This month we are visiting the Pine Tree Inn in Lakehurst, New Jersey!
Lakehurst, New Jersey, was known early in American history for its industry. It was the official location for a railroad stop in the Pinelands in New Jersey, along with acting as the Federal Forge during the Revolutionary War, and exporting cannonballs during the American Civil War to the Continental Army.
Later, it was home of the first American International airport. The Graf Zeppelin started its first flight around the world. The Zeppelin Hindenburg exploded in 1937 not too far from the town as it tried to land in the Naval Station of Lakehurst.
Thanks to its railroad stop, it became a popular resort town as well. Shops lined the stop, and within a short distance, the Pine Tree Inn opened in 1898. A large number of travelers from New York and northern New Jersey spent their winter months at the Inn using the smell of pine to refresh the soul. Being in the dense pine forest also gave the inn the advantage of having a warmer climate during cold months.
The inn was demolished in the 1940s when tourism declined.
Today, Lakehurst claims its fame as being the “air ship capital of the world” with some museums focused on its industrious past. Travelers still walk around the lake on nice afternoons.
Sources:
Borough of Lakehurst, New Jersey. “Chronology of Lakehurst History.” June 20, 2017. Website. https://www.lakehurst-nj.gov/index.php/chronology-of-lakehurst-history
“Monstrous New Year’s Party and Dance at the Pine Tree Inn.” Asbury Park Press. December 29, 1933. Pg 17
Pinelands Preservation Alliance. “History of the Pinelands.” 2019. Website. http://www.pinelandsalliance.org/history/pinelandshistory/
Pine Tree Inn. “Thanksgiving Day Menu.” November 26, 1931. Website. https://hrvh.org/cdm/ref/collection/cia/id/2723
Pine Tree Inn. (Medical Trade Ephemera Collection) Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.