Jones Beach State Park

Jones Beach State Park, which is consistently one of New York’s most popular outdoor spaces, owes its existence to Robert Moses, the controversial former parks commissioner who would transform much of New York City in the mid-twentieth century, for good or ill. Before it was developed, Moses would often take a small boat across the bay to Jones Beach, where he became fascinated with the area’s history.

The development of the park was Moses’ first major public project. When development of the park began, the area was swampy and barely above sea level. In order to build the park, dredgers were brought in to dredge sand from the bottom of the bay, which eventually raised the island to 12 feet above sea level. Moses brought in a number of architects and planners to design the buildings for the beach and spent far more money on their construction than would such buildings typically would have cost at the time. One of the park's showpieces is its Italianate water tower, which was built of Ohio sandstone and Barbizon brick. Advisers on the project encouraged Moses to opt for a traditional water tower but he refused, stating, "I'm never going to put up a tank on poles." Known as "the Pencil" and a focal point of the park, the water tower is visible for miles and is arguably Jones Beach's most recognizable landmark. The park's West Bath House was built on a similarly grandiose scale, utilizing the Art Deco style found throughout the park.

Building Jones Beach State Park was a massive undertaking. No public facility in the country was built on that scale. At times during the park's development, government funds were exhausted and the construction company was broke, and with no other options, Moses borrowed $20,000 from his mother to keep the project afloat. It was the first public seaside facility to offer resort-like amenities to the general population rather than catering only to wealthy residents. Somewhat ironically, given the amount of money spent on the project, Jones Beach State Park opened in 1929, months before the country sank into the Great Depression.

Though there had been some opposition among local landowners in the early stages of the park's development, Jones Beach became an immediate success. Its attendance climbed throughout the 1930s, perhaps because it offered New Yorkers an affordable escape from the pressures of the Depression. The park also benefitted from New Deal programs; several of the park's buildings were constructed by federal work relief programs.

Jones Beach State Park remains one of the most visited state parks in New York, and is regarded by many as one of country's best examples of a public beach. Robert Moses is a controversial figure and many of his projects, such as building expressways through historic, often working-class neighborhoods, elicit much criticism, Jones Beach is considered one of his greatest contributions to the civic life of New York. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Lambert, Bruce . One Man's Dream, Blissful Jones Beach is Like No Other Place , New York Times . September 28th 1997. Accessed April 21st 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/28/nyregion/one-man-s-dream-blissful-jones-beach-is-like-no-other-place.html.

Adno, Michael . Robert Moses's Jones Beach , Curbed New York . June 21st 2017. Accessed April 21st 2021. https://ny.curbed.com/2017/6/21/15838436/robert-moses-jones-beach-history-new-york-city.

Jones Beach State Park, Preservation Long Island . Accessed April 21st 2021. https://preservationlongisland.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/pli_reports_Jones-Beach-Report-2004-sm.pdf.

Jones Beach State Park , The Cultural Landscape Foundation . Accessed April 21st 2021. https://tclf.org/landscapes/jones-beach-state-park.