You are at Lake Como, stop #50 on our Belmar Treasure Trail. Three neighboring towns, Belmar, Lake Como, and Spring Lake, share ownership and oversight of the lake. Belmar only has a small portion of the lakefront, less than 20% of the actual shoreline. If you continue up to B Street, that is the transition from Belmar to Lake Como’s portion of the lake. Spring Lake’s portion starts at its Ocean Avenue border by the brick arches. Many millennia ago, this lake, like Silver Lake and others up and down the coast, were all connected as part of an ancient bay. Today, the lake hosts a number of anadromous fish – that means species that can live in both fresh water and salt water. The lake is also home to dozens of mute swans. Indigenous to Asia, a few pairs of these beautiful swans were introduced to Belmar in the early 1900’s. These Belmar Swans gained a national reputation as the first flock bred in America, and the New York Zoological Garden was among several places that requested and were given a pair of breeders by the borough.

You are at stop #49 on the Belmar Treasure Trail, near the end of the Belmar boardwalk, although Belmar continues until the brick arches, which mark the boundary of our neighbor, Spring Lake. In the summer, the 20th Avenue beach is a haven for ocean kayakers and you’ll see some impressive wave-riding feats. This is also a good spot to mention the rock-like piles seen along the oceanfront that most people call jetties. Jetties, however, are the rock barriers found on the sides of inlets, like those along Shark River Inlet between Belmar and Avon. The other rock formations you see along the oceanfront are actually called “groins.” These groins are manmade formations originally built like solid rock walls jutting into the ocean to protect the beach from erosion. But in 1990, following a massive beach replenishment, the groins were notched near shore to allow for the sands to follow their natural south-to-north drift. The full length of the groins can be seen at lower tides, but the rocks mostly become submersed during high tides.

You are at 19th Avenue beach, stop #48 on the Belmar Treasure Trail. Surfers enjoy Belmar’s ocean waves year round and in the summer months, the 19th Avenue beach is dedicated just to those with their boards. Every September, thousands of people come to watch our annual Belmar Pro, where the wave-riding performances get better each year. The Pro features top surfing athletes from Central America, Australia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Europe, South Africa and all over the United States. Plus, there are always a few local favorites in this fun-filled post-Labor Day surfing extravaganza.

The tour would not be complete without mentioning D’Jais, the well-known establishment across the street. D’Jais has featured countless entertainers who have gone on to make a name for themselves. But ask co-owner Frank Sementa what happened when he hired a young, aspiring singer-songwriter back in the 70s. Turns out he was so good, that patrons were too busy listening to the music to buy any food or beverages, so Frank had to let the musician go. In case you haven’t already guessed, it was none other than Bruce Springsteen!

We’re stopping at our 17th Ave Beach to point out a plaque on the jetty stone in front of the boardwalk by Ocean Avenue that we dedicated to a real Belmar legend: Cecil D. Lear. It’s hard to believe now, but there was no such thing as surfboards on the east coast when Cecil was young. He was working in 1961 when he got hold of the first issue of Surfer Magazine and surfboard brochures from the west coast. He became the first surfer on Belmar beach and within two years, he and his water-loving friends petitioned the town leaders to open the area’s first surfing-only beach in 1963. Cecil’s passion only grew and he championed the sport of surfing, not only in his hometown of Belmar, but throughout the nation. You’ll see some of his contributions on the plaque. Cecil remains beloved by countless residents and surfers around the world.

You are at 15th Avenue Beach, stop #46 on our Treasure Trail. Over the years, Belmar has attracted millions of visitors, including our fair share of celebrities. You can hear more about our Bruce Springsteen connection at stop #1 and stop #16 on the Treasure Trail. But as you stand on this boardwalk right now, let us take you back to the 1920’s, and the iconic Broadway hits of Ira and George Gershwin. Back then, the entire block across the street between 15th and 16th Avenues was taken up by the Atlantic Hotel. This trendy hotel, which catered to a literary and cultural crowd, was owned by the family of Ira Gershwin’s wife. So Ira and George spent many a summer night relaxing and entertaining friends across from Belmar’s oceanfront. Imagine strolling and hearing a live version of “Rhapsody in Blue?!?”

Interestingly, the Atlantic Hotel was one of several in Belmar that were originally part of the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition Fair of 1876, better known as the World’s Fair. These former pavilions were sailed by waterways to Belmar then rolled on telephone pole-like logs to their locations. The Atlantic stood as a hotel under several names until it burned to the ground in 1972.

