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The museum's permanent exhibit&nbsp;is entitled&nbsp;"Atlantic City, Playground of the Nation." This exhibit provides a general history and guides visitors through a history of&nbsp;the city and its famous Boardwalk. Other exhibits detail the culture and politics of the city, including the rise and fall of the political machine&nbsp;of the infamous Nucky Johnson.

Pamphlet advertising hotel accommodations for 1916 NAWSA Suffragists Convention-for more information about this convention, click on "Women and the Vote in Atlantic City" below.

The Atlantic City Historical Museum shares the history of the City by the Sea

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Experience the storm of 1962-The winter storm of March 6-7, 1962 pummeled the East Coast. In Atlantic City, 50 mile-per-hour winds and nine-foot tides led to flooding and damage. Flooding was so bad that during high tides, more than half of Absecon I

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The Atlantic City Historical Museum was established in 1984. The city library maintains exhibits and educational programs at the museum. Current exhibits allow visitors to trace the history, industry, and architecture of Atlantic City throughout the 20th century. Educational programs are regularly held on the second Saturday of each month at 2pm. 


Atlantic City Historical Museum

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Walk the streets and famous boardwalk near Atlantic City's beaches past historic buildings and monuments.

Mr. Vivian B. Smith Sr. was the architect of the Segal building, a store and office building designed for William I Segal. Smith was born in 1886 in Ocean City, New Jersey and studied architecture in Philadelphia before opening up his own office in Atlantic City in 1910. Some of Smith's other major projects were the City Hall at Ocean City in 1915; and these Atlantic City buildings: the Hurley-Jones Company store at 1714 Atlantic Avenue, the Crailsheim apartment building at 131 S. Illinois Avenue, and a store and office building for Abe Freeman at 1516 Atlantic Avenue. During World War I, Mr. Smith designed a new town and loading plant for Bethlehem Steel and the U.S. Army at Belcoville, south of Mays Landing; the plant and town covered six square miles and Mr. Smith supervised 5,000 workers in its construction. The first floor of the Segal Building was designed to house William Isaac Segal's produce business, founded in 1912 after an earlier partnership dissolved, to supply the growing hotel businesses. His business needed room to expand so Segal bought the corner lot of 50 by 150 feet in 1920 for a new building. Segal would visit produce markets in New York and Philadelphia and have "fancy" fruits, vegetables and flowers sent by train to Atlantic City. The tracks and siding for freight trains ended at Commerce Street, across the street from the new lot. The 1920 building held a ground floor showroom, storage space, and mezzanine level offices for Segal's company. The building is steel frame construction walled with hollow tile and faced with yellow tapestry brick. The wide cornice is simple in design, with a stone band, vertical brick band, and wooden dentils. The showroom exterior along Atlantic Avenue is cast stone with large plate glass windows under elliptical arches. The showroom interior has a decorative tile floor and fancy plaster ceiling details; metal canopies along the interior side walls held spotlights to highlight displayed produce and flowers. The windows on the North Carolina side were filled with cinderblock in the early 1980s. The rear storage areas are simple concrete floored and concrete-walled spaces; walk-in refrigerated units were added later. A separate commercial space for lease is on the right side of the main (Atlantic Avenue) facade. Some of the tenants in the Segal building in the 1920s were attorneys John Rauffenbart and Robert J. O'Neill; real estate and insurance agent William H. Oliver Jr.; the International Speedway Association; and the firm of Harding &amp; Sons, affiliated with the proposed Harding Hotel, to be built next to the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City. The main doorway along Atlantic Avenue to the upper level offices is topped by the inscription "Commerce Building," but the building has always been called the Segal Building. A bronze plaque to the west of the door reads "Wm. I. Segal &amp; Son." The upper level offices have been remodeled a number of times and are not distinctive. Nathan Segal joined his father's business in 1925 and eventually took over the company; Nathan was succeeded by his son, Richard. The showroom closed by the 1960s and the business became solely wholesale. The once-thriving commercial district became the victim of urban renewal and many other commercial buildings have been demolished. By the early 1980s, the Segal family business no longer occupied the building and the owners, 1200 Atlantic Associates, were on Market Street in Philadelphia.

