A Brief History of Brigantine Beach

The first recorded evaluation of Brigantine was in the logbook of the mate on Henry Hudson’s ship in 1608. He wrote, “this is a very good land fall in with – pleasant land to see”. But they never landed on Brigantine Island.

The Lenni-Lenape tribe, who summered and fished here, called it Wattamoonica
which meant “playground”. In 1610 the first whalers and fishing boats appeared off shore. Sometime later pirates including the likes of Captain Kidd were reported to have visited the Island and legend has it that treasure is buried here. Brigantine Island attracted whalemen and privateers, pirates and patriots, and many shipwrecks.

It was during the latter part of the 1800’s that the resort really took hold. During those years boarding houses sprang up and a train ran from the mainland directly
to Brigantine. Part of that old line exists as part of the Brigantine Wildlife refuge.
A popular past-time for Atlantic City tourists in the 1890’s was to ride a trolley car through Brigantine. By 1895 over 100,000 people had come over by boat to ride the trolley through Brigantine.

Like any place with a long history, Brigantine has seen good times and bad. It boomed in the late 19th Century and declined in the early 1900’s. Lack of transportation to the island, storms, fire and floods were the enemies. In 1917, Mayor Al Smith wrote, “Brigantine had
a full fledged city charter and a history running 150 years, but it was one of the quaintest municipalities on the Atlantic Coast. It was a city of 54 residents, 30 homes, no policemen, no school house, no street lights, no public water supply, no stores and no means of communication with the outside world except as small mail boat which made daily round trips to Atlantic City.”

Then in 1922 a group of Atlantic City business men realizing the tremendous possibilities of Brigantine Beach and organized the Island Development Co. who set out to build a complete community. In less than 5 years,they built the first bridge to Atlantic City, Route 30, and started bus service. Artesian wells and pumping plants brought fresh water.

The City Hall, the school, the hotel, one mile of real boardwalk and a recreation pier out over the ocean was built at 14th Street. The golf course was established and property was offered to any religious group, which brought St Thomas Church. In 1925 the Police, Fire and Public Works Department and the Beach Patrol were established and equipped. The Brigantine Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Republican Club were started in 1926.
By 1927 there were 60 children in the school and the PTA was established.

Since the 1950’s the island has enjoyed a steady growth with minor setbacks. There was some over development in the late 1980’s and overall decline in the 1990’s. Since announcement of renewed casino and a general rediscovery of Brigantine in late 1955, Brigantine Beach was enjoyed a new era of growth and has continued to change and prosper. It is anticipated that Brigantine will enjoy this renewed
prosperity for years to come.