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===Civil union controversy===
===Civil union controversy===
In 2007, two lesbian couples asked to have their civil union ceremonies at the OGCMA's Boardwalk Pavilion. According to the ''[[New York Times]]'', "the couples’ requests were rejected, and they complained to the state’s Division on Civil Rights, which began a discrimination investigation."<ref>{{cite news|last=Capuzzo|first=Jill|title=Civil Union Dispute Pits Methodist Retreat Against Gays Who Aided in Its Rebirth|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/03/nyregion/03ocean.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=9-3-2007}}</ref> In 2008, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights found that there was probable cause to credit the same-sex couples' complaints.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fleming|first=James|title=Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues|year=2013|publisher=Harvard University Press|page=323|coauthors=McLain, Linda|accessdate=30 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Spoto|first=MaryAnn|title=State sides with lesbian couple in fight against Ocean Grove association|url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/judge_rules_monmouth_church_gr.html|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|date=12-30-2008}}</ref>
A [[same-sex couple]] filed a civil rights complaint with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights against the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association in early 2007, claiming the Association discriminated against them by denying their request to hold a [[civil union]] ceremony in the Boardwalk Pavilion, which the Association owns and uses for Sunday services, concerts, and weddings. The complaint was the first in New Jersey since same-sex civil unions were recognized there in 2007, according to a Division of Civil Rights spokesman. The complaint alleged that as president of OGCMA, [[Scott Rasmussen]] informed the couple "that while the association allows its facilities to be used for both religious and secular activities, it would not permit them to be used for civil union ceremonies."<ref name=Schwebber>{{cite news|last=Schwebber|first=Nate|title=The Week in New Jersey|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/24weeknj.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0|accessdate=19 December 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=6-24-2007}}</ref>


In August 2007, the Camp Meeting Association filed a federal suit to halt the state's investigation, on the grounds that the Methodist group's [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] rights were being infringed. New Jersey moved for dismissal, asking the federal government not to interfere in a state legal matter. On November 8, 2007, Judge Joel Pisano dismissed the motion by the Camp Meeting Association for an injunction that would have stopped the state's investigation.<ref>[http://www.nownj.org/njNews/2007/1108%20U.S.%20Court%20Won't%20Hear%20Suit%20by%20Church%20That%20Barred%20Same-Sex%20Ceremonies.htm U.S. Court Won't Hear Suit by Church That Barred Same-Sex Ceremonies]</ref>
In an attempt to halt the state's investigation, the OGCMA filed a federal suit.<ref>{{cite news|last=Capuzzo|first=Jill|title=Church Group Complains of Civil Union Pressure|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/nyregion/14civil.html|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=8-14-2007}}</ref> In the suit, the OGCMA wrote that it would be "thrust into government compelled expressive association with those who promote same-sex 'civil unions'" if it is forced to allow them at its facilities, and "Such forced association would severely compromise the Association's desire to communicate to the general public a message consistent with its religious views on marriage and family." The OGCMA's motion was dismissed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gallagher|first=Mary Pat|title=U.S. Court Won't Hear Suit by Church That Barred Same-Sex Ceremonies|url=http://www.nownj.org/njNews/2007/1108%20U.S.%20Court%20Won%27t%20Hear%20Suit%20by%20Church%20That%20Barred%20Same-Sex%20Ceremonies.htm|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=National Organization for Women of New Jersey|date=11-8-2007}}</ref>


Complicating the dispute over civil unions was the fact that Ocean Grove's boardwalk and beachfront were held in a 1908 ruling to be exempt from property tax because they "had been dedicated years ago by the association as a public highway."<ref>{{cite news|last=Sagara|first=Eric|title=Ocean Grove boardwalk appeal for FEMA aid denied|url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/ocean_grove_boardwalk_appeal_f.html|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=The Star-Ledger|date=6-1-2013}}</ref> The Boardwalk Pavilion lost its tax-exempt status in 2007 because the state ruled that it no longer met the requirements as a place open to all members of the public.<ref>{{cite news|last=Capuzzo|first=Jill|title=Group Loses Tax Break Over Gay Union Issue|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/nyregion/18grove.html?_r=0|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=9-18-2007}}</ref>
Scott Hoffman, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Camp Meeting Association at the time, said that the association considered the Pavilion to be as much of a religious structure as the Tabernacle or the Youth Temple and that it would not permit same-sex civil union ceremonies to be conducted there, arguing that this was the position of the [[United Methodist Church]].<ref>Bowman, Bill. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=1192659B91F98830&p_docnum=4&p_queryname=NaN&p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=M61Y49ABMTE4NTg0NzQ0OS4yODY4NjU6MTo3OnJhLTE4ODg "Methodist group contends pavilion is part of church"], ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', May 12, 2007. Accessed July 31, 2007.</ref>