The yellow brick building at the corner of Atlantic and North Carolina Avenues, with the prominent overhanging awning, is the Segal Building.  The Segal Building was built in 1920 and was listed in the National Register in 1984. The copper awning's lettering proclaims the ground floor's former use: "Wholesale and Retail Importers of Fancy Fruit and Vegetables William I. Segal Hot House and Imported Fancy Fruit and Vegetables." Upper floors in the three-story building were designed as office spaces for lease. The ground-floor commercial space at the corner, in the former showroom for the produce business, is occupied now by Gino's Pizza & Grill; legal offices are on the second floor.




Segal Building

&nbsp;In 1853, The Belloe House was built at Massachusetts and Atlantic Avenue. It was the first commercial hotel built in Atlantic City. After the Camden and Atlantic Railroad train service began it brought many people to Atlantic City. Eventually one railroad couldn't keep up with the growing popularity of the city and the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway was built in 1878. Since Atlantic City was growing rapidly many new and large hotels were constructed in the early part of the 20th century. The Marlborough-Blenhein Hotel and the Traymore Hotel were the first two major Hotels. Later came the Ritz Carlton, Madison House and Shelburne just to name a few.&nbsp; In the 1920s, during the Prohibition Era, tourism was at its peak in Atlantic City. This is often times known as the Golden Age of Atlantic City by many historians. During this time, racketeer and political boss Enoch L. "Nucky" Johnson rose to power. He allowed for illegal liquor sales, gambling and prostitution to take place in Atlantic City, getting a cut from the liquor sales. It is Nucky Johnson that HBO got the idea for it's hit series Boardwalk Empire which fantasizes the idea of Johnson being a sort of gangster in Atlantic City. Although in the HBO series Nucky Johnson's name is changed to Nucky Thompson.&nbsp; The Atlantic City Boardwalk was the first boardwalk in the United States which opened on June 26, 1870. It is Atlantic City that the famous board game Monopoly is modeled after. The Boardwalk starts at Absecon Inlet in the north and runs along the beach south west to the&nbsp;&nbsp;city limits and then continues another mile and a half into Ventnor City. In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy destroyed the northern part of the boardwalk but the oceanfront in front of the Atlantic City Casinos was undamaged by the storm.&nbsp;

Atlantic City was incorporated on May 1, 1854 from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Galloway Township.

City Hall, Atlantic City

The current St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church at Pacific and Tennessee Avenues replaced an earlier church of the same name on Atlantic Avenue near Tennessee, dating to 1858. The older, wood frame building was doubled in size in the 1880s and moved a block to the Pacific Avenue site. The older church building was demolished in 1902 so the new church could be built; 2,000 people attended the ceremony when the cornerstone was laid on July 6th 1902. The head of St. Nicholas, Father McShane, announced at the opening ceremonies in September 1905 that the building had cost $128,000, of which $113,000 came from donations collected in church. The Philadelphia architect of the Roman Revival style church was Edwin Forrest Durang (born 1829 - died 1911). The church, of Mt. Airy light-colored granite from North Carolina, is 150 feet long, 76 feet wide along Pacific Avenue, with twin towers reaching 120 feet. The roof was red tile; exterior ornamentation was terra cotta and exterior metalwork was copper. Seven doors led into the building, with the columns by the three front doors made of Vermont granite topped by Georgia marble capitals. The 142 stained glass windows were manufactured in Germany and Philadelphia. In 1935, the church underwent redecoration and a one-story baptistery designed by architect Henry D. Dagit, Jr. (1893-1981) was added at the building's northeast corner. During repainting in 1977, some of the original murals were painted over, and the columns were painted in a faux marble look. The church's wooden flooring and pews were replaced in the 1980s. The roof was replaced in 2009 and damaged exterior mortar joints were removed and repointed; this cost over a million dollars. The interior transepts, or "arms" of the church, were restored in 2019 after years of peeling paint and plaster from soot and water damage; walls, window frames, artwork, columns, and decorative details were fixed by Evergreene Architectural Arts. Fundraising is ongoing to restore the other interior spaces. The church was named for Nicholas of Tolentine, a priest and Augustinian friar who was born Nicholas Gurutti in 1245 in Macerata, Italy, and died in Tolentine, Italy in 1305. He was canonized in 1446 and is the patron saint of souls in Purgatory, against fires, and against disease. His intercessions for a dead friar he is said to have heard in a dream, stuck in Purgatory, are part of his miraculous deeds. His remains are preserved at the Shrine of St. Nicholas in the city of Tolentine. St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church is currently one of three Roman Catholic churches in Atlantic City, all part of the Parish of Saint Monica; the church offers masses on Saturdays and Sundays in English. Another of the parish's local churches, Our Lady Star of the Sea (2651 Atlantic Ave., built in 1897 to replace an 1885 St. Monica Church which burned down in the mid-1890s), has masses in English, Spanish and Vietnamese; a school is affiliated with this church. The third church, St. Michael (10 N. Mississippi Ave.), dates to 1912.

