NEW JERSEY MARITIME MUSEUM

Woman’s Dream Of Maritime Museum Comes True

By Kelley Anne Mc Gee

     Like most young girls growing up, Deborah Whitcraft had her dreams and ambitions. The only difference was hers included opening a maritime museum someday. Her passion for the Jersey Shore and anything nautical relating to it came natural to her, and at just 16, she began collecting memorabilia.      

     Rare books filled with stories, or true accounts of storms, shipwrecks, pirates, rumrunners, shark attacks and life-saving service reports, silver spoons, dishes and paperweights showcasing New Jersey’s lighthouses on them,  pieces of scrimshaw, dramatic photos of significant storms that ravaged coastal communities, lighthouses and their keepers, life-saving stations and their crew, old railroad tickets to shore points, logs of various shipwrecks along the coast, as well as artifacts such as life-preservers from the famed shipwreck the Morro Castle, old fishing reels, ship lanterns and steering wheels, aged oyster knifes, early navigational equipment including a compass, tons of old-fashion postcards depicting New Jersey’s shore towns, as well as fishing and boating scenes, articles on maritime disasters, along with odds and ends, were just some of the treasures she came across. 

     Her unusual career path seemed to almost always connect her to the shore and with seafaring, one way or another. There was the diving business she owned and operated, and diving expeditions with fellow divers to wrecks along the Jersey coast.

     Then the Beach Haven Fishing Centre, and the partnership of the Black Whale, which still exists today, a paddlewheel riverboat that takes passengers on scenic cruises of the back bays to Atlantic City, where she once stood on the dock, and happily greeted passengers with her two adorable black labs, who would entertain folks until cruise time by diving into the bay for a refreshing dip and favorite stick.

     For a time, she lectured plus wrote scores of columns on maritime subjects for local publications, and served several terms as mayor for the shore town of Beach Haven.

     Over the years, as her hobby and interests in this area grew, so did her collection, and when she ran out of room, friends kindly picked-up the slack and offered her storage space for her finds.

     After years of hard work, selling off businesses to help finance her project, and with the support and encouragement of her husband Jim Vogel, and business partner Bob Yates,  she was able to start working on her long time dream. 

     Two large parking lots, which once served as additional parking space for buses for tour groups and overflowing passengers boarding the Black Whale, would be the foundation of the museum and its eventual new home. She went to work on her ideas, and met with architects to discuss the design of the museum.

     However, she faced challenges ahead, some anticipated, others not expected, and one of the most difficult, seeing her husband through a serious illness. But like the tides, life ebbs and flows, and somehow she pressed on.  

     Finally, after 35 years of dreaming and collecting, and working towards her goal, her dream came true in July of 2007, when she opened the long awaited Museum of New Jersey Maritime History.

     Located on Dock Road and West Avenue in Beach Haven on Long Beach Island, the outside of the handsome green building, first greets visitors with a grand ship’s anchor, high flying American flag, and lower flying pirate flag featuring a Jolly Roger on it.

     Once inside, the museum offers several floors and rooms filled with a splendid collection of everything nautical you could possibly imagine, associated with the Jersey Shore. In addition to Ms. Whitcraft’s personal collection, local divers and fishermen have generously contributed their fair share of finds to the museum also.

     One room is solely dedicated to the shipwreck of the Morro Castle, which sunk off the coast of Asbury Park in 1934, and killed approximately 134 passengers. The room contains artifacts  pertaining to the ill-fated luxury cruise liner, as well as rare photos and news articles, and a newsreel shows actual footage regarding the doomed ship and its impact on crew and passengers.

     Other newsreels located throughout the museum, document intriguing stories and or histories on topics such as shipwrecks, storms, pirates, rumrunners, and shark attacks that affected the Jersey coast.

     The museum contains an internet café, gift-shop, a maritime library, one of the largest of its kind, and is a lending library as well.

     Throughout the year, the museum will feature different displays and changing theme exhibits, have interesting guest speakers and  programs, and hold special events.

     The museum will occasionally travel and visit places such as schools and clubs for group presentations and discussions, upon requests.

     Incidentally, the museum is also the new home for Alliance for a living Ocean, a non-profit group dedicated to the protection of the marine environment, and helps to promote a clean and healthy ocean.

     For couples who love the shore and a nautical atmosphere, and are looking for a memorable way or unusual place to marry, they may like to consider holding their wedding ceremony at the museum. Ms. Whitcraft can perform official civil wedding ceremonies, and several couples have already taken the plunge there. All of the proceeds are donated back to the non-profit museum.

