr. Morris said, adding that when someone wants to look at a map in the map cabinet, furniture needs to be moved around to accomplish that simple task.
Mr. Morris and Mr. Malone said the society needs to go through the artifacts and start sorting through things that can be and will be displayed and other items that can be donated or sold.
Though the society has more than enough artifacts, they are always looking for more to add to the collection and encourage residents to get involved.
“We are always looking for people to clean out their closets and attics and think of us when they do so,” Mr. Morris said.
The society is also always looking to collect new members and donations.
On March 14, the society will gather at the Woman’s Club for their first meeting of the year. Meetings regularly feature a guest speaker, and this month, Lavallette historian Brian Bovasso will speak on his book about the history of Westmont Shores.
Annual dues are $10. However, the society always welcomes larger donations.
Funds are used to mail out monthly newsletters, rent the woman’s club for meetings, and sometimes to pay the guest speaker.
The Borough of Point Pleasant Beach provides the society with a small stipend and provide their facility, free of charge.
“Without the help of the borough, we certainly would not be able to have a facility like this,” Mr. Morris said.
Though the building is “off the beaten track,” Mr. Morris said most visitors find the society by calling for directions.
“When you come in here, if you are new, it is overwhelming. You don’t know where to look first,” Mr. Morris said.
For Mr. Malone, spending time at the historical society is about his love of history.
“It is wonderful to relive history through artifacts we have in the museum,” he said.
Some of those artifacts include an 1899 wedding dress, scrapbooks, old magazines, and a catalogue of family history information.
The society also has a WWII Directory of Albums which is a filing system compiled by Craig Patton for his Eagle Scout service project.
The albums were compiled by “The Leader” newspaper’s editor Elmer Errickson and feature clippings and photographs of Point Pleasant Beach area servicemen and women during the war and at home on leave.
Mr. Patton’s project compiled a list in alphabetical order that includes the book and page number of men and woman in the book.
The books are very useful for geneology purposes, as are the books about long- standing families in the boroughs.
Mr. Morris said he wants to preserve all of this history for the future.
“I’m not a curator, I am a collector,” he said, adding that he does not wear white gloves like a curator, he just collects the items.
“I don’t have time to be a curator,” he said.
The society is open every Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. or by appointment.
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