The towering church at 1409 Pacific Avenue is St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, finished in 1905.  It is one of three Catholic churches active in Atlantic City, all in the Parish of Saint Monica. St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Three buildings on the church lot contribute to the nomination: the church, a two-story rectory with a raised basement near the church's northwest corner (built in 1909), and a former convent (1925) along Pacific Avenue to the west of the church parking lot. The parking lot was once the site of a parochial school (1909). The three-story, stone and brick former convent now holds the Father Benedict House, opened in 2018 as a resource for the homeless and needy, run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal. St. Nicholas is the only remaining Romanesque Revival church building in Atlantic City.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church

The firm of Price and Walton was the architect of the Madison Hotel, built for local hotelmen Eugene Fetter and John Hollinger. The 14-story Georgian Revival style building is steel frame covered in brick and the roof is 150 feet tall. While the building was a highrise in its era, it is not even in the top 20 tallest buildings in Atlantic City now (the tallest is the 53-story Ocean Resort building at over 700 feet). Three arches along the main facade lead to the entrance doors, leading to a vestibule. The lobby, across the full width of the building, was decorated with pink and cream marble floors, decorated plaster ceilings, fancy chandeliers, and a grand staircase of pink marble resembling one at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Formal dining was offered to the elegantly-dressed middle and upper class guests at the indoor restaurant; sidewalk cafe tables were available, too. The ground floor also contained the kitchen and the building's mechanical systems; being a half block from the ocean, creating a functional basement wasn't a good idea. The penthouse features a large Palladian style opening and gabled roof; it is surrounded by a sun deck. The name Madison came from the owners' existing hotels being named the Jefferson and the Monticello, so they kept with their early presidents from Virginia/ colonial revival theme. Two Stuart portraits of James and Dolley Madison (yes, she spelled her name with an e) were reproduced and were hung in the lobby. Many older hotels in Atlantic City were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s to make room for casinos. Madison Hotel was one of the hotels in the crosshairs of the wrecking ball, when a Las Vegas company, Pinnacle Entertainment, hoped to build a $1.5 billion resort; luckily for the hotel, their plans didn't come true. For a time, the Madison Hotel was converted into a nursing home, and the rooms and lobby were subdivided into smaller spaces; that was reversed in the early 1980s. A major renovation was conducted from 2002 to 2004 to convert the hotel into a companion hotel for gamblers of the Sands Casino Hotel across the street. The $7 million project by the Sands created all-suites lodging in the "Madison House." When the Sands Hotel shut down in 2006, the Madison Hotel closed, too. The Madison Hotel was used briefly as lodging for foreign, seasonal workers as a youth hostel, but mainly was vacant after the 2006 closure. After a failed auction sale of the Madison Hotel, rumor had it that a potential buyer was very interested if he could get a hotel chain involved. George Levin finally sold the hotel property in the fall of 2013. The building only needed cosmetic renovations before the January 2014 reopening; an historic red neon sign atop the 14-story brick building reading "Madison Hotel" was relit after being converted to LED lights. The Baymont Inn &amp; Suites kept Madison Hotel as part of the new hotel's name, and retained some of the original chandeliers and the grand staircase in the impressive lobby. The hotel chain offered moderate prices in its 126 suites, so was no longer luxury accommodations.

The Madison Hotel at 125 S. Illinois Avenue (now Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) was built in 1929, right before the Great Depression began, as a luxury hotel. A later incarnation of the building after going bankrupt in the 1960s was the Sands Atlantic City. The hotel was vacant from 2006 to 2014 and was sold at auction in 2013 for $4 million but the sale didn't go through. The Baymont Inn & Suites Atlantic City Madison Hotel opened in the building in January 2014 after the Ratan Hotel Group bought the property for $2.5 million. Now the Madison Hotel Boardwalk Atlantic City, the hotel still welcomes visitors. The Madison Hotel was listed in the National Register in 1984.

