Lavallette Heritage Committee
18 Kerr Avenue
Lavallette, NJ 08735
In 1987 when Lavallette celebrated its 100th anniversary, the events surrounding that occasion were planned and coordinated by the Centennial Committee, chaired by Joy Grosko. The committee laid the plans to build the Gazebo and Centennial Gardens as a lasting memorial for the citizens of the community.
The
gazebo, erected in 1986-1987, was built by volunteer labor from the
community. Many people donated their time and effort to work on the
project. The construction was overseen by Joseph Mazarella and Tom
Grosko. C.W. "Bill" Johnson designed and built the cupola as a
memorial to the late U.S.A.F. Major George Pollin, a Lavallette
resident. The volunteers worked through the winter and spring,
braving the cold and the wind, to finish the Gazebo by the summer.
Landscaping was begun in the summer of 1987 and the formal
dedication ceremony was held on September 19, 1987 in the middle of
tremendous rainstorms. It is a focal point of the community today:
weddings are held there; the Elementary School graduation ceremonies
are conducted there; and the summer concert bands entertain there.
Under
Mrs. Grosko's leadership, the Centennial Committee became the
Lavallette Heritage Committee, Incorporated in 1989. The purpose of
the Heritage Committee is "to foster the cultural and historical
interests of our residents and visitors."
Recognizing the importance of education,
the committee sponsors a scholarship for local high school children.
Most important of all of its projects is its dedication to
perpetuating the care of the Gazebo and Centennial Gardens on the
bay front at Philadelphia Avenue.
"The History of Lavallette, Second Edition"
A work of the
Lavallette Heritage Committee.
The committee meets formally four times a year at the Lavallette First Aid Building but its members work continually throughout the year on their various projects.
New Jersey
Council On The Arts
The Lavallette Heritage Committee is funded in
part by a grant from
The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders