Firemen’s Park (aka Woodlawn Park).
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net
I was walking by a park at the South End of Ocean Grove, near Cookman and Clark Avenues. It’s a lovely place; neighbors like to plant flowers there. Dogs enjoy walking there. But I didn’t know its name. A neighbor walked by and said, “It’s Poop Park.”
Later, I found out it is actually Boswell Park, but “Park Heights” is a name from the past. In September, 2023, it acquired yet another name. (see below)
The Ocean Grove parks often have multiple names because of changes over the years, sometimes based on historic reasons .
Some of the parks in town are managed by Neptune Township while others are managed by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.
Those managed by the Township have signs banning smoking. The OGCMA parks have not.
It’s confusing, but I am told that the CMA actually owns all the parks and permits the public to use them. For that they get property tax deductions.
Another park which has puzzled me is the one bounded by New York Avenue, Mt. Carmel Way and Mt. Tabor Way. I like to walk through it on the way past the tents to arrive by the Beersheba Fountain, near the Great Auditorium. It’s a beautiful shady place, but what’s its name? It turns out that it is “Greenleaf Park” and is managed by Neptune Township.
Here is a list of the parks and their names, followed by a gallery of some of the parks. If you don’t see your favorite here, please send us a photo, and use its real name.
Source: ?
Ocean Pathway Blogfinger photo ©
South End Recreation Area. Playground. Blogfinger photo ©
Greenleaf Park at New York Avenue, Mt. Carmel
Poop Park (Boswell Park) Blogfinger photo . Also called “Park Heights” in the past. See below for latest name.
A new name for “Poop Park.” See our post about this; link below. Blogfinger photo. 9/23. Even though Neptune Twp manages this park, the CMA showed up with this name. *See link about this below.
Auditorium Square Park near the Great Auditorium. Paul Goldfinger photo
*LINK re: Amanda Berry Smith Park:
DON AND JUAN:
I see I got my directions confused. Central Park was east of Pilgrim and north of Broadway. The main sand dune started on the east side of Main and crossed over through Days and ended somewhat near Founders Park west of Central. It was called “Seadrift Heights” that sounded poetic such as Stokes would have dreamed up. This dune was removed and the sand used to fill the pond by Central Park.
David. Wasn’t there also a giant sand dune on the east side of town that had to be removed?
Ocean Grove has several vanished parks. There was McKendrie Park on the Wesley Lake bank that had a bridge to Fairy Island. The island was removed to improve water flow into the lake in 1880 and the park vanished.
There was Central Park, a somewhat irregular affair with a water feature located south of Pilgrim Pathway east of Broadway. The pond was filled in and the street grid continued in 1878.
Centennial Park was the square in front of the Arlington Court. This was developed in 1875 when what we consider Auditorium Park still had tents in it.
There was also Stokes Park that was an ill-defined area by the statue.
Frank S,
Believe “poop” park got its name before the sidewalk installation. Walking the “dirt/weed lane” along the Cookman Avenue side required downward eyes and careful stepping!
Thanks to the Neptune Twp DPW, there are bag and disposal stations in our parks.
Interesting to see all the parks and their names.
Re : Boswell Park. Why it is known as “poop” park I don’t understand. There is no more or less “poop” there then any other of the parks. It is a lovely hardly ever used quiet elevated well treeded park.
P.S. : Wooden rabbitt in foto was mine (was stolen from my yard. Always wandered where it ended up.) . The statue/shrine on western side is my creation.
Can someone explain the split ownership of the parks?