The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-19
Sea Grove.

Sea Grove.
RELIGION AND RECREATION COMBINED -THB NEW
..PkE-BYrERIAS SErTLEM sST WHAT SEA
GRoyEIs ITS RAPID GROWTH ITS RELIGIOUS
FEATURES, &C.
correspondence OF the Baltimore Americana
SEA GROVE, CAPE MAY PoINT, y. j. July IL
In these days when civilization multlples
the wants of society, and enterprise and en-
erey are always at hand TO provide for them,
there is no specially that does not sooH bring
its required supply. Summer resorts on The
mountain, BY the lake, and at the sea side,
have long ago undertaken to crafty the Pc
! cuiar tastes Of people, but it Is only OF late
that they have organized, constructed. and
conducted so Us to meet the moral and rell-
gious desires Of large classes OF persons. The
| MethodistS, we believe, were the hrst TO thus
combine their religion with their sum
mer recreation, their camp meeting o.
Servances giving them peculiar Ia.
crlity for doing this. At Round
| Lake, Ocean Grove, Rhehobeth. and others
of the summer resorts they have carried ont
this purpose with remarkable success. sea
| Grove. at Cape May Point, Of which pro-
| nose to give the readers of the american
| some description, is founded upon the same
general iaea--that Of furnishing a pace OF
! summer recreation where religion VIII not
| be taboOed or banished by the over Ihnuence
of aayctv, fashion, or dissipation, but Will
nave its recognized place and daily recogn'-
ton. Sea Grove is called even by its frlends
! "tbe new Presbyterian Settlement by the
Sea" and from the fact that most OF It's
oriyinators and prominent promoters are oil
| that Church, the appellation may not be i'm
proper, though there is no.hlnS IN It's 90
yernment, or object, or its rules and regula-
lions that would make it an undesirable re.
sort 10 mem oerS of other Protestant dcnoml.
nations.
On Saturday last, at the invitation OF Mr.
Alexander Whitdiu, the president OF the sea
Grove Association, 4 party Of editors, clergy
men, professors Of colleges, many OF them &C.
comianjed by ladies, assembled at Polladel'
mia. with the view Of sper ding few days
at the new resort, so that they might tie quail
fed TO iudue and speak tor themselves Is n
its location, advan ages, and p Is 'octs. II
inc persopal movements Of the party, IL Is
not necessary TO speak further tDan 10 say
that they were most cordially welcomed,
hospitably entertained, and their Visit
made as pleasant as the klnues1 at
tcutions and the most thorouSh hue
raitv could accomplish. Express trains
md special cars TOOK them to ana from tnetr
destination, and whilst on the lSlanQ every
facility was afforded them to see all that was
TO be seen aud to visit all points Wllcn OF
fcrcd an attraction. Mr.. Within Croohs'
OF New York, acting in beDalt OF MT: Ne''
dom had the quests 10 his immediate charge,
and attended to them so Thoroughly lnat they
sr,rcplv needed even to wish for anything.
so completely was every lua9.nape "au,
supplied. Promising thua, briefly let Us te''
WHAT SEA GROVE Is.
! First as 10 location, il is situated eAlctiJ
where the waters OF the Delaware oay lose
| themselves in the ocean, Immediately on Tue
point of Cape May. The tract OF land com
prises nearly 800 acres, extending lron the
| steamboat landing on the bag size nearly "
the lighthouse CD the ocean front. WIN re-
card TO The land Itself, Mr.. Whldin on re-
! cent OCCASION said:
1T my interest you to know that TINS
spot has been Presbyterian grouad SINCE the
| lirst settlement of The country, aud has been
in my wile's family for ore hundred ana
sixty wears. She was born on THIS ola iirm
and her father and my grandfather were oo' o
ruling elders in the old COD spring churcn
for more than bait century, and nothing
|
antIcipsted what we see to day. and trust
their rlorited spirits are looking upon Us
NOW from the batlementS Of Heaven.
1T is cheering thought 10 NE that the
good Lord has kept this place all these years
| intact and am Presbyterian enough to be.
| Iieyc that ne has kept 1t for this very purpose,
and I hope you, my friends, will think SO
too"
The idea Of improving it and building
here a new city by the sea was only put INTO
active effect at the close of last season. a
company Was formed, q charter procured
from the New Jersey legislature, and the
work of clearing off the land and preparing
for the buildings commenced. This was OF
| itself q troublesome and arduous JOB, LOT
| the land had been utterly given up TO neg
lect, was thickly overgrown with unHer'
| brush. and dotted all around its edges with
IRREGULAR sand. hills, thrown up by force OF
the winds throughout a long succession OF
winter storms. There was, however, ener-
ey. enterprise, and abundant capital back.
inc the project, and now the aspect OF
| the Mace ba, been wonderfully changeo.
| Nearly the whole tract has been cleared
| of IT'S tangled confusion OF underorusn, inc
surface ,eyelled, aud wide streets and avenues
opened. To put it briefs, and yet loIc'oiy,
Sea Grove nine months ago was WIN anu
TANGLED wilderness. Now it has six miles OF
| avenues and streets, a comfortable anu capa
cjous hotel, with numerous out.DuioihsS'
some tifty cottages, some completed ana oc-
cupied, and others yet in progress OF con'
stl uciior. Thus it is already mlnlatule
| CITY, that between the close OF one season
and the commencement Of aDoiber, mas
snrupc I'D at lhe seaside, and is quietly chal'
| ,enqinp the competition OF its older rivals,
and claiming for itself particular favor on
account of special features which 1t VIII ohel
tn meet the wants OF particular CLASS Vi
peorle.
he ENTERPRISE and the energy that within
so short q time have accomplished all tplS
| cannot fail TO secure appreciation, and IL oas
the further merit of being accompanied ny
good Judgment and good taste. Everything
about Sea Grove is done well ana nea,'y.
The hotel Is we'll located, with an admllaoie
exposure 10 the sea, and Is ia'r spec'ue,p
| Of the architecture which prevails az seh'ue
resorts. Near 10 it MIR. Whlldin mas quiz
| for himself a commodiOus ana Yesg eieSanI
cottage, and not lar off another OF large s'Zs
and very haud.ome finish is heing erec'ed
for MIR. John Wannamaktr, OF fhiIaoeIpp'a'
On the side avenues, Smaller ana less eost'
ly cottages are going up. Inc "noie tlae'
of Iand has been divided into eleven
hundred cottage lois, Of which numher over
three hundred bave already been sold. A
marked feature is the erection in the centre
Of the grounds, on the main avenue, OF
handsome orna9ental pavilion. The lower
portion is arranged so as to be used lof
church purposes in good weather. with per a:
lament seats for congregation OF 1,50o
pco pie. pulpit, and all The necessaries for