When Was Atlantic City Built

The Claridge Hotel and Brighton Park hold a rich and significant place in American history. The property is centrally situated on arguably the most desirable plot of land in Atlantic City. In the late 1700’s the founder of Atlantic City, Jeremiah Leeds, built his family settlement on this plot of land.

Atlantic City remained basically farmland owned by the Leeds’ family until Dr. Pitney moved his medical practice to the island in the early 1800’s. Renowned for its healing properties, Atlantic City enjoyed an explosion in popularity over the next hundred years. By the early 1900’s two railroads were bringing visitors to the famed city by the sea. The northern track dropped passengers off at Tennessee Avenue and the southern track brought its passengers to Arkansas Avenue. Between these stations the original hotels formed the much-desired strand, which gave Atlantic City is reputation as the “playground of the gilded age”.

He is credited as the architect and first leader of a partisan political machine in Atlantic City, and he held great control over the city from the late 1800s until his imprisonment in 1911. He responded to critics of his power by saying, 'They'll build a monument to me someday; I built this town'. Atlantic City was the first to have a boardwalk; the boardwalk being the solution chosen to reduce the amount of sand tracked into hotel lobbies by the hotel guests. The first boardwalk, built in 1870, was only 8 feet wide and was built in 12 foot sections, so that it could be taken up during the winter months, and stored. The first resort hotel in the area (the Belloe House) was built before the city was even founded. Atlantic City was officially incorporated on May 1, 1854, carving sections of the city from nearby Egg Harbor Township and Galloway. Jonathan Pitney is considered “the father of Atlantic City.”.

The most famous and by far grandest of Atlantic City’s illustrious hotels was the Claridge Hotel. The 24-story hotel opened in 1930, during the great depression. General Electric provided the Fountain of Light that was in the center of Brighton Park, in front of the Claridge, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the invention of the light bulb by Thomas Edison. In the Boardwalk Empire era the Claridge was known as the “Skyscraper By the Sea” because of the Manhattanesque design. At 370 feet tall, the Claridge was the tallest building in New Jersey, earning it the nickname, “Skyscraper by the sea”. It was also the first and only hotel to have running hot and cold, fresh and salt water, as salt water was believed to have health-giving properties.

1. The Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector, also known as the Atlantic City Expressway Connector, is a 2.3-mile-long (3.7 km) freeway connector in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States.It is an extension of the Atlantic City Expressway, connecting it to Route 87, which leads into Brigantine via the Marina district of Atlantic City. The highway contains a tunnel along its route, passing.
2. Surprisingly, the most famous walkway on the East Coast was not built to be anything more than a solution to keeping the sand out of the ritzy beachfront hotels and the Camden and Atlantic’s railroad passenger cars. A fed-up railroad conductor and hotel owner first petitioned to the city council in 1870, asking that a mile-long footwalk be.

The famous Philadelphia builder, John McShain, built the Claridge and spared no expense in doing so. Although based in Philadelphia, McShain had a strong presence in Washington, DC. He would go on to build the Pentagon, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park (NewYork), and the renovation of the White House.

During the early 1940’s Atlantic City turned many of its hotels over to the United States government to aid in the efforts of World War II. In order to serve this country, the Claridge housed The United State’s Air Force.

The military occupation of Atlantic City came to an end towards the close of 1943 and in November of this year, the attention of the Free World was on Atlantic City and the Claridge Hotel. As the most elegant hotel in Atlantic City, the Claridge was chosen to host delegates from 44 nations who were gathering to hold what may have been the most important international conference of the time, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration World Conference. The purpose of this conference was to “shorten the war and save the peace”. At this conference, three of the most important participants against the Axis Powers signed a pact: for Russia the Soviet Ambassador Andrei A. Gromyko, for Great Britain the British Ambassador Lord Halifax, and for the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt were all in agreement.

At the close of this conference during the final plenary meeting of the UNRRA, held on December 1, 1943, the representative from Poland stated, “I am sure of voicing the opinion of all my colleagues in this council meeting when I say that we shall bring away with us from Atlantic City a feeling of warm gratitude and appreciation to His Honor the Mayor, the Commissioners, the so friendly citizens of this bracing ocean resort, and the management and staff of the Hotel Claridge… WHEREAS, the Council is appreciative of the attractive surroundings in which it has met and of the gracious hospitality extended to its members and their staffs.”