On January 12, 2012, Administrative Law Judge Solomon Metzger ruled that the Camp Meeting had violated the state’s law against discrimination.<ref>{{cite news|last=LaPlaca|first=Charlie|title=Judge: Ocean Grove Church Violated Law by Preventing Civil Union|url=http://manasquan.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/judge-ocean-grove-church-violated-law-by-preventing-civil-union|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=Manasquan-Belmar Patch|date=1-13-2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Judge Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Couple in Discrimination Case|url=http://www.aclu-nj.org/news/2012/01/13/judge-rules-in-favor-of-same-sex-couple-in-discrimination-case/|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=American Civil Liberties Union|date=1-13-2012}}</ref> The OGCMA discontinued use of the pavilion for weddings after the controversy started.<ref>{{cite news|last=Spahr|first=Rob|title=Lesbian couple discriminated against by Ocean Grove association, state says|url=http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2012/10/lesbian_couple_discriminated_against_by_ocean_grove_association_state_says.html|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=NJ.com|date=10-24-2012}}</ref>
Brian Raum, counsel for the [[Alliance Defense Fund]], a [[Christian right|Christian conservative]] legal organization representing the Camp Meeting Association, argued that "disaster relief is available to anyone" in defending the use of public funds to repair the Great Auditorium when it was damaged in an hurricane. He said that the Methodist association had never represented itself as anything but a religious organization.<ref name=Rebirth/>


In 2013, members of Ocean Grove United, a gay-rights group, and the OGCMA united to co-sponsor an event aimed at raising funds to rebuild Ocean Grove's hurricane-damaged boardwalk.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walton|first=Mary|title=Methodists and gay residents reconcile at Ocean Grove fund-raiser|url=http://www.articles.philly.com/2013-07-23/news/40729787_1_camp-meeting-pavilion-town|accessdate=30 December 2013|newspaper=Philadelphia Inquirer|date=7-23-2013}}</ref>
The boardwalk and beachfront were held in a 1908 ruling to be exempt from property tax because they "had been dedicated years ago by the association as a public highway".<ref>''[[The New York Times]]'', June 5, 1908:
:"Ocean Grove, June 4. – By a decision of the Monmouth County Board of Taxation handed down today Ocean Grove's $3,000,000 beach front, the property of the Camp Meeting Association, is to escape taxation. It was shown to the board by the association's legal representative, Samuel A. Patterson, that the valuable strip of land, with its boardwalk, had been dedicated years ago by the association as a public highway, and not therefore subject to taxation."</ref>

Local advocacy group Ocean Grove United<ref>[http://www.oceangroveunited.org/index.php Ocean Grove United Website]</ref> contended that the issue involved public, not religious, property.<ref>Bill Bowman, "Civil union denial spurs bias claim in Ocean Grove", ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', June 21, 2007.</ref> They stated that the beach and Boardwalk Pavilion were open to the public and that the Camp Meeting Association had accepted public funds for their maintenance and repairs. They also cited the Association's application to the State of New Jersey for monies under the state's Green Acres Program, which encourages the use of private property for public recreation and provides a $500,000 annual property tax exemption. In their application for these funds, the Camp Meeting Association reportedly stated that the disputed areas were open to the public. [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] [[Frank Pallone, Jr.]], in whose Congressional district Ocean Grove is located, stated "they've taken state, federal and local funds by representing that they are open to the public."

In December 2008, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights found that there was probable cause to credit the same-sex couple's complaint.<ref>[http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases08/pr20081229a-Bernstein-v-OGCMA.pdf Bernstein v. Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Ass‟n, DCR Docket No. PN34XB-03008 (Division of Civil Rights, Dec. 29, 2008).]</ref> In 2009, the Association's federal lawsuit was remanded to the District Court by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.<ref>[http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/philadelphia_ap_a_federal.html Effort to bar civil unions in Ocean Grove is rebuffed by appeals court]</ref>

On January 12, 2012, Administrative Law Judge Solomon Metzger issued his decision that the Camp Meeting had violated the state’s law against discrimination.<ref>{{cite web|title=OGCMA-Bernstein Ruling|url=http://www.adfmedia.org/files/OGCMA-BernsteinRuling.pdf?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1|publisher=State of New Jersey, Office of Administrative Law|date=January 12, 2012}}</ref>

