Sirs: I do not know if it is true or not, but my Grandfather Clifford D. Cole, (A ships Capt. whom I am named after), was relation to Lucy and Evelyn whom the vessel was named after. I think they were his aunts or cousins, (don’t know for sure). I’m trying to get some information so I can pass it down to my children. I’m a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Marines (30 yrs.) and live in Florida. I would like to purchase a book on the vessel if possible. Best Regards C.R. Jayne Reply
The Lucy Evelyn was named for the two daughters of the owner when it was a gift shop. The family name was Ewer (pronounced U err) or some spelling close to that. The son ran the small gift shop located off the bow. I believe his name was Nat but I only knew him by his high school nick name, Wedge. Reply
Some of my most cherished memories as a little boy in the early 1960’s was going to visit the Lucy Evelyn after having dinner during a weeks vacation to Long Beach Island; it is sad that she is gone. It is nice that someone has built a replica; it is on my list to visit with my equally cherished wife, St. Salome. The year of the fire was the year I played with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a Junior Student audition winner soloist on May 4. It is amazing how magical some things are; it is as if God used the ship to bring forth my wife and the final log for this passing world as foretold in 2 Peter 3:10-14. Regular updates to the countdown to the Day of the Lord by the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven at : http://risen-from-the-dead.forumotion.com/ Reply
I’m from Washington County Maine. The Lucy.Evelyn was built in Harrington not Machias. If you look on YouTube you’ll find a film From Stump to Ship from 1930. It feature the ship hauling lumber. Reply
As a kid I spent my summers in Beach Haven, circa 1948-1964. The Lucy Evelyn was my backyard playground and where my life long passion for schooners began. Reply
I have an old photo of my mother, brother, and myself in front of the Lucy Evelyn taken around 1965. I would be glad to share it with anyone. Reply
In the early 60’s we often went to the beach here. I can see and taste the penny candy sticks – in a myriad of flavors – from the Lucy Evelyn shop. Reply
I can remember visiting the Lucy Evelyn gift shop as part of our summer vacation in Beach Haven as a small child. I remember what the shop looked like as you entered, and the scent of spices and candlewax that would hit you as you came through the door. I also remember my mother sadly telling me that she’d burned. Born in 1965, I must’ve been six the summer she burned. Amazing which memories stick with you! Reply
Around 1960-65, my 10yr old brother, 9yr old sister and I (6-7yrs?) would go to the Lucy Evelyn on early Friday evenings to see the “Wharf Rats,” a sort-of Peter Paul and Mary/Mamas and the Papas trio who played for tips. We stayed in Beach Haven on the bay side every summer for about a month. Great memories, later visits could never duplicate. Reply
Hi Rick – I was Mary. The two guys were Tim Shields and Jim Ibbotson who later became an early member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and stayed with the group for quite some time. We were all pretty young when you saw us. We sang at The Jolly Pound Boat from the mid-to-late 60s. Nancy Hayford Kueny Reply
That brings up some old memories. I had forgotten about the Jolly Pound and the Wharf Rats. I was only 7 years old in 1965 but now I remember the boat on it’s side. That must have made for some interesting acoustics. Reply
Hi Nancy, I, too, remember the Wharf Rats. I wonder, though, if you remember me. I believe you guys hung out at a house on W 16th street. I was a kid who loved the Monkees, wanted to be a star, and lived on W 15th street. On one occasion that I remember vividly (in embarrassment), I actually hid among the cattails in the empty lot next to your house and sang Monkee songs at the top of my lungs so you guys could “discover” me! LOL! Somebody did come out on the upper deck and looked around… but I shut up and stayed hidden. LOL! So much for stardom. It probably wasn’t even you guys there. LOL! Reply
Wow! My friend, Nancy, & I used to come watch the 3 of you perform. Then we took guitar lessons with the guys. Jim for me & Tim for her. I still have an orange & blue Wharf Rats t-shirt! Reply
I spent a good portion of my child hood riding my bike in the dirt parking lot behind the wharf. Living on top of the candy store in the wharf I spent the winters riding up and down the empty board walk, the boards old and gapped making a thumbing sound as i road across them. Somedays I spent combing the beaches with Muffin, (Muff) Nat Ewer’s daughter. We would collect driftwood and shells and go back to the gift shop and create things on her crafting table in the back of the shop. Freeway, Muffins cat always hanging out watching what we were up too. The gift shop had this ambiance and smell like no other old salty wood and candlewood smell. I will never forget that place or those times. Reply
As a child I remember vacationing in Beach Haven and always visiting Lucy Evelyn. My parents were good friends with the artist, Bruce Kamp, who was hired to paint a picture of LE. His first picture , he was not pleased with and threw it out. My mother rescued it from the trash. He painted a second picture which was hung in the ship It was destroyed in the fire. The rescued painting is hanging in my brothers ” man cave”. He loves it. Reply
