Point Pleasant Beach Water Department

Point Pleasant Beach Water Department Municipal Water Report Info

On September 2, 1609, Henry Hudson and his crew aboard the Half Moon first glimpsed Point Pleasant Beach while exploring northward toward the Hudson River. Crewmember Robert Juet recorded in his journal, "This is a very good land to fall with and a pleasant land to see." The Borough of Point Pleasant Beach was officially established 277 years later on June 2, 1886.

Originally a coastal playground for the Leni Lenape Indians, European settlers arrived during the 1700s. These early residents worked primarily as fishermen and farmers, with many owning substantial acreage. Tourism began developing in the mid-1800s when Thomas Cook Jr. opened his farmhouse (now the site of Antrim Elementary School) to summer boarders.

Soon, the handful of other farm families who owned most local properties also began accommodating visitors. Weekly rates of $8-12 for room and board typically included meals and transportation via wagon through cornfields to reach the beach. Visitors enjoyed the seclusion, refreshing ocean breezes, picnicking in cedar groves along the Manasquan River, fishing, and hunting. Social activities were likely modest, as Cook and other early landowners were devout Quakers.

Captain John Arnold contributed significantly to Point Pleasant Beach's development as a tourist destination in the 1870s after retiring from his maritime career and purchasing land. In 1870, he constructed a road to the ocean, now known as Arnold Avenue. By 1875, he played a key role in building the first bridge across the Manasquan River to Brielle. Later, he persuaded the Central Jersey Railroad to extend service to Point Pleasant Beach by providing right-of-way access, land for a station, and approximately $6,000. The first passenger train arrived on July 3, 1880.