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research of their families and also for general research on how Belmar formed.” Upon entering the front room of what used to be a po- lice station attached to the firehouse, guests could em- bark upon a journey through time dating back to the initial American Indians who set- tled in Belmar. The front room featured the evolution of the town through the generations and allowed visitors to glimpse at the past, and see the first schools and churches, the original ocean-side pavilions, and much more. One of the many historical images in the front room is of men who were members of the Ocean Beach Association [Ocean Beach being Belmar’s former name]. Spencer Heulitt’s ancestor is pictured in the photo. Mr. Heulitt is the vice president of the BHS. “I have my family tree here, it shows how a Wilson mar- ried a Heulitt — my last name is Heulitt,” he said. “This is the only one [liv- ing person with documented ancestry] that we know that is still living in Belmar,” Ms. O’Keefe said of Mr. Heulitt. Moving through the build- ing, guests could enjoy the revolving exhibition, which currently features the history of the Buhler family. In the same room, an exhibition of WWI and WWII was on dis- play, as were laminated copies of old newspapers. “People can come in and peruse old newspapers,” Ms. O’Keefe said, adding that a good deal of what the BHS does is conservation and preservation. Continuing through the tour, guests were welcome to peruse digitized newspapers listed by date on a computer at the museum. The editions date as far back as 1881. Ms. O’Keefe said the BHS is trying to earn money to continue to add to the collec- tion and will be hosting a 1920s Bootleggers Ball on Nov. 7. All of the proceeds will go toward expanding the digital newspaper collection. The museum also features a book collection and a back room filled with historical items that were donated and categorized by the BHS. For example, the society has a collection of donated beach badges in chronological or- der dating back to the 1940s. The room is filled with boxes and binders of organized his- torical items relevant to Bel- mar that may be viewed by the public for research. Over the weekend, the members of Union Firehouse opened the historic working firehouse in conjunction with the grand opening of the mu- seum. Visitors were guided by BHS volunteers through old jail cells, the original bor- ough council meeting room, the original horse-drawn fire equipment and much more. Rick Henderson, of Union Fire Company, was on hand to explain the historical sig- nificance of items in the fire- house, including the original horse-drawn steamer. He said the original steam- er dates back to 1889; it was the company’s steam-operat- ed fire engine. He explained the workings of the original fire horn, which was on display, as well. Mr. Henderson said there are even more items to dis- play, aside from what is there currently. The BHS and the Union Fire Company are all-volun- teer organizations. Free refreshments were served at the opening cele- bration, provided by Jimmy’s Place on Ocean Avenue. There was also ice cream from Chill-Bubble Tea on 10th Avenue and Main Street, popcorn from the Belmar Tourism Commission and baked goods and soft drinks from members of the BHS. YEARS IN THE MAKING Naomi Reissner, president of the BHS, said the grand opening has been a long time coming. Ms. Reissner said she has been involved with the BHS since 2006, when the collec- tion of historical items that are now in the museum were stored in the basement of the library. The borough gave the society a space to store the items at borough hall and the historical society, then called the Belmar Historical Preser- vation Advisory Council, went through the items piece by piece. From there, the BHS was given space for the mu- seum. “We were five days from the grant opening when [Hurricane] Sandy struck,” she said. “We have started from scratch; this is sort of like a deja-vu.” The museum and fire- house suffered from two- and one-half feet of water and as a result, the museum was emptied and restored. Ms. Reissner said the BHS lost very little but had to “gut the place” and start all over. In April 2014, the BHS moved back in and started anew. Fred Pachman, attendee and coordinator for the Cau- cus Archival Projects Evalua- tion Service [CAPES] pro- gram, shared his perspective on the event after being in- volved with the BHS for many years. CAPES is funded by the New Jersey Historical Commission offers free gen- eral assessment surveys of archival collections held by nonprofit organizations in New Jersey. “We’re delighted to be down here with the Belmar Historical Society for, finally, the grand opening here at the new facility, the Union Fire Company,” Mr. Pachman said. “It’s been a long time coming but we’re absolutely delight- ed to see the exhibits that they have put together, which do a terrific job documenting the history of the whole neighborhood and all the communities here that make up Belmar, right from the be- ginning.” Ms. Reissner offered what she feels is the purpose of a historical