Coordinates
Lat: N 39 ° 58 ' 5 '' ( 39.968 ° )
Lon: W 74 ° 4 ' 11 '' ( -74.070 ° )
Zip Code 08735
Lavallette is located in the central seashore region of New Jersey and convenient to metropolitan New York and Pennsylvania.
Lavallette is the ideal family resort with eight protected ocean beaches for swimming, along with designated beaches for surfing and surf fishing. There are two beaches on Barnegat Bay for those who prefer calmer water. There are playgrounds for children and docks for fishing and crabbing. Tennis, bocce, shuffleboard, a basketball court and also many playgrounds available. Barnegat Bay provides boating, sailing, windsurfing and many other water sports.
Band concerts and Movies on the Bay are held at the Centennial Gazebo and Gardens located at Philadelphia Ave and the Bay Front. Lavallette holds a fireworks show every year on the first Sunday after the 4th of July. This years fireworks show will be on July 4th.
Motels, condominiums, and a large selection of homes are available for rent each season. Many types of rentals are available to enjoy the area such as kayaks and boats.
Restaurants, casual dining, pizzerias, delis, department stores, specialty and gift shops provide a fine shopping and dining experience.
There are three churches of different faiths. Faith Lutheran, Union Church, Saint Bonaventure.
Along with full
Police protection, there is
a Volunteer Fire Department and
First Aid Squad.
Lavallette is also conveniently located a short distance from many of Ocean County's finest resort attractions.
Stop by the Welcome Center / Beach Badge Office, located in the Municipal Complex behind the Giant Clam, for detailed information on the many activities and attractions in town and around the county.
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Lavallette Population By Date |
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| Incorporation | Date | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
| Lavallette Borough | 1887 | 287 | 315 | 567 | 832 | 1,509 | 2,072 | 2,299 | 2,665 | TBD |
Historical Background of Lavallette, New Jersey
The Borough of Lavallette was formally incorporated in late December of 1887, but Lavallette, as a place name is almost ten years older. In February of 1878, the directors of the Barnegat Land Improvement Company filed a plot plan with Ocean County, designating the tract they purchased from Michael W. Ortley as "Lavallette City by the Sea." The name honored U. S. Navy Admiral Elie A. F. LaVallette, who distinguished himself as a young lieutenant aboard Commodore Thomas McDonough's flagship in the battle of Lake Champlain and later commanded the U.S.S. Constitution. Of French descent, the Admiral legally anglicized his name to Lavallette in 1830. His son, A. T. Lavallette, was secretary of the Land Improvement Company.
The Lavallette area shares a common history with other barrier island beaches of central New Jersey. The earliest human inhabitants along these beaches almost certainly were Lenni-Lenape Indians, who made an annual spring migration from their inland homes to the sea to harvest the abundant fish and shellfish. They were, however, strictly summer visitors. Like most of those who followed centuries later, they forsook the shore at the first signs of autumn.
The first recorded description of the area is the oft-quoted passage from the journal of Robert Juet, the first mate on Henry Hudson's "Half Moon.” Sailing north past Barnegat Inlet in 1609, he noted that the coast was "all broken islands," with a "great lake of water behind.” In addition, he added, “this is a very good land to fall in with, and a pleasant land to see.” It was not until the mid-1600, however, that Europeans set foot on the beaches south of Manasquan Inlet. Whalers based in New England and Long Island, set up temporary camps along the coast. Shortly thereafter, as Dutch settlers began to establish villages on the mainland, some of the villagers "worked the beaches" as anglers and whalers. Although settlement of the mainland continued, and Toms River was a flourishing port in pre-Revolutionary days, the nearby ocean beaches remained all but uninhabited through the 18th century and well into the 19th. Before 1850, the only substantial structure in the neighborhood of Lavallette was a hunting lodge that became famous as the Chadwick House. It was built in 1830 near the site of today's Ocean Beach Marina.