     Although the new maritime museum is a personal achievement that has made Ms. Whitcraft extremely happy, and her dream’s come true, she had other reasons for establishing it.   

     “The Jersey Shore has such a rich heritage when it comes to its past, it be a shame if that were ever truly lost or forgotten somehow. I want to help preserve that, and share it with others, as well as pass it on to younger generations.

     Maritime history in general has played such a huge and important role at the shore, it’s so precious, and also what helps give the shore its unique flavor, it’s a very special place.

     I find the shore and all that it encompasses, just fascinating, I hope others will too. I’m hoping the museum helps spread interest to others, and long after I’m gone, I hope the spirit of the Jersey Shore and its maritime ties will survive and help live on through this museum,” Ms. Whitcraft explains.

     The only thing missing from this whole experience for Ms. Whitcraft, is her biggest fan and cheerleader, her  dad. He did not live to see his daughter’s dream of the maritime museum come true. He passed away sadly enough last year. But I have the feeling he knows, and would be especially proud of his daughter and her accomplishments. Few others might’ve shown as much patience, determination, or ever achieved such a great feat.

     The Museum of New Jersey Maritime History, is one woman’s incredible odyssey and collection that began 35 years ago, and luckily for us, her love affair with the Jersey Shore, and its nautical reminders.

     The museum offers self-guided or group tours, arrangements for group tours should be made in advance. Also, anyone who has anything of interest regarding the Jersey Shore they would like to either share or donate, whether it be a presentation of some kind or nautical artifacts, are encouraged to contact the museum. Opportunities also exist for volunteers in all areas and departments.

     The museum has on premise public restrooms, is handicapped accessible, and has elevators. Free admission, but donations gladly accepted and very much appreciated. Free parking on the premises and nearby municipal parking also available.

     The museum is open daily during summer, and in the off-season, Thursdays thru Sundays year-round. Check ahead for hours of operation and schedule of guests/programs/events. For additional information on the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History, please contact Phone: (609) 482-0202 or visit Website: www.MuseumofNJMH.com .

“It's a fulltime job and there's a lot of work that needs to be done. I'm lucky to have a husband and ex-husband who have supported me throughout all of these years,” Whitcraft said.

May 11, 2006: New Jersey Mayor Wants a Maritime Museum for her Artifacts and Rare Books

Maritime Museum in Beach Haven

Looking for something to do when it’s necessary to get out of the sun and off the beach? A new maritime museum has opened in Beach Haven, a community on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island. The Asbury Park Press reports that the new Museum of New Jersey Maritime History was the pet project of Beach Haven’s mayor, Deborah C. Whitcraft, an avid diver and historian.

The museum opened on Sunday, and you can find information on shipwrecks in the area, pirate tales and shark attacks. The museum is also the headquarters for Alliance for a Living Ocean, a grass-roots organization that focuses on the coastal environment. The newspaper reports:

Along with her husband, Jim Vogel, and her ex-husband and business partner, Bob Yates, Whitcraft created a place where nautical artifacts, historic photos and prized volumes of record books can be viewed by the public.

“The majority of artifacts actually were donated by this wonderful group of guys I used to dive with,” Whitcraft said. “Divers are egotists and they loved to have their stuff seen.”

For the last 35 years, Whitcraft has been an avid collector and historian for all things pertaining to sea.

The museum contains a complete set of 39 volumes of annual reports from the U.S. Lifesaving Service, precursor to the modern-day Coast Guard. Whitcraft said the reports are an extremely rare find.

“There were so few full volumes of U.S. Lifesaving Service annual reports from 1876 until 1914,” she said. In 1915, the Coast Guard was formed and took over the reporting.

“I used to visit these cemeteries all over the state where a lot of sailors and sea captains were buried,” Whitcraft said.

Posted by the Times-Beacon Newspapers on 07/18/07

But not in Beach Haven. The new museum, which certainly is a welcome addition to Long Beach Island as well as Ocean County, is owned by Deborah Whitcraft, former Beach Haven mayor, and her husband Jim Vogel.

In Washington and Trenton, politicians fight, and though they may hate each other's guts, they kiss and make up — at least in public. But not on this stretch of beach.

Whitcraft's successor, Mayor Tom Stewart, voted against the museum, as did another borough official, Michael Battista, who owns a couple of bars/restaurants in town, including one just down the block from the museum. Battista has not forgotten the times, during Whitcraft's reign as mayor, that police were sent to his places on various calls.

There's obviously no love lost between Battista and Whitcraft. Evidently, that was obvious to the judge as well.

