Tour the Village of Toms River
This walking tour is in the village or downtown area of Toms River.
It is approximately seven blocks in length and can take less than a
half - hour if no stops are made. If you visit the museums, browse
through the library and stop at the County Administration Building to
pick up literature, it can take two hours or more.
DOVER TOWNSHIP
(1). Start at the Dover Township
Municipal Building at 33 Washington St.
Usually there are publications at the reception desk of general interest.
Be sure to pick-up a copy of the Historical Toms River Waterfront Walking
Tour, a self-guided walk pointing out historic, privately owned homes
along the Toms River Waterfront District on East Water Street. It starts
in the area where this tour ends.
Town Hall is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (732) 341-1000
BISHOP MEMORIAL LIBRARY
(2). Next door at 39 Washington St. is Bishop Memorial Library at the
Ocean County Library headquarters. It houses a wealth of information
about Ocean County and Dover Township as well as genealogical materials.
It is a most pleasant way to spend an afternoon relaxing and learning
about the history of the area. On another day be sure to return to visit
the Headquarters of the award winning library next door.
The Bishop Memorial Library is open Mondays through Saturdays from 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m. On Mondays & Wednesdays, it also is open evenings until 9 p.m.
(732) 349-6200
HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME
(3). Cross the street north to 54 Washington Street where the Toms River
High School Hall of Fame is located within the administrative offices.
The hallway is lined with photographs, biographical information and other
memorabilia about leading alumnus of Toms River High School. As one
person fondly said, "There's a lot of history on those walls."
It is usually open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. (732) 505-5545
1850 COURTHOUSE
(4). Head east to the most imposing structure in the area, the 1850 Ocean
County Courthouse at 118 Washington St. It is easily identified by its
five majestic columns styled in the "Greek Revival" fashion. Today the
Courthouse houses the offices of the
Ocean County Clerk, the Ocean County
Surrogate and the courts and their associated offices. The
County Clerk's office
frequently has materials of interest in the reception area. Enter
at the door left of the columns as you look at the building. You also
might stop to read the war memorials which are located throughout the
grounds.
The offices are open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
(732) 929-2018
COUNTY ADMISTRATION BUILDING
(5). Continue east and cross Hooper Avenue. Take note of the modern
County Administration Building on your left at 101 Hooper Ave. This is
home to the Ocean County
Board of Chosen Freeholders who govern the
county's affairs. Additional Information is available in the lobby and in
Room 114 from the Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission, Public
Affairs Department, and Tourism Advisory Council.
The lobby is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
(732) 929-2138
OCEAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM
(6). Continue your walk on Washington Street for one block, turn left
onto Hadley Avenue and stop at number 26 -- the Ocean County Historical
Museum. The museum, a former Victorian home, offers the most
comprehensive history of this area, from Indian artifacts to furnishings
and clothing depicting life during the Victorian period. In the new
addition to the building, a special room features the industries of the
past.
The Museum and Research Center are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm
to 3 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm. The Research Center also is
open Wednesdays from 1 pm to 4 pm. (732) 341-1880
OLD METHODIST CEMETERY
(7). Retrace your steps to the Washington Street/Hooper Avenue
intersection. Cross the street and explore the Old Methodist Cemetery on
the southeast corner. Find the tombstones of soldiers who fought in the
Revolutionary War.
TOMS RIVER SEAPORT SOCIETY MARITIME MUSEUM
(8). Head south on Hooper Avenue toward the Toms River. If being near the
water is what drew you to the area, be sure to stop at the Toms River
Seaport Society Maritime Museum at the corner of Hooper Avenue and West
Water Street across from the Toms River. It is a working museum and you
will find a number of boats indigenous to the area under restoration.
Some of the "fleet" have very special histories of their own, such as the
12-foot sneakbox that the late F. Slade Dale sailed from New Jersey to
Florida in the 1920's.
The Museum is open Saturdays and Tuesdays, 10 am to 2 pm.
(732) 349-9209
HUDDY PARK
(9). Cross the street to the river on your left, you will pass
Stoutenburgh Park, named after a 1920's Commodore of the
Toms River Yacht Club. Be sure to enjoy the view along Water Street as you head west to
Huddy Park located just before the Main Street intersection. You will
find a block house built in modern times to serve as a historic memorial
of a Revolutionary skirmish with the British. Read the sign in the park
which details how the hanging of Captain Joshua Huddy caused an
international incident during the war. Walk across the picturesque bridge
which is named after Thomas Luker, an early European settler in the area,
and a person, whom many suspect, is the individual after whom Toms River
is named.
Here is where your tour ends. You have earned a rest in Huddy Park where
you can relax and watch the picturesque boats glide by.
THANK YOU
We hope your walking tour has helped you enjoy the heritage of this
riverside community. Even though Dover Township is the tenth largest
municipality in the state, it is this very special Toms River village
area that makes it feel "small town."
Thank you for taking time to share it with us.
This tour is based in part, on an article written for Dover Township's
Annual Founders' Day in June of 1994 by then Mayor Joseph H. Vicari in
the Ocean County's Observer.
Special thanks to County Historian Pauline S. Miller, who serves as
administrator of the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, for
her assistance.
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