For much of the time, from about 1720 to 1812, the peninsula stretching from Bay Head ended at Cranberry Inlet that cut through from the ocean to the bay near what is now the northern boundary of Seaside Heights. The Peninsula was known as Squan Beach, and the island between Cranberry and Barnegat inlets was Island Beach. For some time after Cranberry Inlet closed, the distinction between the two areas was maintained, at least locally, and when the Land Improvement Company filed its 1878 map the location was identified as Squan Beach.
That map could serve as a guide to Lavallette today, from Trenton Avenue to Ortley Avenue., with a few adjustments to the north-south thoroughfares. The map shows an OceanAvenue, running the length of the town on the beachfront, where the boardwalk is now located. There is, of course, no Anna 0. Hankins Blvd., which was created from the railroad right-of-way after the railroad came and went. Nor did Bay Boulevard exist. The area of Bay Boulevard was then coves and creeks, which were later filled in. The map also defined the basic character of the town, with uncommonly broad streets, providing a sense of openness that became more valued as development progressed with uniform building lots of 50 x 100 feet. Later restrictions on height of buildings, the one lot--one dwelling rule, and a ban on commercial development of the oceanfront and bayfront has preserved this atmosphere and contributed to Lavallette's popularity as a family resort or home site.
Initial development was slow, however, since Lavallette was accessible only by steam launch or sailboat. The nearest railhead was Toms River. When the railroad crossed the bay at South Seaside Park and traveled north to Bay Head in 1881, following the line of what is now Route 35 South, it brought more visitors and prospective homeowners. Even so, when the election to establish the Borough was held in 1887 there were just 17 registered voters, and by 1910, the year-round population had grown only to 42 voters.
The summer population was expanding more rapidly, as evidenced by the construction of the Union Church in 1887 and the Yacht Club (then on the beachfront) in 1905. George Wilt opened the town's first store on the northwest corner of Reese and Grand Central Avenues. The Johnson brothers purchased it before the turn of the century, and it became the hub of the "business district," which consisted of several stores and a boarding house. Most of the early residents settled around this area. The Fairway Hotel, on the southeast corner of President and Grand Central Avenues, was the anchor. The 1887 election establishing Lavallette as a Borough was held at the Fairway Hotel. The railroad station also was at Reese Avenue, as was the town's dock. In those days, Bay Boulevard was a one-block stretch of sand and gravel from Reese to President Avenues.
The main industry in Lavallette in the early 1900’s was commercial fishing. Fish pounds—a net system used for catching or trapping fish—had been established in Sandy Hook around 1800, but it was not economically viable to maintain pounds on the Squan Beach peninsula until the arrival of the railroad in 1881. There were three fish pounds in Lavallette—one at the north end of town, one at President Avenue, and one at the south end of town. Chadwick Fisheries owned all of them. Fish were caught in the offshore nets. They were brought to the beach by ‘pound’ boats, packed in barrels and shipped to markets in Philadelphia and New York. Pound fishing was rough on boats, and Charles Hankins opened his boat building business in 1912 to keep up with the demand of replacing fifteen to twenty 33-foot pound boats a year. Offshore pound fishing was a strategic resource up to World War II. When the railroad stopped running after the war, shipping fish to market by trucks became too expensive. In 1948, the Chadwick Fisheries was the last to cease operations along the Jersey coast. Opening of the gravel road from Bay Head to Seaside Park along what is now Route 35 North in 1911, coupled with completion of a wooden vehicular bridge across the Bay at Seaside Heights three years later, provided some impetus to growth. It also reinforced the pattern of commercial development along Grand Central Avenue.
Elsewhere, the principal commercial sites in Lavallette were the Hankins Boat Works, established in 1912 on the bay front at Reese Avenue, Brackman Brothers' building supply complex at Magee Avenue, the railroad and several boat liveries along the bay front. With the advent of zoning, these businesses became non-conforming uses. Traces of these old “non-conforming businesses” remain; such as the bay front restaurant at Reese Avenue and Bay Boulevard and the remodeled AST Development, Inc. building and the tackle shop across the street from each other on Magee Avenue and Route 35 South.
