Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net. Updated from 2010 . Sept. 16, 2023
Remnant of slate curbing on park side of Delaware Ave. Blogfinger photo 9/16/23. Will this be done to match the new curbing on the opposite side?
2010 Blogfinger: Ted Bell says that he is a naturalist and not a historian, but he doth protest too much. Most people in town know Ted, and he truly is a treasure chest of Ocean Grove historical information. He has written books and produced videos on the subject. His latest book about the Great Auditorium should be available as soon as Ted figures out how to stop his endless research on the subject.
So it is fitting that we start our OG historical tidbit segments with two bits of history revealed by Ted during his annual Beersheba Award walking tour, which he held last Friday. We encourage those of you who want to share a bit of OG history to send us a note.
Slate sidewalks: These are found all over town and most are originals. Ted says that they were a significant accessory in the Grove, although not every property had them. Aside from their durability and beauty, they offer a practical advantage in the winter— they hold the heat of the sun, and that results in melting of ice and snow.
The “doctor effect”. Victorian era doctors liked to prescribe ocean breezes for their healthful benefits. Ted says that the breezes at the shore occur because of the collision between warm and cool air masses influenced by land and ocean temperatures. The “doctor effect” is when the breezes blow east to west during the day, but as the land cools off by night, the direction of the breezes changes from west to east. Have any of you noticed this effect?
PG
An early concern in OG was the construction of curbs as both the streets and yards were sand and could not be differentiated. The earliest curbs were 2″ thick wooden planks held in place by large metal spikes. The wood was often recycled from wrecked ships.
However, private parties wanted something more durable and had stalled bluestone curbing by 1878. It was reported in 1884 that 1,500 linear feet had been laid that year.
Bluestone is technically feldspathic greywacke, a sandstone, quarried in NJ. PA, and NY. It can vary in color from brown to gray, to a deep blue.
The earliest sidewalks were wood, but it was complained that these barely lasted two years before becoming dangerous to pedestrians. These were frequently replaced with “tar walks,” a concoction of tar, gravel, pitch, and sand. There were some drawbacks to this material such as tar sticking to shoes and private parties had installed 4,000 sf of bluestone by 1884.
By 1901, modern style cement walks were offered by a local mason. On 28 May 1903, the Association required the installation or replacement of any sidewalk to be of cement or bluestone.
What has happened to the 3 properties to be cited for “demolition by neglect”? Any movement? I sent e mail regarding 91 Cookman to mayor..which she forwarded to Bill Doolittle (Do-Nothing)..so far..no reply..no action. What gives???
From the Department of Energy:
Question – Why is it that wind blows inland off the ocean during
the day?
—————————————
When the sun heats the surface of the earth, the land heats faster than the
water. The warm land heats the air above it and that warm air becomes less
dense. It rises just as a hot air balloon. When the warm air rises it
draws air in to replace it. Along shorelines the replacement air comes off
the water creating what we call sea breezes. Interestingly, at night the
reverse happens because the land cools faster and we develop land breezes.
Larry Krengel