This is stop #45 on our Belmar Treasure Trail. We’re stopping here to mention some interesting environmental and historical facts about the residential areas you see across the street. One bit of trivia is about the land itself, or specifically, it’s geology. The area from here south has soil that does not drain as well and has a higher water table than the northern section of town. Also, as you’ve walked along the boardwalk, you may have noticed that in the northern part of town, the size of the blocks were longer and the housing lots larger. After the town got its start as a summer community of just 25 people in 1872, more visitors and residents started flocking to the seaside get-away. In 1908, the new Belmar grew by annexing adjacent areas. One of them was called the Ocean Grove Park Tract, which started at 12th Avenue and went south to Spring Lake. The area was laid out with 700 new, smaller lots. To entice people to attend the sale of these lots, a marketing promotion offered 10,000 dollars’ worth of prizes, like pianos, diamonds, watches and silverware. In case you’re wondering, the asking price for the lots at that time? A whopping three hundred dollars! Another bit of trivia has to do with one of our historic residents, Elizabeth Nye Darby, a Titanic survivor who lived on the third block of 13thAve. After a trip to England to visit her parents, the young widow was headed back to the U.S. to begin work with the Salvation Army. Her voyage was cancelled due to a coal strike in Britain so she was transferred to sail as a second-class passenger on the Titanic, which left Southampton on April 10, 1912. When the ocean liner collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic four nights later, Ms. Nye was among the survivors in a tragedy that killed 1,500 others. In a letter home, she detailed the horrifying occurrences, but assured her parents, “My nerves are very shattered, I look and feel about ten years older, but I will get over it after a time.” In fact, Elizabeth suffered such exposure that she would later require an operation and was awarded $200 by the American Red Cross. When she finally arrived back on American soil, one of the first Salvation Army personnel to greet her was Captain George Darby. The couple kept in touch and married the next year, following Elizabeth’s commissioning. In 1930, they built a duplex on this property, and lived in the left side at 315A 13th Avenue. Their son, Ray, was a long-time lifeguard in Belmar, and Elizabeth would spend hours in chairs on the front lawn with her neighbors, talking and knitting bandages for the Salvation Army. You’ll find a book about her at the Belmar Historical Society (stop #3 on our tour.)

This is stop #44 on the Belmar Treasure Trail at the Howard Rowland Pavilion, named for the man who stood watch over the Belmar beachfront for nearly 60 years, at one time having the distinction as being the world’s oldest active lifeguard. During his longtime tenure as Chief Lifeguard, Rowland devoted himself to water safety, saving as many as 6,000 lives and training several generations of lifeguards. He died in 1988 at age 81. Rowland is memorialized in a fabulous portrait by well-known local artists Suzanne Anan, who captured him standing next to his distinctive red Jeep and wearing his red lifeguard swim trunks, with his two-way radio on his hip. This building, constructed after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and opened in 2017, serves as the headquarters for beachfront police, fire, first aid and lifeguard operations. This central point on our boardwalk is also a good place to talk about Belmar’s approximately 1.5 miles of beachfront that offer unlimited four-season opportunities for nature lovers, surfers and coastal enthusiasts. In the summer, movies on the beach, lifeguard tournaments and a popular sandcastle contest are just some of the special events that attract tens of thousands of visitors. Belmar takes very seriously its responsibility to protect and preserve the natural wonder of the waterways that surround our small community, and our one-square-mile borough has earned a national reputation as a leader in environmental sustainability. One small example of our effort can be found in the boardwalk restroom facilities, opened during the summer season, that feature waterless urinals, high-efficiency faucets, high-speed driers, and are cleaned with least toxic cleansers. In addition, the beachfront showers are fitted with low-flow showerheads to conserve water.

You are at our infamous Mast of the Malta, stop #42 on the Belmar Treasure Trail. Yes, it may look like a huge pole in front of 7-11, and for many years its origin was a mystery. But this tall white landmark is actually a part of Belmar’s maritime history. As you will learn on the interpretive sign at its bottom, the pole is the foremast from the Malta, a ship that was wrecked off 8th Avenue beach in 1885. Look closely and you will see the guide rail that was used to guide the sail up the mast. At the bottom are the gudgeons, the metal fittings where the ship’s boom was attached. Walk across the street and find our stop #43 with another sign on the boardwalk that has information about the remains of the shipwreck, which is about 100 yards offshore. The sternpost of the sunken ship can be seen at low tide.