By Julia Train
In Ocean City, a group of individuals, known as the Friends of OCNJ History & Culture, are working on preserving the island’s history and culture.
The organization started in 2020 through a Facebook page created by Richard Barth, called “Ocean City Old Homes.”
It quickly grew as members shared stories, pictures and discussions about Ocean City’s historic buildings.
Bill Merritt, who was part of the group, explained how these online connections eventually led to in-person meetings.
“We just started chatting with each other about stuff. And then, we decided at one point to come out from behind our computers and actually get together in person and start talking about how we could help to celebrate the old homes in Ocean City,” said Merritt, Friends of OCNJ co-founder and president. “At some point we decided we really should form an organization to do just that, and that’s what we did.”
Initially focused solely on old homes, the group began expanding its mission as they realized that the island’s history and culture also needed attention.
The name of the organization started out as “Old Home Lovers,” but the group decided that they needed to be more expansive, because although old homes remain a core priority, their scope goes beyond historic buildings.
Merritt said the group is committed to maintaining the island’s spirit and character, which includes not only historical architecture as well as community values and culture.
In one of their major efforts, Friends of OCNJ also became involved in the ongoing discussion around the fate of the former Wonderland Pier property. When news broke that it was being sold and potentially redeveloped, the group voiced its concerns, advocating for an open and transparent process that involved the community.
Merritt emphasized that while Friends of OCNJ is involved with the Wonderland issue, their focus is much broader, addressing the need for a holistic master planning process for the entire island.
One of the main goals of Friends of OCNJ is to help preserve the historical homes in Ocean City, particularly as they face the risk of demolition for new development projects. Merritt explained that while they don’t directly handle renovations, their goal is to raise awareness and build a network of individuals who are interested in maintaining these homes for future generations.
Friends of OCNJ also aims to foster a supportive community for those who already own or are interested in restoring historical homes.
“Maintaining an old house can be a lot of work. It’s a labor of love,” Merritt said. “If we can start to create awareness of these older homes, when someone is thinking about selling their home we can effectively act almost like a matchmaker surface…so they won’t immediately go with a developer’s offer [and] they’ll chat with us or we can also encourage people to just put them on the market.”
Ultimately, Friends of OCNJ finds its success in raising awareness and fostering a community that values preservation.
Over the past few months, the group has worked on several initiatives that celebrate Ocean City’s history and culture. Those projects include a new database where people can look up old homes, upload photos and learn more about the history behind them and producing a documentary about Plaza Place, a historic neighborhood formerly known as Brighton Estates.
For more information or to get involved, visit friendsocnj.org or Friends of OCNJ History & Culture on Facebook.
