Blogfinger

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?

PAUL McCARTNEY.