The Sassafras House (originally known as Rummel’s Stores and Apartments) at 83rd Street and Second Avenue is one of the oldest houses on the island dating back before 1900.  It can be seen in this very early panoramic or wide-angle photo view of Stone Harbor taken from the Avalon side looking south when there were only 8 buildings on the southern half of the island and all were on what is today 83rd Street.  The several structures we see in the photo above and going from left to right are as follows: the earliest known bath houses and bathing pavilion with a cupola located right on the beach which incidentally only lasted a very short time due to a severe coastal storm that destroyed the structures; the next house is unknown; then there is the Abbotsford Inn with its distinctive windmill for providing water to the inn; two more unidentified houses; next Rummel’s Store and Post Office is visible in the center; and there are 3 more houses that are yet to be identified, one of which also appears to have a windmill providing water.  Can you see that too?

Now let us move on to the second image which is a vintage post card that was published and sold in the very early 1900s.  We know that it depicts Rummel’s Store and Post Office and that it was somewhat of a hub of activity as you can readily see in the image.  George J. Rummel was appointed and served as the town’s first postmaster in 1894 when the island had a population of 200 in the summer time.  George also held the position of superintendent of the Stone Harbor Improvement Company.  In 1891 the Stone Harbor Improvement Company purchased what is now Stone Harbor and at that point in time we may say the initial or earliest development of the resort may truly be said to have started.  Rummel’s Store may also have been the site of the very first school as we have seen photos showing a class being conducted on the front porch.  Be sure to notice the Abbotsford Inn (later re-named the Harbor Inn) in the background and that there are no other structures to the south.  Interestingly we know that in 1914 there were two stores (18’ x 45’) available at Rummel’s with the corner renting at $250 for the summer season and the one on the ocean side renting for $200, also for the summer.  The two apartments that were also available at that time were fully furnished and consisted of a total of 10 rooms and bath.  In addition there were front and rear porches and a laundry was even provided.  The entire summer season rent for the corner apartment was set at $350 while the apartment with the ocean view rented for $400.

Looking more closely at the post card we can see a group of young uniformed lads relaxing in the shade on the left side of the expansive porch.  They may very well be enjoying the same ice cream advertised by the sign over the steps.  But just who are these young uniformed boys and what brought them to Stone Harbor?  According to Philadelphia newspaper accounts, the boys, mostly around 16 years of age, were part of a group known as the Temple Guard, a military-type organization associated with the Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia.  Thirty members of the Temple Guard spent a two-week encampment at Stone Harbor from July 13-27 of 1895, during which they got a taste of a soldier’s life by drilling, marching and engaging in other regimented activities. 

It was further reported in the area newspapers that this Baptist Boys’ Brigade had a daily routine consisting of drills, dress parades, and inspections, observing rank and following commands as well as performing duties and some hard work.  A schedule of social functions, athletic events, musical entertainment and evening campfires with singing relieved the monotony of the military discipline and developed a strong sense of comradery among the group.  Founder and leader Reverend Russell H. Conwell, a veteran of the Civil War, saw in his boys the future of his church.  Simply put, Rev. Conwell promoted and fostered learning and understanding of the value of strict military discipline along with training as a means to give young boys a foundation of life skills for their future lives.  More close observation reveals that in front of Rummel’s Store, three groups of rifles are arranged in stack arms and a drum await retrieval by the brigade. 

Finally, it is apparent that a group of young ladies are visible on the right side of the wrap-around porch in this remarkably preserved moment in time.  Perhaps they too are enjoying a nice summer treat of refreshing ice cream.   

This third and final image was taken by this author on a recent Stone Harbor visit in June of 2024.  The house has changed ownership and purpose through the many years.  A fire changed the roofline of the house and in 1994 it was completely renovated and turned into The Sassafras House / Condominiums.  This very old house has weathered the many storms that passed over Stone Harbor including the major events of 1917, 1944 and 1962 just to mention a few and suffered only minor damage in Hurricane Sandy of 2012. 

Of all the very early known structures built in Stone Harbor by 1910, Rummel’s Stores and Apartments, now known as the Sassafras House is among just a few that remain intact and are still standing today.  That is indeed quite remarkable!