Residential growth remained modest until the 1920's, when such amenities as electricity, running water, and gas became available and the borough installed a sewage system. By 1930, Lavallette was a well established, if still small, family resort. The year-round population had reached 287. The depression and World War II brought growth to a virtual standstill, but the post-war boom saw rapid expansion of both residential and commercial activity. Although railroad service ceased in 1947, it had become a negligible factor by then, outmoded by improved highways and automobiles. As early as 1937, the Ocean County Review in an editorial called for a "four-lane bridge across Barnegat Bay to meet present day traffic conditions." Those pleas were not answered until after WWII (and then only with a three-lane span). The opening of the Garden State Parkway in 1954 brought a torrent of traffic from North Jersey, and the higher and wider Tunney Bridge joined the Mathis Bridge. By this time, Bay Boulevard was completed and the construction (in 1960) of Route 35 South in the old railroad right-of-way added to the increase in growth. This contributed to an almost explosive growth in the late 1940’s and the 1950's, particularly in the southern portion of the town. It was in this period, too, that the trend toward year-round living at the shore began, producing significant increases in Lavallette’s population.
Between 1940 and 1960, the number of year-round residents increased by 164% from 315 to 832. Summer crowds escalated almost proportionately. More recently, the rate of growth has slowed. The 1970 census figure of 1,509 reflects primarily the annexation of West Point Island plus some real growth. The 1980 figure of 2,072 included the annexation of the Westmont Shores area (North Lavallette) for the first time. Today's population of about 2,471 represents a modest growth of about 400 since 1980.
Through all of this, however, the basic pattern of development was maintained. Commercial uses spread along Grand Central Avenue, but the integrity of the boardwalk, the bay front, and the more recently accessible space along Route 35 South was protected. Lavallette today is a mature town, with little buildable space available. School facilities were expanded three times between 1955 and 1981. Despite the growth in permanent population, Lavallette remains primarily a summer resort. The qualities that make it popular – the clean sand beaches (its greatest natural asset) and the fruits of sound planning for more than a century – need to be protected and nourished for the benefit of the economy as well as for the enjoyment of its residents.
Accessibility Information:
Accessibility information to all public buildings in the borough for the disabled.
Lavallette
Accessibility Guide
Animals:
Animals must be on a leash at all times. No animals are allowed on the beach or other places of resort at any time.
Animals on a
leash can only be taken on the boardwalk at times
other than regular bathing season.
Feces must be removed immediately, Do not dispose of feces in storm drains. All storm drain flow into the Barnegat Bay.
Cats and dogs must be licensed each year.
License is good for the calendar year, and can not be issued unless the current rabies vaccination if good through October of the year registering.
AutoPay
Program:
Borough of Lavallette “Autopay”
Sign up for our Automatic Payment Plan and
have your bills automatically
paid from your checking or savings account on your due date each month!
Remove the stress of misplaced or late bill payments with
The Borough of Lavallette "AutoPay" program. No more writing checks,
rummaging for stamps, or rushing to get your payment in on time!
Click Here for More Information.
Related Information: Tax Office, Electric Billing, Water & Sewer Department.
Beach Badges:
The Beach Badge Office Is Open 7
Days a week From 9am - 3pm During The Season.
Currently Closed for the Season More Info
Badges will go on sale for 2010 in May
Beach Badge Office Will Be Open For Pre-Season Sales May 7th
Beach
Buggy's:
Beach
Buggy Permit
Beach Closed To Buggy's
Until September 16
Do Not Operate any type of motor vehicle, motor-driven vehicle, or motor-assisted vehicle on the municipal beach from May 1st through and including September 15th and on Saturday or Sunday from September 16th through and including September 30th. The “municipal beach” shall be defined as all lands east of the municipal boardwalk and west of the low water mark of the Atlantic Ocean.