Have fond memories of the schooner Lucy Evelyn in Beach Haven. Spent many summers as a young child with my family in the late 50s and early 60s in LBI. Have a picture of myself as a kid with a captains hat on the deck, will have to dig it out. Every time I visit the island I still find myself looking for it. I guess I’m just living in the past. Reply
So am I. My girlfriend is used to me checking out the remaining artifacts every time we visit the Schooner’s Wharf. Reply
The rabbit holes one falls down are amazing here on the interwebz.! I was looking for information about a sawmill to process some logs I have and ran across an amazing film about logging old growth Redwoods in the Pacific Northwest, first link below. If you watch it, this will make you cringe, sad, and amazed, all at the same time! Following the list of recommended other videos, I ran across one about logging in Maine, 1930, which plays perfectly into the whole concept of rabbit hole! It was a film made in 1930 by Alfred Ames, owner of Machias Lumber Co, Machias, ME. Wonderful little piece about logging in the northeast as the title said, from stump to ship. Second link. About now, one may ask, what does any of this nonsense have to do with LBI, NJ.? I was curious about the ship, mentioned in the film, since that plays to one of my other interests of wooden boats. The ship was called the Lucy Evelyn. No mention of where that name came from. She was built in Harrington, ME in 1917 for the Machias Lumber Co. By 1930, she carried her last load of lumber to a shipyard in Bridgeport, CT. Since the film stopped it’s history at 1930, I was curious about her later life, and did the DuckDuckGo thing. That sent me here, where I saw some of the rest of the story. Still a gap from 1930 to 1948, but I could not find anything on that yet. (LE is at about 23:00 min – last load of lathe.) There seem to be fond memories expressed here about the ship’s later years, so I am posting this for anyone interested. She met a sad end in later life… a door cut in her side to be a gift shop..? Really? Well, she probably would not have survived until 1972 if that had not happened, so it likely is a good thing. People have some good memories from it! Last link shows a ship listing where Lucy Evelyn is shown to have been built by Frye, Flynn Co. Alfred is buried in Maine. 3rd link. 4th is Wiki page about Alfred – pretty sparse. Well, that’s about all I know – hope someone enjoys this as much as I have! Dan Redwoods https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f_FjfIQQfo&app=desktop Machias Lumber Co. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIKCjQdxtO0&app=desktop Alfred Ames https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95702804/alfred-keller-ames Alfred Ames https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_K._Ames Lucy Evelyn builder http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/19thcentury/otherme.htm Reply
Wow – thanks for that info.. There are a couple of pages on the site about the Lucy Evelyn. As I understand it, she was named for the original owner’s two daughters. Also, she was shelled by a U-Boat during WWII but not hit. Thanks again Reply
Bit more info. Lucy was sister of John K Ames, founder of Machias Lumber, and Alfred Ames father. Probably the man who made the purchase of the ship. Can find no reference anywhere (so far) to an Evelyn. At this point, my best guess is that is Lucy’s middle name…? There is an Evelyn in the family, but she appears to maybe be a sister in law? https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1229&context=findingaids Reply
As an immigrant from Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1953, just out of High School in 1957, got a job as a rodman on a survey crew and having been accepted and getting ready to attend Drexel Institute of Technology (now Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA) Evening Division for a BS in Civil Engineering. Spent many months on LBI holding a “rod” in the surf, both in winter and summer, getting elevations… Including North and South of “Lucy” and hearing stories ( mostly second and third hand) about the “event”. Got though the tough years, enlisted in the US Army, graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1970, with a wonderful wife, three children and currently seven grandchildren. Close to celebrating of 61st Wedding Anniversary… God Bless America! Reply
For anyone interested, the Ewer family sat down for a series of interviews which became a documentary on The Lucy Evelyn and their life in Beach Haven. It is now on YouTube. https://youtu.be/beef_6jfyQ0 Reply
The Ewer family, who bought the Lucy Evelyn and repurposed it as a gift shop, sat down for interviews. This became a documentary about their time with the schooner and their lives in Beach Haven. You can watch the video on YouTube. https://youtu.be/beef_6jfyQ0 Reply
Just watched the family interviews and reminiscences. Great job, bringing one back in time to such a unique and special place. We vacationed on Long Beach Island in the 50s and 60s, and I loved every minute of it. Kudos to the family for all the pleasure they brought to us all. Reply
I have a set of salt and pepper shakers that look and feel like cast iron. Schooner Lucy Evelyn is stamped on the back. Searching this name I learned about N.J. history I never knew! I wish I had had the opportunity to see this ship. I got the salt and pepper shakers from my mother in law to add to my nautical collection. Reply