Affable service in elegant settings has continued to draw visitors to this Manhattenesque hotel for many years to come. The glamorous Marilyn Monroe stayed at the Claridge during the fifties when she was grand marshal of the annual Miss America Pageant. Other famous guests included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Nucky Johnson.

Did you know that legendary Hall of Fame Baseball great Mickey Mantle worked for the Claridge? The “Mick” joined the Claridge in 1983 as the Director of Sports Promotions where he met with guests, played golf with guests, signed autographs, and brought many famous baseball greats and Hall of Fame players to the Hotel, where they hosted many baseball signings and events on the 6th floor ballrooms. Mickey actually lived at the hotel while working at the Claridge.

Close to eight decades and many owners later, service remains central to the new management’s core values. As of February of 2014, TJM Atlantic City has taken the reigns as the newest owners of this historic hotel. TJM Atlantic City’s vision for the future of “The New Claridge” will be a dedication to preserving the glamour, charm and rich history of this landmark while adding new and exciting amenities for guests. A complete renovation project is scheduled to restore the original elegance and flare of the property – the very same charm that once attracted the likes of international dignitaries, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Grace and many others.

This is a copy of a page from the Library of Congress (LOC) website. It was featured on the LOC website on June 26, 2001, in honor of the birthday of the famed Atlantic City Boardwalk.

On the Boardwalk

Rolling Chairs on the Boardwalk,
Atlantic City, New Jersey,
between 1905 and 1920.
Touring Turn-of-the-Century America, 1880-1920

On June 26, 1870, the first section of the Atlantic City Boardwalk opened along the New Jersey beach. Dr. Jonathan Pitney and civil engineer Richard Osborne began developing the area on Absecon Island in 1850. Long before this time though, the Lenni-Lenape tribe were the first seasonal visitors to enjoy the summer splendor of the island.

Beautiful beaches, fresh sea air, luxurious hotels, fine restaurants, alluring shops, and a connecting railroad line from Camden, New Jersey drew visitors from all over the world. Atlantic City soon became a popular summer resort and winter health spa.

Alexander Boardman, a railroad conductor, conceived the idea of constructing a boardwalk as a means of keeping sand out of the railroad cars and hotels. The city used its tax revenues to build an eight-foot-wide temporary wooden walkway from the beach into town which could be dismantled during the winter.

When Was Harrah's Atlantic City Built

In the Good Old Summertime,
Atlantic City, New Jersey,
© 1905.
Touring Turn-of-the-Century America, 1880-1920

The rolling chair, introduced in 1884, was the only vehicle allowed on the Boardwalk, which was soon extended by enormous amusement piers such as Steel Pier, visible in the background of the photograph above.1

Any consideration of the boardwalk demands at least a nod to salt water taffy, a favorite beach-side treat. Taffy is a candy made of corn syrup and white sugar: the boiled confection is pulled and folded, then rolled into a long strip from which shorter (about two inch long) strips are cut, wrapped in stick resistant paper, and sold. Along the Atlantic City Boardwalk folks have purchased the product since at least the early 1880s. In presenting its opinion on a case concerning the right to label one's product the 'original' salt water taffy, the Supreme Court long ago held that no one company might claim that right as salt water taffy, '. . . is born of the ocean and summer resorts and other ingredients that are the common property of all men everywhere.'

Early bathers wore bathing dresses of wool flannel with stockings, canvas shoes, and large straw hats. The more daring bloomer suits and stockings worn by these bathing beauties were not introduced until 1907. Censors roamed the beaches monitoring bathers' self-exposure and looking for offenders who showed more flesh than the local code allowed.

Search on Atlantic City in these collections to find more images of this summer attraction.

When Was The Atlantic City Expressway Built

Bathing Beauties,
Atlantic City, New Jersey,
between 1890 and 1910.
Touring Turn-of-the-Century America, 1880-1920

• Search on Atlantic City in the Alexander Graham Bell Papers, 1862-1939 to find correspondence Bell wrote during a 1901 stay in Atlantic City.
• Inventing Entertainment: Early Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings from the Thomas A. Edison Companies contains two panoramic films of a moving boardwalk, or platform mobile, a novelty featured at the 1900 Paris Exposition. Search on boardwalk to find them.

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When Was Resorts Atlantic City Built

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