BE ADVISED: You are responsible for
knowing the regulations governing the use of vehicles on the beach;
therefore, be sure to read the Code for Permits!
Permits are good for the Calendar year January 1st - December 31
Fill out
Beach
Buggy Permit Application
, and bring it to
Lavallette Borough Hall.
Borough of Lavallette
1306 Grand Central Avenue
Lavallette, NJ 08735
Beach Wheelchair's:
Available on a first come first serve basis through the Lifeguard Headquarters 732-793-2566
Bicycles on the Boardwalk:
Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend.
Bikes are allowed on the boardwalk daily during the season from 5am-10am only.
Bicycles are allowed on the boardwalk at all time off season.
When riding your bike on the street,
ride your bicycle with the flow of traffic on the right side
of the road, Not against it! Obey all of the same traffic laws as a motor vehicle!
Throughout the rest of the year there is no restrictions on bicycles on the boardwalk.
Boat Moorings and Boat Slips:
Lavallette has 60 mooring posts along the bay front to secure small crafts at like kayaks, and small sail boats. They run from Ortley Avenue to President Avenue, and cost $100.00 for the season. Each boat requires a decal and a post to attach it to.
Boats may be stored on the mooring until October 31st of the year the mooring permit was issued.
Lavallette also has a 5 slip municipal pier, located at Jersey City Avenue for seasonal in-water boat storage, the cost for a season is $1,100. Active Waiting List
Contact Borough Hall for mooring permits 732-793-7477 Option 1
Boat Ramp:
Located at the base of the bridge to West Point Island
Bay Boulevard & New Brunswick Avenues
Gps 39.968195, -74.075333
A separate sticker is required for any motor drawn vehicle or trailer parked in any of the Municipal parking lots on the bay front and allows use of the municipal boat ramp. Trailer Stickers are $50.00 and are to be permanently affixed. Stickers are available at the Beach Badge Office. 732-793-2111
Ramp is Concrete
Commercial Trailer Stickers are available for $100.00 and are required all year.
List of other
boat ramps in the state
Please Note The
Number for Lavallette Ramp Listed Incorrectly In Above PDF. The phone number for
the boat ramp is the beach badge office number 732-793-2111
Borough Hall:
Lavallette Borough Hall
Open Monday through Friday, from 9am to 4pm.
732-793-7477
Mailing Address: 1306 Grand Central Avenue, Lavallette NJ 08735
Borough Hall is closed on the following holidays
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New Year’s Day |
Martin Luther King Day | Lincoln’s Day |
Washington’s Day |
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Good Friday |
Memorial Day |
Fourth of July |
Labor Day |
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Columbus Day |
Election Day |
Veteran’s Day |
Thanksgiving Day |
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Day after Thanksgiving |
Christmas Day |
Payments can be left after hours at the Drop Box in the Police Station
Lobby open 24/7
Related Information: Clerks Office, Tax Department, Electric Billing, Water & Sewer Department, Building, Zoning & Planning Board
Churches:
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Faith Evangelical Lutheran |
St. Pio of Pietrelcina | Union Church |
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Year Round Worship Service Sunday 9:30am Sunday School 9:30am |
Sunday Morning - 8:00am & 10:30am |
Worship
Schedule |
Gazebo
and Pavilion
Use, & Officiate Requests:
You must fill out the
Gazebo and Pavilion Use Application
and mail it with payment to:
Borough Hall
1306 Grand Central Avenue
Lavallette, NJ 08735
If the date is
available you will get a 2 hour time block, and you will be sent rules for use
of the grounds.
Rules
and Regulations.
No rice, bird seed, or confetti allowed. Use of bubbles permitted. Contact Borough Hall for more information or to confirm your request.
A $200.00 fee is required for use of the gazebo and boardwalk pavilions year round.
Requests for and officiate if available
is an additional charge of $50.00 payable the day of the service by
check or money order only made
out to The Borough of Lavallette.
Download
Gazebo
and Pavilion Use Application.
Download
Request for Officiate Form.