The association discontinued use of the pavilion for weddings after the controversy started.<ref>Rob Spahr (24 October 2012) [http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2012/10/lesbian_couple_discriminated_against_by_ocean_grove_association_state_says.html Lesbian couple discriminated against by Ocean Grove association, state says] nj.com. Retrieved 28 December 2013</ref>


==Notable people==
==Notable people==

Revision as of 03:33, 30 December 2013

Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Census-designated place
The Ocean Grove Great Auditorium (2007)
The Ocean Grove Great Auditorium (2007)
Location of Ocean Grove in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Inset: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey.
Location of Ocean Grove in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Inset: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey.
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountyMonmouth
TownshipNeptune
Area
[1]
 • Total0.428 sq mi (1.109 km2)
 • Land0.372 sq mi (0.964 km2)
 • Water0.056 sq mi (0.145 km2)  13.05%
Elevation
[2]
16 ft (5 m)
Population
 (2010 Census)[3]
 • Total3,342
 • Density8,979.9/sq mi (3,467.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP code
07756[4][5]
Area code(s)732[6]
FIPS code3454480[1]Template:GR
GNIS feature ID02389609[1]Template:GR

Ocean Grove is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.[7][8] It had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 United States Census.[3] It is located on the Atlantic Ocean's Jersey Shore, between Asbury Park to the north and Bradley Beach to the south. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Ocean Grove is noted for its abundant examples of Victorian architecture.

Ocean Grove was founded in 1869 as an outgrowth of the camp meeting movement in the United States, when a group of Methodist clergymen, led by William B. Osborn and Ellwood H. Stokes, formed the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to develop and operate a summer camp meeting site on the New Jersey seashore.[9] By the early 20th century, the popular Christian meeting ground became known as the "Queen of Religious Resorts."[10] The community's land is still owned by the camp meeting association and leased to individual homeowners and businesses. Ocean Grove remains the longest-active camp meeting site in the United States.[11]

Geography

Ocean Grove is located at 40°12′43″N 74°00′25″W / 40.21182°N 74.006944°W / 40.21182; -74.006944 (40.21182, -74.006944). According to the United States Census Bureau, Ocean Grove had a total area of 0.428 square miles (1.109 km2), of which, 0.372 square miles (0.964 km2) of it is land and 0.056 square miles (0.145 km2) of it (13.05%) is water.Template:GR[1]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19904,818—
20004,256−11.7%
20103,342−21.5%
Population sources:
1990–2010[7] 2000[12] 2010[3]

Census 2010

Template:USCensusDemographics

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States CensusTemplate:GR there were 4,256 people, 2,331 households, and 785 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,564.6/km2 (11,956.5/mi2). There were 3,156 housing units at an average density of 3,384.8/km2 (8,866.3/mi2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.1% White, 4.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.0% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population.[12]

There were 2,331 households out of which 10.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.6% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 66.3% were non-families. 56.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.67 and the average family size was 2.59.[12]

In the CDP the population was spread out with 9.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.[12]

The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,935, and the median income for a family was $58,583. Males had a median income of $38,389 versus $31,886 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,232. About 5.1% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.[12]

Because Ocean Grove is a summer resort community and many residences are thus unoccupied during the winter months, these statistics may not be representative of the population at all times of the year.

Governance

Ocean Grove's beach

The desire to develop a Christian seaside community for summer worship and relaxation led William B. Osborn (1832–1902), a leader of the camp meeting movement in mid-19th century America, to select the site of present-day Ocean Grove for its wooded, mosquito-free location.[9] Ellwood H. Stokes (October 10, 1815 – July 16, 1895), a Methodist minister from Philadelphia, and others joined together to purchase a square mile of land fronting on the Atlantic Ocean. A state charter was issued to the newly formed Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association on March 3, 1870, granting the 26 trustees (13 ministers and 13 lay persons) the authority to purchase and hold the one square mile of real estate comprising Ocean Grove, and to construct and maintain all necessary works to supply the town with utilities and other municipal services, including law enforcement.[9]

Later, efforts to establish a separate borough of Ocean Grove were attempted many times. Ocean Grove was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 5, 1920, from portions of Neptune Township, but the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals ruled the municipality unconstitutional on May 12, 1921, and the borough was dissolved as of June 16, 1921.[13]

Although Ocean Grove reverted to being a part of Neptune Township with the court's decision of 1921, the Camp Meeting Association continued to exercise local ordinance enforcement powers until 1981, when a newspaper deliverer successfully sued to end the resort's blue law banning Sunday vehicular traffic and requiring it to disband its police force and "municipal" court.[14] The Camp Meeting still owns all the land in town and leases it to homeowners and businesses for 99-year renewable terms.[9] The Camp Meeting Association currently keeps its beach closed on Sunday mornings between 8:30 am and 12:30 pm, and Ocean Grove is still "dry", that is, the sale of all alcoholic beverages is prohibited.[15]

