Longport Historical Society Museum
LONGPORT - The Longport Historical Society, 2305 Atlantic Ave., will hold its annual Open House 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 1. The historic building that once served as a U.S. Coast Guard Station and later, Borough Hall, includes the Porch Store, where visitors can purchase Longport swag, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, souveniers and more.
Inside the walls of the white clapboard sided building is enough history to fill eight themed rooms, all bursting at the seams and each highlighting a certain aspect of the history of the Borough of Longport.
The 1882 Room holds artifacts and photos of the borough's first families; the Police Room holds fingerprinting equipment and cameras, police reports from the 1920s; the Storm Room includes pictures of past nor'easters and hurricanes, including the Hurricane of 1944, the March 1962 Storm and Superstorm Sandy.
The Betty Bacharach Room tells the history of the stately brick rehabilitation hospital next door where Borough Hall is currently located. It includes photographs of famous people, such as Amelia Earhart and movie stars who visited the hospital where hundreds of children with polio and other infirmities convalesced. Other rooms pay tribute to volunteer firefighters and lifeguards who have served the community over the years.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday and by appointment during the week.
For more information, see longportpubliclibrary.org/historicalsociety or call 609-823-1115 or 609-487-7403.
