Ocean Beach History

Ocean Beach has been a vacation destination for more than 80 years. Generations of families grew up coming here each summer for a week, maybe two, to play on the wide beaches and in the clean ocean. It is hard to imagine that at one time the area that now contains more than 2,000 beach homes was once just large tracts of sand inhabited only by mosquitoes, shore birds, and the occasional fisherman. All that changed when two enterprising young men decided to follow their dream…

It was 1946, and what was then a desolate, brush-filled tract of land just north of Lavallette was purchased by Fred C. Pearl and his partner, Edward J. Patnaude—two laundry deliverymen who, over the next 20 years, turned this tract and several others into a vacation paradise they called “Ocean Beach.”

Their idea was to build beach houses for working-class families—those who could not afford to buy in affluent towns like Mantoloking and Bay Head. They began by building basic one- and two-bedroom cottages that cost $2,095 and were merely four walls and a roof, with no paneling or insulation; the hot water heater was optional.

The construction pace was fast and furious, with about one house going up every two days. Sales were transacted casually; Pearl worked out of what he called his “mobile” office—the trunk of his car. Each business day, he set up shop by pounding a wooden sign into the ground along the highway that read, “Houses for Sale.” At that time, all that was required to secure your own piece of land was a $20 deposit and a handshake. The first sale contract was signed on July 20, 1946, and still exists. The total price paid by Mr. and Mrs. Stolze was only $650 for the lot.

It didn’t take long for people to find and fall in love with Ocean Beach. The success of Unit I prompted the developers to buy another parcel of land in 1948 (Unit II), and a third—the largest at 75 acres—in 1951 (Unit III). With the opening of the Garden State Parkway in 1955, sales and rentals went through the roof. To meet the demand, more than 900 houses were erected from the oceanfront to the man-made lagoons along West Bayview Drive, and Unit III was complete.

The Ocean Beach communities have transformed over the past eight decades, with the biggest change coming after Super Sandy in October 2012, when many homes were rebuilt larger and higher off the ground and taller dunes were built on the beaches. Despite the changes, however, the area still retains much of its original charm. You can still walk shoeless down the sand streets in Unit III, watch the sunset from the Unit II gazebo, and wade out to the giant sandbars.

Edward J. Patnaude (left) and Fred C. Pearl (middle), the developers of all four Ocean Beach communities.

The first “sale contract” between the Stolze family of Irvington and Ocean Beach Co., signed by Fred AC Pearl. What was the total price? Only $650 for the lot.

The original Ocean Beach Sales & Rental sign sat where the current one is now in the parking lot between the buildings.

The cottages were built quickly, with two being framed a day.
One of the first cottages built in Ocean Beach.
The living area of a 480 square foot cottage. The iconic porthole door led to the covered porch.
The walls were plywood and the cabinets were open and you walked through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. Hot water heaters were optional - $10 extra. This cottage has one!
People could tour a model home (listed for only $2595 as seen on the price tag) which sat on what is now the site of Donuts Plus.
One of the earliest advertisements touting the well-priced rentals of cottages with ALL the amenities...including electric refrigeration!
While there have always been rules about the size and location of the homes, colors have never been limited.
Construction started in Ocean Beach I in 1946. This photo shows the completed ocean block area, just north of a mini-golf course that sat on the corner of Bryn Mawr Avenue in Lavallette.
Ocean Beach I is mostly complete, with Brighton and Rutherford communities lying between it and Ocean Beach II, the area of development at the top of the photo.
The beginning of development on the Ocean Beach II lagoon streets. The sandy peninsula is now Harbor Drive.
The boat basin is clearly visible before the construction of Route 35 South. The lagoon streets are just being developed with only a few homes on Moonrise Lane and one on Heron. The clubhouse has yet to be built.
The Ocean Beach Marina lies between the finished homes on Sailfish Way to the north and undeveloped land that would become Melody Lane in Ocean Beach II.
Most of the community is developed and the Ocean Beach & Bay Club's clubhouse is in the center of the photo. Homes on Sailfish are just beginning to be built.
The boat basin can only accommodate small boats or jet skis. Before the current overpass was constructed, there was a small wooden bridge that allowed pedestrians easier access to the clubhouse. Homes in the background are on Heron Lane.
Before the state created Route 35 S., people could only walk over the boat basin on a narrow, wooden bridge.
Before the first small dune was created around 2010, the beach was flat between the ocean front homes on the water line.
The current dunes replaced much smaller ones after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. They sit at approximately 22 feet above sea level.
The home of the Ocean Beach & Yacht Club still stands today.
The clubhouse looked much the same for more than 70 years before it was rebuilt in 2025 .
The rental office has not changed much over the decades; neither has the phone number.
Two buildings sat on the highway just north of the Ocean Beach Sales office. You could walk in and pick a furniture package that would furnish your entire cottage. Usually delivered the same day!
The restaurant sat at the corner of Route 35 and East Albacore Way and served burgers and root beer from the early '50s until the '80s.
The Zabelski family has been selling souvenirs and sundries since 1994.
The Firetto family has been feeding the community since the 1980s from the building that, over the years, has been a fry fish shop and even a model home.
The best-named street, Goa Way, was so named because the owner of a house that stood on the block refused to sell to the developers for years. Forced to lay a road around him, they named the street "Goa Way" -- because they wished he would.
The small railroad depot sat the west end of what is now West Amberjack Way.
An early photo showing 19 East Chadwick Way, one of the eight 2-story homes in the community. These homes were built prior to the club's rule limiting construction to a single story.
Rental rates were much different 60 years ago. Ocean fronts cost as little as $161 for a prime week!
The highway that is now Route 35 North originally carried traffic going north AND south, until the increase in traffic became too much so the state paved over the old railroad track that ran from Bay Head to Seaside, creating Route 35 South.
This is a hand-drawn plan for a 3 bedroom home by one of the developers.
An advertisement for the same cottage in the drawing.