Transportation

Frequent rail passenger service to New York City is provided by New Jersey Transit on the North Jersey Coast Line from the nearby Asbury Park station. New Jersey Transit offers service between Ocean Grove and Philadelphia on the 317 route and local bus service on the 830 route.[16] Additionally, Academy Bus has regular service to area shore towns and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.[17]

The nearest airport having scheduled commercial airline service is Newark Liberty International Airport, 45 miles (72 km) north, while Monmouth Executive Airport for general aviation airplanes is just 6 miles (10 km) away.[18]

Interstate 195 provides highway access to Ocean Grove from the New Jersey Turnpike, Philadelphia, and points west. The nearby Garden State Parkway connects Ocean Grove with points north and south, such as New York City and Atlantic City.

History

On July 31, 1869, Reverend Osborn, Reverend Stokes, and other Methodist ministers camped at a shaded, well-drained spot on New Jersey's seashore and decided to establish a permanent Christian camp meeting community called "Ocean Grove."[19]

Drawing from the major population centers of New York City and Philadelphia, Ocean Grove became a popular destination during the growth of the camp meeting movement in post-Civil War America. Tents and an open-air wooden shelter, or tabernacle, were erected in the 1870s, for the trainloads of visitors arriving by the New York and Long Branch Railroad after 1875. In 1877 alone, 710,000 railroad tickets were sold for the Ocean Grove-Asbury Park train station.[9]

The first tabernacle in 1876
– Harper's Monthly
Postcard of Ocean Grove Railroad Station, dated 1908
The "North End Hotel" had 255 rooms and a saltwater pool

A well was dug in the summer of 1870, near the site of the first tabernacle, to provide fresh water (the "Beersheba" well, named from a well in Israel mentioned in scripture, is still in existence).[9] A second, larger tabernacle was built in the 1880s, and permanent structures began to be constructed. Streets were paved and some were given Biblical names, such as "Pilgrim Pathway" and "Mt. Tabor Way".

As Ocean Grove drew more and more visitors, the second tabernacle was also outgrown, and construction of the present Great Auditorium was completed in 1894. Originally designed to accommodate crowds of as many as 10,000 people, the subsequent installation of theater-style cushioned seating in many sections reduced seating capacity to 6,250.[20] It remains Ocean Grove's most prominent structure and the centerpiece of its summer programs (see more about the Auditorium further down the page). By the early 20th century, said the The New York Times in 1986, it was called the "Queen of Religious Resorts ... Visitors would travel miles to bask in the Victorian seaside splendor and to attend engaging, extroverted religious ceremonies. Millions of people, tourists and pilgrims both, made the trip to Ocean Grove every summer."[10]

Until Ocean Grove's municipal authority was folded into Neptune Township in 1981, it boasted a set of unique laws, including one that made it illegal on Sundays to have cars on the streets of Ocean Grove. This had a significant effect on the development of a close-knit community. People looking to get away for the weekend typically avoided the Grove (the beach was closed on Sunday, too). That meant the visitors were likely to be coming for a week-long visit or more. Most came to attend programs sponsored by the Camp Meeting.

President Ulysses S. Grant visited Ocean Grove during his time in office and made his last public appearance in this town. Other presidents to speak on the grounds include James Garfield, William McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Richard Nixon. Heavyweight boxing champions James J. Corbett and Max Baer and department store magnate F.W. Woolworth were among the celebrities of the day who vacationed in Ocean Grove.[9]

In 1975, Ocean Grove was designated a State and National Historic District as a 19th-century planned urban community. It has the greatest extent of Victorian and early-20th century architecture in the United States.[9]

During the 1960s–1980s, the town declined along with much of the New Jersey seashore, and was pejoratively called "Ocean Grave" due to the general air of decrepitude and the elderly population.[21] But beginning in the 1990s, and through 2006, Ocean Grove experienced a dramatic increase in property values and a considerable revival in fortune, particularly with the restoration of older hotel structures, many of which had deteriorated into single room occupancy ("SRO") quarters. Also – as part of this resurgence – a number of sidewalk cafés and shops along Main Avenue (the main business thoroughfare) now cater to visitors and seasonal residents.