Madison Hotel

The memorial garden is a beautiful and tranquil place hidden away in a city that is best known for casinos, beaches, and boardwalks. The project was the first large-scale civil rights memorial park to be constructed in a northern state. Local resident Christian Hetrick explained that Atlantic City’s history was a fitting location owing to the area's&nbsp;history as a home for many former slaves. The park is also located near the place where Fannie Lou Hamer challenged the all-white Mississippi delegation that would represent her state in the Democratic National Convention of&nbsp;1964 which was held in Atlantic City The convention was seen as a pivotal moment in the civil-rights movement.

Each of the granite columnns contains quotes from famous individuals and information about specific events in civil rights history. The garden begins and ends with a&nbsp;granite marker engraved with the words, "We the People. These serve as bookends that highlight how a statement that once failed to include African Americans as members of the body politic came to be more inclusive. Ten of the eleven granite pillars have uncompleted sections meant to signify that while the journey&nbsp;for civil rights is incomplete.&nbsp;On the top of a pillar in the very back of the park is a hand, which signifies the right to vote and is paired with a quote that states “the first step towards liberation for any group is the use of the hand. And the power in hand is the vote” (Hellen Gahagan Douglass, 1973). As one enters the garden, quotes from Edward Bellamy, Austin Steward, and Harriett Tubman cover the first pillars. The height of the pillars increases as one progresses through the walkway.&nbsp;The center of the garden contains a large reflecting pool with a bronze bell centerpiece. The ringing of the bell can create ripples through the water that is said to symbolize the growth of the movement. After walking through history, or rather feeling as though visitors have, the largest pillars hold quotes from more modern activists such as John Lewis and leaders such as President Lyndon Baines Johnson. The blossoming of the flowers add bright red pops of color in a mostly green and grey environment, the beauty showing that even something starting off with much difficulty can progress into a thing of beauty.

This memorial garden was completed in 2001 and contains a large fountain with eleven granite columnns that offer information about the civil rights movement in New Jersey and throughout the nation. The garden was constructed at a cost of two million dollars and its memorial columnns honor African American leaders such as Rosa Parks and Fredrick Douglass. Each of the eleven granite columnns includes information about the lives of civil rights leaders along with quotes related to the history of the long struggle for civil rights. 

Civil Rights Garden

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The memorial cost $3 million. J. Tom Carillo, Thomas Jay Warren, and Sarah Maloney were the sculptors and designers behind the memorial. In the memorial you'll see a sculpture of a group of soldiers under fire, a 12 foot tall statue of the "Mourning Solider" clutching dog tags from fallen soldiers, an eternal flame, and a list of the 882 servicemen killed or missing in action.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Every year in July there is a New Jersey Korean War Commemoration/Medal Ceremony. The event is hosted by the New Jersey Korean War Veterans Association in cooperation with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. It's a ceremony dedicating the Korean War veterans. Wreath laying and other commemorative events are held at the memorial on the anniversary of the Korean War.&nbsp;

     Located in Brighton Park Atlantic City, New Jersey is the Korean War Memorial. The memorial opened on November 13, 2000, two day after Veteran's Day. The memorial was created to help heal the spiritual and psychological wounds suffered by the Korean Veterans. It shows the struggle, accomplishments, and the contribution of the men and women who served. Governor Christine Todd Whitman and the Legislatures wanted to create a "fitting acknowledgement of the valor displayed by our military personal who served in Korea."

Korean War Memorial

Prior to the early 1900’s, the beaches of Atlantic City were not segregated. With the creation of casinos and other businesses, however, many white business owners increased pressure on the city to cater to white customers, including those who were accustomed to a rigid color line. The laws of New Jersey and Atlantic City did not require racial segregation and there were never "white only" signs on the beaches or throughout the resorts. However, Black customers and beach-goers were increasingly made to understand that their presence would not be tolerated in certain restaurants, hotels, and even public spaces. By the 1920s, Atlantic City mirrored many of the mores of the Jim&nbsp;Crow South. African American residents and tourists were made to understand that they could only enter the beach at Missouri Avenue regardless without ever passing a law mandating segregation. 

