The Monticello Hotel was located on the southeast corner of 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue. It drew much of its clientele from visitors arriving by bus at the Trailways Station a block away. The Dinner Bell Restaurant occupied the ground floor of the four-story frame building and was one of Ocean City’s most popular restaurants… Read more »
In June 1990, Ocean City attempted to build the “world’s largest sandcastle” with hopes that it would make the Guinness Book of Records. Built on the beach at North Division Street, it was over 40 feet tall and was visible from the Route 50 Bridge. A light show was featured at night. The big castle… Read more »
Ocean City’s motel industry developed in the mid-1950s following the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the desire of young families for lodging that was casual, inexpensive and that offered easy on-site parking. Within a decade, the vacant land between 15th and 33rd streets became known as “Motel Row.” Motel Row grew from a… Read more »
The building known today as City Hall served as Ocean City High School beginning in 1917. Its first graduating class had only seven students — proof that Ocean City was indeed a small town in those days. The first school bus was built by Hugh T. Cropper Sr. on a used Ford Model-T chassis in… Read more »
The original Morbid Manor was the ultimate “haunted house” with live actors portraying ghosts, goblins and ghouls of all shapes and sizes. It even featured a plane crash on the third floor of the spooky building located on the Fishing Pier at Wicomico Street and the beach. The screams of frightened visitors could be heard… Read more »
The Ocean City beachfront has changed dramatically over the past 60 years. In this picture (circa 1955) taken from a balcony at the old Commander Hotel, the narrowness of the beach in that era is evident , and the photo was taken on low tide. The placement of the umbrellas suggests a windy day and… Read more »
Shantytown Village was developed by Daniel Trimper IV and opened in 1976 next to the Route 50 Bridge in West Ocean City. It was designed to resemble a New England fishing village and was modeled on photos taken by Trimper during a visit to Nantucket Island. It was a popular attraction for Ocean City’s visitors… Read more »
The year 1896 is an important date in the history of Ocean City for it marked the beginning of the commercial fishing industry and changed a small seasonal resort to a year-round town. Captain Christopher Ludlam brought a crew of fishermen from Cape May, N.J. and began pound fishing off the coast of Ocean City… Read more »
The Ocean City Fishing Pier is under construction circa 1906 in this photo but the pier building has not been built. Work began in 1904 and was completed in time for the 1907 season. The original permanent Boardwalk can also be seen; it was narrow and raised above the sand. On hot days, bathers would… Read more »
It’s been 15 years since a three-alarm fire that began around 6 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2002 destroyed Hooper’s Crab House. Firefighters from Ocean City, Ocean Pines and Berlin fought the blaze for over 10 hours at the West Ocean City restaurant. Damages were estimated in excess of $1 million. Water supply was a problem… Read more »