However, as David Willis of the Asbury Park Press reported in a February 15, 2008, article, “For the year, the median (home) sales price fell 1.5 percent in 2007...”. The article also quoted economist James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, who stated, "The market was virtually flat...It suggests that the market is far from rebounding, and it may signal that there is weakness ahead."[22]

Plans were announced in 2006 for a major new hotel and condominium development on property which has been vacant since the 1970s, when the old North End Hotel – once Ocean Grove's largest – was damaged by fire and subsequently demolished in 1980.[23] These plans have become controversial though, and in January 2008 the Planning Board of Neptune stated the North End Redevelopment Proposal was "inconsistent with the town's Master Plan".[24]

The Great Auditorium

Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association District
A statue of Ellwood H. Stokes and the Great Auditorium facing Ocean Pathway – once named one of the ten most beautiful streets in America
LocationOcean Grove, New Jersey
AreaBounded by Fletcher Lake, NJ Route 71, Lake Wesley, and the Atlantic Ocean
NRHP reference No.76001170[25]
Added to NRHPApril 12, 1976

The Great Auditorium was constructed in 1894 and is mostly unchanged. The wooden building rests on bridge-like iron trusses laid on stone foundations. Aside from the trusses. It features numerous "barn door" entrances with colored glass, dormers, and panels that open for ventilation. Originally the Auditorium could accommodate an audience of almost 10,000, before many sections of smaller, wooden seats were replaced in later years with cushioned, theater-style seating having armrests; at present it can seat 6,250 persons.[20]

The Auditorium's acoustics, resulting from its barrel-vaulted wooden ceiling, have been widely acclaimed; famed conductor Leonard Bernstein once compared it to Carnegie Hall.[20] In the days before electronic amplification, this allowed a preacher to be heard throughout the vast space. The building still features lighting systems quite advanced for their time, such as the parallel rows of incandescent bulbs that adorn the varnished wood ceiling paneling. Also novel is a large American flag (c. 1916) covered with light bulbs that flash in an undulating manner. Illuminated signs, possibly some of the oldest surviving of that type, flanking the organ's pipework, proclaim "Holiness to the Lord" and "So be ye holy," a reflection of the emphasis at camp meetings. along with the illuminated Memorial Cross, placed on the Auditorium's front facade at the end of World War II.[26]

The hall is surrounded by 114 tents, which are occupied from May to September, as has been the case since 1869. Each tent is connected to a shed containing a kitchen and bathroom; the sheds are also used to store the tents during the winter. They are in such demand that there is a waiting list of some ten years for summer rentals.[9]

Organ

The organ console in 2012

The Auditorium's pipe organ is one of the 20 largest in the world.[27] Installed in 1908 by the organ builder Robert Hope-Jones, its components have been rebuilt and expanded several times, especially since resident organist Gordon Turk and curator John Shaw took their posts in 1974. Additions continue to be made, including a 14-rank echo division in 2008, in an effort to broaden the resources necessary to play repertoire of many styles and periods, and to restore those stops unique to the instrument as Hope-Jones conceived it.[28] As of July, 2012, the organ has five manuals, 189 ranks, and 11,558 total pipes.[29]

Prominent organists to have played the Ocean Grove Auditorium organ include Edwin H. Lemare, Pietro Yon, and Frederick Swann.[28] Celebrated organist Virgil Fox gave his last solo concert in the building in 1980. Turk and guest concert organists play free recitals on most Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons in July and August.[26]

A popular organ piece, often played in the early years of the organ, was "The Storm", which featured the stops of the organ for thunder, lightning, rain, and birds singing. An article in the New York Times from 1909 reports on the annoyance of some at the frequent repetition of the performances of the piece.[30]

Performances and other events

The Great Auditorium has over the years featured famed hymn writer Fanny Crosby, band leader John Philip Sousa, and tenor Enrico Caruso. More recently, singers Tony Bennett, Mel Tormé, and Ray Charles have performed.[9]

The Auditorium continues to be the focus of cultural life in Ocean Grove. Among the concerts filling the summer schedule are[31] the acclaimed Summer Stars chamber music programs, which bring some of the finest classical musicians from Philadelphia and New York each Thursday night in July and early August.[26] Saturday nights feature popular entertainment, including appearances by Johnny Mathis, Ronan Tynan, Linda Eder, the Beach Boys, comedian Bill Cosby, and Christian rock stars such as Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Nichole Nordeman, Hillsong United and Sonic Flood.

Tents around the Great Auditorium

Since 1980, the Auditorium has hosted an annual memorial service for New Jersey law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The service includes a full Honor Guard, bagpipe procession, and singing by state high school choirs (Princeton High School and the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South choirs have performed in the past). Police, soldiers, National Guardsmen, executive-level officials, and the governor typically attend.

The Auditorium is also used during the month of June for high school graduation ceremonies.


Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association

The OGCMA was founded in 1869. Its mission is to "provide opportunities for spiritual birth, growth, and renewal in a Christian seaside setting."[32]

The OGCMA's president is Dr. Dale C. Whilden. He succeeded political analyst Scott Rasmussen, who was president from 2006–2011.[11] The OGCMA's slogan is "God's Square Mile at the Jersey Shore."[33]

Programs

Ticket to Rossini's Stabat Mater, performed in 1903

The Camp Meeting offers traditional and contemporary worship programs throughout the summer, for people of all ages. Sunday worship services are held at 10:30am and 7:30pm in the Great Auditorium. These services have featured such celebrated preachers as Billy Graham, Norman Vincent Peale, Robert H. Schuller, Billy Sunday, Ralph W. Sockman, David H. C. Read, Tony Campolo, James A. Forbes, D. James Kennedy, Charles Stanley, William Jennings Bryan, Booker T. Washington, and Rodney "Gipsy" Smith.[9] The music is led by a sizable volunteer choir, along with professional soloists Monica Ziglar (soprano), mezzo-soprano Martha Bartz, bass Jeremy Galyon, and tenor/artist-in-residence Ronald Naldi.[34] Gordon Turk accompanies at the world-renowned Hope-Jones organ (see section entitled "Great Auditorium"). Jason C. Tramm is conductor/musical director, and Lewis A. Daniels, Sr. (1927–2012), was previously director of music for 39 years, from 1966 to 2004.[35] Since 1955, the annual Choir Festival held in July has gathered thousands of church choir singers, predominantly from the northeastern U.S., to sing "to the glory of God".[10] In 1986, New York television station WNET featured the Choir Festival on its Summerfare program.[10] The Choir Festival is also a regular feature on the Sacred Classics radio broadcast.[34]

The Grove also offers a contemporary worship service, "Pavilion Praise", in the beach's Boardwalk Pavilion each Sunday morning at 9 am. The Bible Hour (scripture study, often led by the preacher at the previous Sunday's Auditorium worship service) is held each weekday morning at 9 am in the Bishop-Janes Tabernacle adjacent to the Auditorium.[26]

Youth programs include music and dramatics at the Youth Temple, along with the weekday "Breakfast Club" for teens and "Riptide" for younger children.

"Bridgefest", an annual two-day event, brings contemporary Christian music to young people and their families, promoted by New York–area radio station "Bridge FM" (WRDR-FM).[36]

Civil union controversy

In 2007, two lesbian couples asked to have their civil union ceremonies at the OGCMA's Boardwalk Pavilion. According to the New York Times, "the couples’ requests were rejected, and they complained to the state’s Division on Civil Rights, which began a discrimination investigation."[37] In 2008, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights found that there was probable cause to credit the same-sex couples' complaints.[38][39]

In an attempt to halt the state's investigation, the OGCMA filed a federal suit.[40] In the suit, the OGCMA wrote that it would be "thrust into government compelled expressive association with those who promote same-sex 'civil unions'" if it is forced to allow them at its facilities, and "Such forced association would severely compromise the Association's desire to communicate to the general public a message consistent with its religious views on marriage and family." The OGCMA's motion was dismissed.[41]

Complicating the dispute over civil unions was the fact that Ocean Grove's boardwalk and beachfront were held in a 1908 ruling to be exempt from property tax because they "had been dedicated years ago by the association as a public highway."[42] The Boardwalk Pavilion lost its tax-exempt status in 2007 because the state ruled that it no longer met the requirements as a place open to all members of the public.[43]

On January 12, 2012, Administrative Law Judge Solomon Metzger ruled that the Camp Meeting had violated the state’s law against discrimination.[44][45] The OGCMA discontinued use of the pavilion for weddings after the controversy started.[46]

In 2013, members of Ocean Grove United, a gay-rights group, and the OGCMA united to co-sponsor an event aimed at raising funds to rebuild Ocean Grove's hurricane-damaged boardwalk.[47]

Notable people

Notable current and former residents of Ocean Grove include:

References

  1. ^ a b c d Gazetteer of New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 13, 2013.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ocean Grove Census Designated Place, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed August 8, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Ocean Grove CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 8, 2012.
  4. ^ Look Up a ZIP Code for Ocean Grove, NJ, United States Postal Service. Accessed August 8, 2012.
  5. ^ Zip Codes, State of New Jersey. Accessed September 17, 2013.
  6. ^ Area Code Lookup - NPA NXX for Ocean Grove, NJ, Area-Codes.com. Accessed September 17, 2013.
  7. ^ a b New Jersey: 2010 – Population and Housing Unit Counts – 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, August 2012. Accessed December 16, 2012.
  8. ^ GCT-PH1 – Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County – County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 16, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wayne T. Bell (2000). Images of America: Ocean Grove. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-0425-4.
  10. ^ a b c d Page, Tim (July 30, 1986). "Summerfare Offers Choir Festival". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  11. ^ a b Home page, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. Accessed November 6, 2007.
  12. ^ a b c d e DP-1 – Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 from the Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Ocean Grove CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 8, 2012.
  13. ^ Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 114. Accessed August 8, 2012.
  14. ^ Sullivan, Joseph F. "Ocean Grove tries to retain ideals, but not some civic burdens", The New York Times, August 22, 1982. Accessed August 8, 2012. "In 1979, however, the New Jersey Supreme Court found its charter unconstitutional because it decreed 'that in Ocean Grove the church shall be the state and the state shall be the church.' Since then, Ocean Grove has had to disband its police department and municipal court and to rely more on its parent community, Neptune Township. It has also had to drop a series of Sunday blue laws designed to enforce observance of the Sabbath and take down the chains that blocked automobiles from its entrances on that day."
  15. ^ Gordon, Bill. "SOAPBOX; Can't We All Get Along? Evidently So.", The New York Times, May 30, 2004. Accessed August 8, 2012. "Ocean Grove is a dry town: No alcohol can be bought or sold. Although that can sometimes mean more drinking (people seem to bring their own bottles just about everywhere), the lack of readily available liquor and the lack of a commercial boardwalk tend to keep things quiet and relatively safe."
  16. ^ Monmouth County Bus / Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 26, 2010. Accessed August 8, 2012.
  17. ^ "Academy Bus – Commuter Bus from New Jersey to New York City". Academy Bus LLC. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  18. ^ Monmouth Executive Airport website
  19. ^ "The Story of Ocean Grove". Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. Archived from the original on 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  20. ^ a b c Amico, Ross (July 26, 2013). "Organist Gordon Turk to headline concert at Ocean Grove's Great Auditorium". NJ.com. Trenton Times. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  21. ^ Capuzzo, Jill P. "Civil Union Dispute Pits Methodist Retreat Against Gays Who Aided in Its Rebirth", The New York Times, September 3, 2007. Accessed May 27, 2013. "But Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a family and church rights legal organization that is representing the Camp Meeting Association in its federal lawsuit, said the group had never represented itself as anything but a religious organization, and challenged the idea that receiving government aid meant relinquishing one’s rights.... But since the end of the blue laws, the town once derided as Ocean Grave has seen a commercial rebirth, driven largely by gay-owned businesses."
  22. ^ Asbury Park Press, February 15, 2007.
  23. ^ Michelle Sahn, "New life at old hotel site", Asbury Park Press, March 23, 2006.
  24. ^ Steven Froias (2008-01-27). "Split Decision or technical knockout from the Planning Board?". Ocean Grove Record. Retrieved 2008-02-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ National Register of Historic Places
  26. ^ a b c d Ocean Grove Summer Calendar of Events 2007. Ocean Grove, NJ: Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, 2007.
  27. ^ "The Top 20 – The World's Largest Pipe Organs". Sacred Classics. 2012-09-28.
  28. ^ a b Shaw, John R. (2008). The Great Auditorium Organ. Ocean Grove, NJ: Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. pp. 15, 17.
  29. ^ Walton, Mary (June 28, 2012). "With New Pipes, a Great Organ Gets Even Better". Blogfinger.net. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  30. ^ "Organ Redcital Too Noisy: Ocean Grove Cottages Say 'The Storm' Disturbs Their Naps", The New York Times, July 16, 1909. Accessed September 17, 2013. ""OCEAN GROVE, July 15. – Ocean Grove's new pipe organ, the largest in the world, is causing trouble for its owners, the Camp Meeting Association. : An organ recital is one of the daily events of the Summer's musical programme and its feature is the daily playing by Will C. Macfarlane of "The Storm," a composition that shows of the organ to its best advantage. : But the cottagers and the hotel guests in the vicinity of the Auditorium have become surfeited with the organ's noise. They complain that it disturbs their afternoon naps and annoys them at tea-time. : They will appeal to the association and suggest that for "The Storm" be substituted something more soothing."