In the meantime, the public, who has no political ax to grind, can enjoy a visit to a wonderful museum that has taken years to come to fruition. They can peruse the extensive collection of reference books, look up information on the Internet, learn all about some of the great shipwrecks, such as the Morro Castle, about deep sea diving and more.

The maritime museum complements Long Beach Island's other two museums, the Barnegat Light Historical Museum and the Long Beach Island Historical Museum, also in Beach Haven, very nicely. And, were an enterprising boatman willing to take on the job, a boat taxi service between the Beach Haven Maritime History Museum and the Tuckerton Seaport would be beneficial to both.

The museum also is a perfect fit for the Alliance for a Living Ocean, which educates visitors on the importance of the marine ecology.

We urge everyone to go visit this latest treasure, including Mayor Stewart. We'd like to see him put aside old prejudices, either against Whitcraft or the museum, see for himself how good it is for the town, and show his constituents the kind of grace a good politician can have.

Whitcraft and the late Freeholder/Long Beach Township Mayor Jim Mancini were not exactly best buddies either, but we have no doubt that were he still with us, he would have been at the museum opening Sunday, kissing cheeks and pressing hands and extolling the virtues of the latest jewel in the Ocean County crown.

Items include rare Lifesaving Service annual reports

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 07/19/07

BY NANCY HUNTER
GANNETT NEW JERSEY

BEACH HAVEN — Talk about a disgruntled worker.

George Rogers thought he was going to be fired from his job, so he devised a plan to save his job. Poison his boss, start a fire at the office and ultimately become a hero by saving people from the inferno.

The day was Sept. 8. The year was 1934. The place was a few miles off the Asbury Park coastline on the Morro Castle ship.

This is just one of the many tales from the sea on display at the new Museum of New Jersey Maritime History located on Dock Road and West Avenue. Its doors officially opened on Sunday, and a long-awaited dream came true for former Mayor Deborah C. Whitcraft.

Along with her husband, Jim Vogel, and her ex-husband and business partner, Bob Yates, Whitcraft created a place where nautical artifacts, historic photos and prized volumes of record books can be viewed by the public.

"The majority of artifacts actually were donated by this wonderful group of guys I used to dive with," Whitcraft said. "Divers are egotists and they loved to have their stuff seen."

For the last 35 years, Whitcraft has been an avid collector and historian for all things pertaining to sea.

The museum contains a complete set of 39 volumes of annual reports from the U.S. Lifesaving Service, precursor to the modern-day Coast Guard. Whitcraft said the reports are an extremely rare find.

"There were so few full volumes of U.S. Lifesaving Service annual reports from 1876 until 1914," she said. In 1915, the Coast Guard was formed and took over the reporting.

"I used to visit these cemeteries all over the state where a lot of sailors and sea captains were buried," Whitcraft said.

A lot of the research actually came from the cemeteries because, prior to the Lifesaving Service reports, there weren't any documented accounts of shipwrecks.

"Some of the tombstones would actually put the name of the person when they were able to be identified, the vessel from which they lost there lives, and sometimes they would give you longitude and latitude line."

With New Jersey smack in the middle of two major ports, Philadelphia and New York, there have been plenty of shipwrecks.

Whitcraft has documented 5,400 shipwrecks, which have been added to a computer database that is available to the public.

In addition to annual reports, photos and artifacts, replicas were designed to illustrate how the life-saving stations would have been operated.

One room is entirely dedicated to the Morro Castle disaster.

Filled with memorabilia and Acme photos of the shipwreck, the room has actual newsreels playing that show the survivors and the rescue effort. There is even a life-jacket worn by an actual survivor on display. It was authenticated by Christie's Auction House and valued at $3,000 to $5,000.

Whitcraft said that although 134 people died on the Morro Castle, with some dying in their state rooms from the fire and others drowning, the majority of the fatalities were caused by the life-jackets.

"The life-jacket is filled with hard cork inside," she said.

"The height from which people jumped feet first from the Morro Castle deck — they hit the water with such a tremendous impact that the jackets went up and broke their necks."

The disgruntled worker, George Rogers, was, for a few months portrayed as a hero of Morro Castle. It was found later that he committed arson at a factory where he worked. Once again, he thought he was going to lose his job and did it again, but he got caught. Rogers died in prison, but not before he admitted to the crimes.

Whitcraft, pleased with the museum, does have one regret.

"My Dad was my greatest supporter. He died last year, and I'm just sorry he couldn't see this finished," she said.

In addition to having a research center and a lending library with volumes on topics including shipwrecks, pirates and shark attacks, the museum is the headquarters for Alliance for a Living Ocean, a local grass-roots organization committed to a clean and healthy coastal environment.

The museum's summer hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.