The rise of segregation coincided with a dramatic increase in the African American population as the resorts and casinos hired many Black workers as the city's transformation to a resort town grew through the 1920s and beyond. This beach became a central part of the Black community and hosted events as jazz musicians and other Black performers found refuge and a chance to entertain Black audiences&nbsp;at this beach. During the day, the beach was full of families but the evenings saw performances by touring acts and musicians. Sammy Davis Jr. was one of may future stars who performed along the water and even iconic figures such as&nbsp;Martin
Luther King Sr. and Martin Luther King Jr. made a visit to the beach.&nbsp;

Informal segregation continued following the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Over time, the entire beach became open to all. In 1997, the Atlantic City Council declared Chicken Bone Beach to be a historical site and the&nbsp;Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation sponsors a variety of events such as concerts throughout the summer.&nbsp;

During the era of segregation when most of Atlantic City's beaches were open only to whites, this beach was open to African Americans and provided a space for countless Black families to enjoy time together. The Civil Rights Act made segregation a crime and contrary to many Southern beaches, Atlantic City complied with the law although informal patterns of discrimination and segregation continues. This beach was frequented by many Black celebrities and musicians when they played at Atlantic City's casinos. It was also a haven for Black families, many of whom would enjoy picnics at the beach. Local residents choked about the large numbers of chicken bones that were buried in the sand following a traditional Southern lunch of fried chicken, leading to the informal nickname "Chicken Bone Beach." Today, the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation preserves the history of this Black enclave that is now open to all races and offers summer jazz concerts. 

"Chicken Bone Beach," Atlantic City 

The Atlantic City
Convention Hall was built along the South Jersey coastline on&nbsp;May
31,&nbsp;1929. Replacing a temporary exhibit, the Convention Hall became an
architectural marvel during that time. Boasting a 137 foot-high barrel vault
ceiling without any roof posts or pillars, the Hall was a modern adaptation of
Romanesque architecture and claimed the title of largest clear span space for
an auditorium. Carved into the limestone above the Hall's facade was a
testimonial that summarized its purpose, "A permanent monument, conceived
as a tribute to the ideals of Atlantic City, built by its citizens and
dedicated to recreation, social progress and industrial
achievements."&nbsp;Boardwalkhall.com

&nbsp;

Known today as Boardwalk
Hall, the original testimonial remains true after 86 years. Boardwalk Hall
still remains in the same location and with mostly original architecture still
intact,&nbsp;but received major renovations during the 90's. Seeking to leave
the historic hall with as much original architecture as possible, the New
Jersey Sports &amp; Exposition Authority conducted restorations totaling $90
million. The original cost to build the Hall, in 1929, was $15 million.

&nbsp;

Boardwalk Hall is
certainly a spectacle of architecture and venue history, but it is the events
that have been held under this vault ceiling that truly make the Hall
remarkable. Events held over the years include hockey, basketball, football,
boxing, archery, horse shows, auto racing, and wrestling. Along with the myriad
of sporting events, Boardwalk Hall has been the host to the Miss America
Pageant since 1940, hosting national political conventions, and was home to the
first ever indoor-helicopter flight. The Hall has converted to a stage for many
different performances and concerts for artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to
Bruce Springsteen and from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones. To this day,
Boardwalk Hall remains a coastline mecca for touring shows, concerts, and
sporting events.

&nbsp;

It is not unusual for
major sporting events to be played indoors in today’s day and age. This is in
part thanks to Boardwalk Hall, which hosted the first college football bowl
game played indoors. The historic game took place in Atlantic City on Dec. 19,
1964 between the University of Utah and West Virginia University. Utah won the
game 32-6 in front of a crowd of 6,059 fans. Real grass was used indoors and
was kept alive during the week using artificial lighting. The size of the field
was also altered, with each end zone a total of 8 yards deep, instead of 10
yards. The tickets to the game were $10, the most expensive ones for a bowl
game during the time.

&nbsp;

Boardwalk Hall is truly a
unique venue in the United States. Very few places still exist, let alone
thrive, for as long as Boardwalk Hall has. The name may have changed, the
events may have passed, but Boardwalk Hall remains a must stop place for any
sports fan or history enthusiast.&nbsp;

Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey has provided tourists and locals alike, the opportunity to witness some of the country's best entertainment. Ranging from sporting events such as football, hockey, and auto racing to world famous events like the Miss America Pageant and the 1964 Democratic National convention. This historic site was also home to the first College football game played indoors and the first indoor helicopter flight. Boardwalk Hall boasts originality from its amazing architecture thats stood over 85 years to its prime location on the boardwalk of the Atlantic City coastline. This historic venue is as much alive today, as it was in 1929, when it laid claim to being the largest clear span space in the world.

