A History of the Laingdon

8 Ocean Avenue  ·  Ocean Grove, New Jersey

Built prior to 1875, the Laingdon is one of the few original hotels remaining in Ocean Grove. Its story spans seven owners, three name changes, and a 2004 landmark restoration — all while keeping its Victorian character intact.

• 1870–72
  The Oceanfront Lot

  The oceanfront property at lots 436 and 437 changed hands quickly in Ocean Grove's early years — from Thomas W. Price (1870) to James I. Boswell (1871) to Stephen R. Post (1872).

• 1879
  The Demarest Era

  Julia M. Young Demarest purchased both lots. The property first appeared on the 1881 Bird's Eye View of Ocean Grove. The 1890 Sanborn Insurance Map recorded it as a 3½-story dwelling with a veranda facing the ocean.

• 1893
  First Hotel Advertisement

  The first record of the property operating as a hotel appeared in an 1893 advertisement, managed by Miss Maria J. Holt of Philadelphia — who would remain associated with the property for nearly two decades.

• 1895
  Renamed “The Langdon”

  After a major enlargement, Miss M. A. Holt renamed the property from the Demarest to The Langdon. Press noted the workmen “have given the proprietor considerably more room, which she greatly needed.”

• 1896–98
  Further Expansion

  Sarah A. Stillman and then Miss R. J. Russell took ownership. Russell contracted enlargements including a new dining room, kitchen, and second-floor toilet rooms. The 1905 Sanborn Map showed the expanded property with a fourth floor and three-story verandas.

• 1912
  New Management

  Rev. and Mrs. William Jones took over management, along with new flooring throughout. Mrs. Josephine Jones later expanded operations by renting the adjoining 7 Ocean Avenue as an annex.

• 1916
  Renamed “The Laingdon”

  Mrs. Annie D. Laing of Newark purchased the hotel in late 1915 and took over management mid-season 1916. She renamed it The Laingdon — a tribute to her own name — and ran it until her death at the hotel on October 17, 1936.

• 1921
  Major Addition

  A four-story addition expanded the hotel to 34 rooms. Monmouth County records cite 1921 as the build year for this addition, one of the largest changes in the hotel's history.

• 1925
  Brief Renaming: “The St. Charles”

  Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Meyer of Lakewood purchased the hotel and renamed it the St. Charles. The Laingdon name returned in 1936 when ownership reverted to Annie Laing.

• 1941–71
  Post-War Ownership

  Dorothy Hart (Annie Laing's daughter) owned the hotel through 1945, followed by the Chamberlain family, the Keneipp family, and finally Jennie B. Oswald — who ran it for 20 years, introduced private bath rooms, and dedicated a Quiet Room in memory of her mother before selling to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Scott in 1971.

• 2001–04
  Landmark Restoration

  PHJ LLC acquired the hotel in 2001. The 2004 restoration preserved the walnut staircase, hand-plastered corridors, original transom doors, wide oak floors, and exterior clapboard with period colors — bringing the 19th-century building back to life while adding modern conveniences.

Historical information derived from the Ocean Grove Historical Society and research by David H. Fox, 2022.