Please keep in mind that during the summer months at the the bay lots parking stickers are required, and on the beach during bathing hours badges are required.
Related Information: Marriage License, Civil Union License, Domestic Partnership License, Parking Stickers, Beach Badges.
Smoking is prohibited on the bay beaches, Chandler Field and playground area,
the Gazebo grounds and Jacobson
Park.
Library:
Upper Shores Branch of The Ocean County Library
112 Jersey City Ave, Corner of Route 35
south.
Lavallette, NJ 08735
Phone: 732-793-3996
Fax: 732-793-4942
Hours:
Monday 10-5
Tuesday & Wednesday 10-9
Thursday & Friday 10-5
Saturday 10-1
Sunday Closed
Medical Care:
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Doctors |
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Dr. Forrister |
Dr. Dunn |
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24/7 Minor Emergency Care |
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Area Hospitals |
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Community
Medical Center |
Ocean
Medical Center |
Kimball
Medical Center |
Jersey
Shore Medical Center |
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Ocean County
Connection:
Phone 732-288-7777
Website: www.co.ocean.nj.us/CountyConnectionPage.aspx
County Connection is located at:
Ocean County Mall near JC Penney's 1201 Hooper Avenue
Toms River, NJ 08753
Mobile County Connection
Stops @ Lavallette Fire House
Next Scheduled Stop
Thursday, February 25, 2009
Thursday,
March 25, 2009
9 AM to 1 PM
Location: Lavallette Fire House
Address: 125 Washington Ave
Parking:
On street parking is on a first come first served basis on the side streets and the ocean blocks. The Borough of Lavallette has residential parking permits in certain areas throughout town these spots are designated by sign and by permit only.
Along the highway there are sections of two hour parking, please keep this in mind when parking along the highway. There are handicap spots available all throughout the town and at the oceanfront on several streets, the most being on the wide streets of New York and Philadelphia Avenues.
“NO PARKING”
As
designated from the end of the streets on the ocean front; this area is reserved
for emergency vehicles.
Parking Stickers
A sticker is required on motor vehicles parked in any of the Municipal parking lots on the bay front In effect Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Car Stickers are $10.00 and must be permanently affixed to the driver’s side rear window.
Stickers are available at the Beach Badge Office.
Parking Stickers $10.00
Stickers are available at the
Beach Badge Office.
Representative Contact Information:
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New Jersey State Government Representatives Links
Office of the Governor
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 Assemblyman James W. Holzapfel |
 Assemblyman David W. Wolfe |
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852 Highway 70 |
852 Highway 70 |
852 Highway 70 |
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 Congressman John Adler |
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1223 Longworth
HOB |
Hart Senate Office Building Suite 324 |
317 Senate Hart Office Building |
Seniors Information:
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State of
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
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Ocean
County Office of Senior Services |
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By calling 1-800-772-1213, you can use an automated telephone services to get recorded information and conduct some business 24 hours a day. If you cannot handle your business through our automated services, you can speak to a Social Security representative between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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Consumer Resource Directory |
Caregiver Assistance Request Caregivers Resource Guide |
 www.aoa.gov |
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For general Medicare information, ordering Medicare booklets, and
information about health plans, contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24
hours a day, 7 days a week for assistance. English and Spanish-speaking
customer service representatives at this number can answer questions about the
Original Medicare Plan and provide up-to-date information regarding the health
plans available in your area. TTY users please call 1-877-486-2048. |
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Transportation Information:
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Weather
Information:
A Weather Station installed on the
roof of the school relays current weather information to The Lavallette Elementary School and to Lavallette Borough Hall. From there it is streamed to
weather underground at:
www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KNJLAVAL2&wuSelect=PWS
for live streaming to the Borough of Lavallette website and to anyone who
would like to add weather to their website from Lavallette, New Jersey.
Weather Receiver Down For Repair!
To add weather from our station to your website please follow this
link
Add PWS Stickers to your website!
Indicates
an external link
Links
to a PDF file.
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