A PINE BEACH Pine Beach has long been regarded as a year-round residence and a place to spend summers on the ocean.
Recently, the community held a daylong celebration named A Century By The River to honor its heritage. Vista Park, which was once a part of the Admiral Farragut Academy, was crowded with merchants, food and drink, live music, and inflatables.
The air from the river helped to moderate the high heat warning that was listed in the weather report. Parents caught up with their neighbors as children gathered around the inflatables. The band’s performance of classic rock was in keeping with the event’s theme.
Some of the same responses were given by those in the park when asked why they choose to call Pine Beach home:
It’s an amazing community.
It’s stunning.
Raising a family there is pleasant.The inflatables attracted a lot of families. (Image courtesy of Chris Lundy)
According to Robert Krempel, he has lived here for 27 years. According to him, the community is close-knit and everyone knows one another. There is not a lot of through traffic, and it is calm. To get to the beach, people are not slicing through the town. Only natives are there.
“Your kids can have fun and ride their bikes in a safe environment,” he stated.
Pine Beach Preservation Society President George Roksvaag explained how he also decided to make this his home.
“I’ve never had more close friends in one place,” he remarked.
The entire property was purchased by two Philadelphia real estate developers in 1908. They had a railroad that ran from Philadelphia to Pine Beach and even to Island Heights over a bridge that crossed the Toms River.
Following their train excursion, tourists paid $1,000 to the Pine Beach Development Corporation for lots.
The 100th anniversary of the 1925 Berkeley Township people’ vote to secede was celebrated in March 2025.
Around this time, a number of other institutions also got their start. Additionally, the Fire Company is 100 years old. The chapel was built in 1910, and the Yacht Club in 1915.
Dating back to 1877, the Buhler home is the town’s oldest structure. The mansion’s $2.9 million real estate listing states that it was constructed by affluent hatter George Burnett. By 1903, Buhler had acquired it. At one point, President Grover Cleveland was said to have been a guest.
In 1928, Joan Lovell’s great-grandfather constructed a house on Riverside Drive. The family has owned it for 97 years, which is nearly as long as the town has existed.
“We grew up here every summer,” she continued. Each succeeding family has developed a deep affection for the place.
This tradition has been carried on by successive generations. Even though her family members are no longer with her, she can still feel their presence. There are memories in this town.