society. “The main point of a his- torical society is those that went before us thought enough to save this stuff … and because of that we can document the development of this town,” she said, adding that William B. Banford, may- or in 1921, was a large contrib- utor of the records and mem- orabilia that are in the museum today. “A third of the collection is because of that man,” she said. Ms. Reissner said the BHS has had a lot of support from the borough and the society could not have done it with- out the support. Ms. Reissner said there are roughly 40 members in the society and those who volun- teered their time are “proac- tive members.” “It’s a labor of love,” she said. Ms. Reissner said Belmar has a lot of history and she hopes residents experience it at the museum. “I hope that people who enjoy living in this town would like to know more about how it came to be and what it is today,” she said. “I hope people understand [we] have to preserve history, and we can only do that if people come in and tell us their sto- ries. “I hope that people will join [the BHS], support us and basically visit to see how we’ve documented and pre- served what we found,” she added. Belmar Mayor Matt Doher- ty also attended the event over the weekend. “It’s been two and a half years since Sandy and it’s nice to see that the historical society is back where they belong,” he said. “They do a tremendous job preserving the very rich history of the town, and I’m happy to be here supporting them — and they’re going to have the sup- port of the mayor and council moving forward. “Today is a very monu- mental day because of how far they’ve come since Sandy,” the mayor added. For additional information, email info@belmarhistorical- society.org or call 908-309- 3380. The BHS can be found online on Facebook or its website, www.belmarhistori- calsociety.org. 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Evenings www.qualitydentalassociatesnj.com We Provide: • State-of-the-Art Equipment • Thorough Cleanings • Teaching of Preventive Techniques • Porcelain Veneers & Bonding • Crowns, Bridges, Dentures • Implant Restoration • TV’s in every room Implants and Implant Restoration PROVIDED IN A COMFORTABLE & PERSONAL AND SPACIOUS ATMOSPHERE New Patients Welcome See Dr. Casperino & Dr. Salvador featured in the Top Doc Edition of N.J. Monthly Magazine SPRING SPECIAL BELMAR OPEN HOUSES Go to our Classified and Real Estate Section for details and many other fine homes for sale. This Weekend: • 100 Inlet Terrace • 302 15th Avenue • 319 9th Avenue • 201 Lake Drive WOMAN’S CLUB CARD PARTY Date: Friday, April 17 Time: 11:30 a.m. Location: Brandl Restaurant, Belmar Plaza Donation: $8 Sandwiches, coffee, tea and desserts will be served. There will be a 50/50 raffle and door prizes. The donation supports the club’s charitable endeav- ors. DENTISTRY FROM THE HEART Date: Friday, April 17 Time: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Location: Smiles By The Sea, 611 Main St. Area dentists will provide fillings, extractions and hygiene appointments free of charge for those in need on a first-come, first-served basis. COUNCIL MEETING Date: Tuesday, April 21 Time: 6 p.m. Location: 601 Main Street BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING Date: Thursday, April 23 Time: 7 p.m. Location: Belmar Elementary School, 1101 Main St. BLOOD DRIVE Date: Wednesday, April 29 Time: 3-7 p.m. Location: First aid building, cor- ner of Ninth Avenue and D Street Contact: Claire Deicke, 732-681- 0522; Barbar Wissel, 732-681- 6885; Mary Anne Dillberger, 732- 280-0538 Hosted by the Belmar Woman’s Club. SWEETS & TREATS GIFT AUCTION Date: Friday, May 1 Location: Belmar Elementary School, 1101 Main St. Tickets: $20 Contact: [email protected], 732-681-2388 Tickets include dessert, coffee, tea, and a ticket packet. The event is a fundraiser for the parent-teacher organization. BALANCING YOUR DIGESTION SEMINAR Date: Saturday, May 2 Time: 12 p.m. Location: Next Level Fitness, 611 Main St. Contact: [email protected] Margaret Szura, CHHC, AADP, will host a free workshop on identifying trigger food, correcting digestion, balancing meals and healthy recipes. COLOR ME BELMAR, POSSABILITIES WALK Date: Saturday, May 9 Time: 9 a.m. Location: Ocean Avenue and First Avenue Contact: www.frainc.org, Paul at 732-747-5310, ext. 124 Color Me Belmar is a 3K color run on the sand, and the PossAbilities walk is a one-mile walk. There will be a dunk tank, food, games, music and more. Hosted by Family Resource Associates. YOGI-LATES Date: every Tuesday Time: 11 a.m. Location: Belmar Public Library, 517 10th Ave. The class is $2. BELMAR EVENTS To submit a calendar listing or Belmar news story, email [email protected] BELMAR FROM PAGE 1 Despite delays, Belmar Historical Society Museum opens MORGAN CAMPBELL THE COAST STAR Mayor Matt Doherty [center] celebrated Saturday’s opening of the Belmar Historical Society Museum with trustee Lucille Hohn [from left], president and trustee Naomi Reissner, trustee Irene McCann, secretary and trustee Pat O’Keefe, trustee Spencer Heulitt, and borough historian and Councilman Brian Magovern. All reside in Belmar.
