Frequently Asked

Questions

Who are you guys?

We’re neighbors that get together (in person) to come up with ways to save Ocean City’s old architecture. We do this by throwing parties and events that spark interest in OCNJ’s history.

We also work to find conscientious buyers of old homes that might be interested in fixing them up instead of tearing them down. This gives current home sellers options beyond the same three duplex developers that have been ringing their grandparents’ phones off the hook for the past decade.

Are you the Historic Preservation Commission?

Nope.

The Historic Preservation Commission is an advisory board that reviews permits and makes recommendations on construction involving historic buildings or within the Historic District. We're just neighbors—not appointed or elected officials—doing our part to spark interest in preserving old buildings.

Ocean City’s “municipal architect” is the free market, currently driven by a desire for housing density and an increased tax base. We're working to bring beauty and nostalgia into that free market calculation.

So what do you do?

A few things:

  1. Throw great parties and events that celebrate OCNJ’s past and present.

  2. Give out free plaques to pre-1900 home owners (to be clear, the home has to be pre-1900, not the owner).

  3. Look for home buyers with a fix-er-up attitude, not the tear-er-down one.

  4. Take and expand the old-building inventory started by The Historic Preservation Commission and make it easy for the general public to search.

  5. Submit recommendations to the Planning Board and Historic Preservation Commission that express the wants and needs of owners and admirers of historic homes.

How Can I get Involved?

There are several ways to get involved:

  • Volunteer: Participate in our events, historic home tours, and preservation efforts.

  • Become a Member: Join us as a member when our membership page goes live. This will support our mission and keep you informed about upcoming activities.

  • Donate: Your contributions help us fund our preservation projects and advocacy work.

  • Attend Events: Join us for community gatherings, workshops, and educational programs.

What do members get?

Guaranteed access to RSVP-only events, including the wildly popular Historic Holiday Home Tour. We may even throw in a PBS-style tote bag.

There’s a Facebook group called Ocean City Old Home Lovers. Is that you?

Not quite…

Ocean City Old Home Lovers (Home Lovers for short) is a Facebook group started by Richard Barth for enthusiasts to share and admire photos of old homes. The group’s popularity reassured members that they weren't alone in their love for historic architecture, even as market trends of speculation-friendly monochromatic duplexes suggested otherwise.

Neighbors and Home Lovers soon began gathering in person at each other’s houses to discuss saving 615 Wesley Avenue (which they successfully did!) About the same time, the innkeeper at Scarborough Inn started hosting porch parties open to the public, which brought many long-time neighbors face-to-face for the first time.

These gatherings, both online and in person, sparked a desire to turn enthusiasm into action. This led directly to the revival of a historic home tour and a petition for old-home-friendly building codes.

With more activities planned, we launched a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Friends of OCNJ History & Culture, on August 2, 2024, to better coordinate efforts and recruit support from allies and agencies already in place.

Cape May MAC and Friends of the High Line in NYC are inspirations for what we have planned in OCNJ.

What’s an FAQ?

It’s Frequently Asked Questions? How did you get this far without knowing that?