Boardwalk Hall

During the 1920s, infamous boss "Nucky" Johnson rented the entire 9th floor of the hotel. It was here he and other members of the Republican&nbsp;political machine made deals to profit from Prohibition and maintain control of Atlantic City through payoffs and&nbsp;ties to organized crime. In 1941, Johnson was convicted of several crimes.

When it opened on June 21, 1921, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel was the tallest building in Atlantic City. Every detail of the structure exuded wealth and status, from the faucets for fresh or salt water in every guest room to the private elevators for beachgoers to the grand staircase and elegant ballroom. The hotel experienced a sharp decline during the Great Depression and filed for bankruptcy in 1937. The hotel resumed operations shortly thereafter, buoyed by the end of the Depression and a contract to house troops during World War II. The hotel experienced a second boom period following the postwar prosperity. The hotel again struggled during the 1960s as guests opted for some of the newer resort and casinos. In 1969, the hotel converted to condominiums. 

The Ritz Carlton, 1921-1969

The idea for the Atlantic City Boardwalk was first developed by Alexander Boardman, a conductor for Camden &amp; Atlantic Railroad, and Jacob Keim, owner of Chester County House- one of the area’s beachfront hotels. Both Boardman and Keim had grown tired of tourists tracking sand onto the carpets of their rail cars and hotel lobbies, so together they petitioned the city in April of 1870 to fund the project. The original version of their boardwalk cost $5,000 (half of Atlantic City’s tax revenues that year), was designed to be folded up and stored in winter, and was only 8 feet wide and one mile long. Construction was completed on June 16th, 1870 and ten days later, America’s first boardwalk was dedicated and opened to the public with much fanfare. At first, no commerce within 30 feet of the original boardwalk was permitted and vehicles of any kind were banned. After ten years of wear, a newer and bigger boardwalk was commissioned in 1880. For this boardwalk, businesses were given permission to move within 10 feet. By 1883, the original ordinance restricting commerce was totally disregarded and more than a hundred businesses and other buildings popped up along its strip. A storm in 1884 destroyed the boards and led to the third version- this time twenty feet wide, two miles long, and elevated enough that the tide could wash ashore beneath it. This same year, the boardwalk saw the first of its famous rolling chairs. First introduced as a kind of wheelchair, the covered chairs with wheels were the only vehicles allowed on the now much wider boardwalk and were meant exclusively for handicapped individuals. However, people enjoyed riding in them so much that some feigned handicaps to get to ride the chairs. The city didn’t object to this and the custom of riding in the rolling chairs grew. Eventually, the city would license these chairs in 1891 and charge $10 per ride. In 1889, a hurricane destroyed the boardwalk and most of the buildings. Reconstruction gave Atlantic City Council the opportunity to pass legislation controlling commerce along the boardwalk. Completed the following spring, the fourth version was about 4 miles long and had railings on both sides. Piers were also created, hosting amusement park rides, concerts, and picnic areas. The fifth and final boardwalk was constructed in 1896 and, excluding some minor adjustments, is essentially the same one that is in use today. Though the early 1900’s, Atlantic City Boardwalk saw an unparalleled boom. Part of this growth was thanks to its premier entertainment scene. Attractions varied from the renowned Diving Horse act to performances by stars such as Frank Sinatra, The Three Stooges, Bob Hope, and many others. The Miss America beauty pageant also found it’s start on the boardwalk (although in the original 1902 version, judging was based on the decorated rolling chairs that the contestants rode in, rather than the contestants themselves). Another key part of Atlantic City Boardwalk’s success during these years was its fostering of illegal business- chiefly gambling, alcohol, and prostitution. During Prohibition, local politicians and mafiosos, led by mob boss Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, ensured that Atlantic City remain a “wet city” (a city in open defiance of any federal or state restrictions on the sale of liquor). In 1923, local officials even jailed federal prohibition agents for three days and refused to let them correspond with Washington. This event later prompted a representative of the Justice Department to famously denounce Atlantic City as “the most corrupt city in the country”. In the few decades following World War II, the boardwalk and the city as a whole saw a sharp economic downturn due to cheaper airfare and federal crackdowns on organized crime. Then in 1970, political boss Frank Farley began a campaign to legalize gambling in the state. After years of fighting and favors to get it in on the ballot, a referendum approving casino gambling within the confines of Atlantic City passed by a slim margin in 1976. Two years later, Resorts International- Atlantic City’s first casino- officially opened on the boardwalk. It was soon followed by the construction of several others. Three, including Resorts, are still in operation on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Today, Atlantic City’s economy, while still struggling with corruption and decreased tourism, is largely reliant on the casino industry.

