Blogfinger photo 8/29/2026
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net
The Historical Society in the Grove used to award honors to the best restorations of original OG houses. The Beersheba Awards were stopped some years ago. The most public recognition now comes for those homes which participate in the historic house tours.
But now, as we have been observing the restoration going on at the old funeral home at Main and Delaware, it looks like that intersection may become the most beautiful and authentic and magnificent in town—if we were to judge according to intersection addresses.
For one thing it is the first eye-catching location that visitors see as they drive into the historic town of Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Our location definition of course does not include the part of town with the best reproductions: Ocean Pathway.
The “fun house” looks like it will be restored into a magnificent single family Victorian home, but we have no documentation now. Opposite the old ghost house is the relatively new and beautiful reproduction at Main and Delaware south (see above) and you all know that home, done by Albert and Jeffrey, complete with functioning gaslights.
The other striking house at that intersection is the wonderful Alday mansion which has been meticulously brought back by Steve and Victor and has more colors than Crayola. We wrote about that history recently on Blogfnger.net.
And of course the other property at the intersection is the Firemen’s Park, also known by us at Blogfinger as “Heroes Park.”
With regards to the Park, last week the Township got our attention when, for the first time we have seen a crew performing some much needed pruning on the trees, and they did a fabulous job. Too bad they didn’t remodel the center of the park: Creche-land, dead bell land, and dangerous iron spikes and shrub-land reminiscent of a concentration camp.
In fact, the park could use a consultation by a landscape architect. Too bad they couldn’t hire the artist who designed Central Park.
So let’s watch that latest reconstruction together. Don’t forget that judging architecture in town pertains only to the exteriors. And where is the Historical Society when this and other projects get underway? Thank goodness for the HPC and the legal team who challenged the North End mish-mash.
PAUL McCARTNEY. “HOME”