  31. ^ An Historic Theme Study of the New Jersey Heritage Trail Route: Religious Resorts, National Park Service. Accessed November 6, 2007. "Known for its fine acoustics, the auditorium has attracted the noted and the celebrated during its century of use, and remains the focus of cultural life in Ocean Grove."
  32. ^ "About Us". Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  33. ^ 2009 Summer Events, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, p. 1.
  34. ^ a b 2013 Summer Events, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, pages 16–17.
  35. ^ "Lewis A. Daniels, Sr. (obituary)". Asbury Park Press. September 6, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  36. ^ Bridgefest Beach Festival website
  37. ^ Capuzzo, Jill (9-3-2007). "Civil Union Dispute Pits Methodist Retreat Against Gays Who Aided in Its Rebirth". New York Times. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  38. ^ Fleming, James (2013). Ordered Liberty: Rights, Responsibilities, and Virtues. Harvard University Press. p. 323. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ Spoto, MaryAnn (12-30-2008). "State sides with lesbian couple in fight against Ocean Grove association". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ Capuzzo, Jill (8-14-2007). "Church Group Complains of Civil Union Pressure". New York Times. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ Gallagher, Mary Pat (11-8-2007). "U.S. Court Won't Hear Suit by Church That Barred Same-Sex Ceremonies". National Organization for Women of New Jersey. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ Sagara, Eric (6-1-2013). "Ocean Grove boardwalk appeal for FEMA aid denied". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ Capuzzo, Jill (9-18-2007). "Group Loses Tax Break Over Gay Union Issue". New York Times. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ LaPlaca, Charlie (1-13-2012). "Judge: Ocean Grove Church Violated Law by Preventing Civil Union". Manasquan-Belmar Patch. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "Judge Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Couple in Discrimination Case". American Civil Liberties Union. 1-13-2012. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ Spahr, Rob (10-24-2012). "Lesbian couple discriminated against by Ocean Grove association, state says". NJ.com. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ Walton, Mary (7-23-2013). "Methodists and gay residents reconcile at Ocean Grove fund-raiser". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 30 December 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  48. ^ Staff. "New Jersey paddleboarder Michelle Davidson salutes Diana Nyad's Cuba to U.S. swim", News 12 New Jersey, September 5, 2013. Accessed November 10, 2013. "OCEAN GROVE – A New Jersey woman has a special appreciation for Diana Nyad's recent accomplishment.Michelle Davidson, 43, paddled from Cuba to Florida as part of a relay team back in 2004.... The Neptune resident teaches business classes at Holmdel High School now, and says she plans on talking to her students about Nyad's triumph."
  49. ^ Staff. "Rev. Thomas Chisholm, 93, Dies; Wrote 1,200 Protestant Hymns", The New York Times, March 2, 1960. Accessed August 8, 2012. "OCEAN GROVE, N.J., March 1 – The Rev. Thomas O. Chisholm, author of 1,200 Protestant hymns and devotional verse, died tonight at the Methodist Home here.... In 1916, Mr. Chisholm moved to Vineland, where he went into the insurance business."
  50. ^ Minor, E. Kyle. "Music; A Bar Band Once Again Takes to The Road", The New York Times, June 18, 2000. Accessed December 16, 2012. "That association was made in Mr. Lyon's youth, growing up Ocean Grove, N.J., half a mile from Asbury Park."
  51. ^ Thomas, Robert McG., Jr. "Haydn Proctor, 93, a Judge And New Jersey State Senator", The New York Times, October 5, 1996. Accessed February 10, 2011. "Haydn Proctor, a longtime New Jersey official who operated at the highest levels of all three branches of state government, died on Wednesday at a hospital near his home in Lakewood, N.J."
  52. ^ Harris, John F. "In Such a Tight Race, Pollster Sees a ProfitN.J.-Based Business Uses 'Robo Calling'", The Washington Post, October 31, 2004. Accessed August 8, 2012. "That would be Scott Rasmussen, who is following this anxious election with contentment from his home town of Ocean Grove, N.J., confident that he is divining the mysteries of democracy with the help of a computerized phone bank in Texas and several pleasant-voiced women in the Midwest."
  53. ^ Litsky, Frank. "Dr. George Sheehan, Running Figure, Dies at 74", The New York Times, November 2, 1993. Accessed December 6, 2012. "Dr. George Sheehan, a cardiologist who became the philosopher of the recreational running movement in the 1970's and 1980's, died yesterday at his home in Ocean Grove, N.J."
  54. ^ Junior, Chris M. "BOSS CAPS GUITAR FEST OPENER", Asbury Park Press, January 20, 2006. Accessed August 8, 2012. "The brainchild of festival co-founder and artistic director David Spelman of Ocean Grove (below, second from left), The Nebraska Project, held at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden, featured various artists performing the songs from Springsteen's 1982 solo album, plus other Springsteen tunes that were written around the same time period."

External links

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