Photo by the Ocean Grove Historical Society
Dave McEwan from the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association uses the fork lift to carry urns to the truck for transportation to Alabama.
The Historical Society of Ocean Grove said two of the district’s Victorian urns have been shipped to Alabama for restoration. Robinson Iron of Alabama – specialists in cast iron restoration and architectural preservation – arrived in Ocean Grove last week with a flatbed truck to collect and transport the urns.
The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association contributed labor and a fork-lift to the day’s activities.
The Historical Society began a fund-raising campaign last summer but is still short of the $50,000 goal.
“We have raised enough to ship the Urns,” says Art James, the organization’s president, “But we desperately need additional funds as the busy summer season begins.”
James made specific mention of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Auditorium Ushers, who made a generous donation at the end of Summer 2023 to move the campaign along.
Robinson Iron is the same company that restored the 1907 Founders Park Fountain for Ocean Grove’s 150th Anniversary in the summer of 2019. Their restoration work on landscape treasures isnoted across the country. The urns will be in the shop for approximately six months. The Broadway Urn [of Summer Worshippers Vase] is from 1878 and The Auditorium Urn [of Pioneer Women of Ocean Grove Vase] is from 1877. The HistoricalSociety hopes to restore the marble panels that once decorated the base of the urns. Additionally, Ocean Grove’s Beautification Project will be upgrading each site with fresh landscaping. New concrete bases will be rebuilt by a local mason.
Residents are urged to bring their donations directly to the Historical Society Museum at 50 Pitman Ave. or access the website [http://historicalsocietyofoceangrove.org] and donate through PayPal or credit card.
All donations will be acknowledged.
“These urns are what make Ocean Grove a beautiful town,” James said, “so I encourage our neighbors and friends to contribute to the fund. It makes a difference!”