This unobstructed and breathtaking panoramic view taken in 1909 depicts a part of the earliest developed land in Stone Harbor. Actually, there’s not a whole lot to be seen here, is there? The 3-story structure that appears to stand out and dominate the landscape in this first image was known as the Fairview Hotel. Furthermore, not much information is even known about this building. But this account will present what little we do know that has been documented, and our thanks go out to the folks at the Stone Harbor Museum for their assistance.
At this time, there are very few structures visible. Notably, we are looking in a southwesterly direction toward the Great Channel, which is visible along with the mainland in the distance. Most likely, the person who “snapped” this particular “moment in time” was situated or perched on one of the uppermost floors of the 5-story Harbor Inn, then the tallest structure in Stone Harbor, located near 83rd Street and First Avenue. There is no question that this was indeed a remarkable and elevated vantage point to capture such an important and revealing scene. We also owe our thanks to the unknown person who had the inclination to take this very photo and thereby create a lasting visual legacy for us to preserve and treasure after 117 years of time.
The Fairview Hotel was opposite the Pennsylvania Railroad Station, and if one looks carefully at the photo, it is possible to see a low, single-story building surrounded by numerous horse and wagon teams, perhaps awaiting the next rail delivery of more needed building materials. That rail station was near the Pennsylvania Plaza at Second Avenue. In the foreground, a significant number of sewer pipes appear to be lined up and readied for placement underground along the street, which is also in the process of being leveled and graveled.
This second image, while unfortunately somewhat blurry and lacking focus for our purposes, shows the close proximity of the Fairview Hotel and the railroad station. It is important to remember that at this time in the year 1909 there still was no 96th Street, nor even the Stone Harbor Turnpike, or as it would be called, the Ocean Parkway, let alone a bridge of any sort over the Great Channel for any direct vehicular access to what was becoming Stone Harbor. There were small ferry boat services operating on the bay and, of course, the regular but limited railroad trains extending southward to Seven Mile Island via Townsend’s Inlet and Avalon, which were the only means of directly reaching Stone Harbor in these early days.
It would not be until the summer of 1911 that the public would be able to reach Stone Harbor directly from the mainland. At that moment, Stone Harbor was actually achieving the status of having its own designated spot as a town fixed on New Jersey road maps. Three years later, in 1914, Stone Harbor would become incorporated as a borough with a mayor-council form of governmental structure. Hopefully, you can now better understand that a significant and steady amount of growth and development happened over a relatively short period of time as Stone Harbor enjoyed increasing popularity as a family-oriented seashore resort community.
This last archival photo is a close-up view of what would, by the early 1910s, become known as the Hines Building as a newly named guest house. According to rental listing information provided by the South Jersey Realty Company for the summer seasons of 1914 and even 1917, this cedar-shingled building with wrap-around porches on the first and second floors was known for its nice accommodations and convenient location.
Specifically located at 87th Street and Second Avenue on a portion of lots 52, 54, 56, and 58, block 87 (60’ x 110’), the large Hines Building was known to consist of 17 rooms and 2 baths, of which 12 were designated as bedrooms. In addition, the illustrated advertisements indicated that a (14’ x 25’) first-floor storefront was also available for a local business. Rent for a single room, fully furnished for the entire season from June to September, was set at $500. In addition, the building was even available for sale for the sum of $7,500. Finally, like so many of the very early buildings that put Stone Harbor on the map, this large hotel and guest house is no longer standing.
Can you imagine arriving in Stone Harbor in 1909 by train or ferry and seeing this landscape for the first time?