The first boardwalk ever opened in the United States, Atlantic City Boardwalk was originally developed in 1870 by a railroad conductor and a beach-side hotel owner to mitigate the amount of sand tourists were tracking into their businesses from the beach. Over the many years since, the boardwalk has grown into a popular strip for commerce, entertainment, and leisure. 

Atlantic City Boardwalk

The World War I Memorial sits&nbsp;in O’Donnell Park to the south of Atlantic city, at&nbsp;the intersection of&nbsp;South Albany and&nbsp;Ventnor&nbsp;Avenue.&nbsp; It&nbsp;was built&nbsp;to honor those that served in the military during World War I.&nbsp; There is debate&nbsp;as to&nbsp;when the monument&nbsp;was built&nbsp;bit is was finally done around 1922-1923.&nbsp;In 1907&nbsp;the New York City architecture firm Carrere and Hastings collaborated with the City of Atlantic City to erect a monument.&nbsp; When World War I started it delayed the project.&nbsp; They later decided that the monument would be built to honor those who served in the military during the war.&nbsp; The monument sits on land that was&nbsp;purchased&nbsp;from The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad company.&nbsp; Atlantic City passed an ordinance&nbsp;was passed by the&nbsp;city commission in 1992 granting $150,000 to build the monument and create a monument commission.&nbsp; The upper band around the monument has the names of all the battle that their Atlantic City men&nbsp;were involved&nbsp;with;&nbsp;Montdider-Myon, Ypres-Lys, Cambrai, Aisne-Marne, Meuse,&nbsp;Vittorio-Veuetto, St.&nbsp;Mihiel, Lys, &nbsp;Oise-Aisne, Champagne-Marne,&nbsp;somme, Argonne. Other inscriptions include the shields of the Army-Navy Aviation and Marines.&nbsp; Inside around the upper band, it&nbsp;is inscribed&nbsp;with the words; “This Monument was Erected In 1922 by the City In Honor of Her Citizens Who Served the World War 1917-1918.”The statue inside the monument is of Liberty “screaming in victory and sadness”.&nbsp; The bodies of those that died in the war have fallen around her feet and shi is holding the body of a young man on her right leg.&nbsp; In her left hand, she is holding a broken sword while a dog and rooster stand around her feet. Since the original controversy about the design, the monument has been the topic of many discussions over the years by the city.&nbsp; IN 1949 the Executive Secretary of the New York Art Commission brought to light the poor condition of the monument during a visit.&nbsp; Vandals had damaged it so the city's solution was to install flood lights to illuminate it at night.&nbsp; In &nbsp;1961 it&nbsp;was recommended&nbsp;by a city traffic engineer to move the monument to ease the traffic flow.&nbsp; In 1962 they voted to move the monument but by 1963 the plan&nbsp;was dropped&nbsp;because it would have cost $60,000.&nbsp; In 1988 the monument&nbsp;was restored&nbsp;and rededicated, May 12, 1988, and a bronze plaque&nbsp;was installed&nbsp;with the names of everybody involved in the project.&nbsp;&nbsp;Artist:

MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937, sculptor.

Emile Diebitch Inc., fabricator.

Carrere &amp; Hastings, designer.

Kunst Foundry, founder.

This World War I monument is built in the style of a circular Greek temple.  It measures  124 feet around and has 16 Dionic columnns, made of limestone with a rotunda in the center.  Inside the rotunda is a statue called “Lady Liberty in Distress”.  This statue stands 9 feet in height and is made of bronze, it stands on a base that is 5 feet in height and made of Vermont green marble. The floor of the rotunda is paved with slate and bluestone with four entrances that are closed off by decorative gates. 

Atlantic City, New Jersey Walking Tour

Atlantic City Historical Museum

Introduction

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Backstory and Context

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