Jersey Shore Views...

The Affair or Battle of Cedar Bridge 2009, 227 Years Later

The 2009 reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Bridge in Barnegat took place on December 27th, 227 years after it was originally fought.  The weather was warm and sunny, I wonder how much different the scene at the Old Cedar Bridge Tavern really was.

The original Cedar Bridge Tavern in 1782 had no porch, and the two windows to the left were part of an addition in the 1800's.

The Burlington Militia stops for refreshment at the Cedar Bridge Tavern, after a fruitless search of Manahawkin for John Bacon and other Loyalists.

What do they find on the Bridge, Bacon and some of his followers.

A skirmish ensues (at that time they called it an Affair).

Finally locals, hearing the commotion rally and provide cover for Bacon and his men to escape into the Pinelands.

And so ended the Battle of Cedar Bridge, said to be New Jersey's last skirmish of the Revolution.

The Affair at Cedar Bridge, History Comes to Life in Barnegat, NJ!

The Affair at Cedar Bridge or the Battle of Cedar Bridge will be reenacted this Sunday, December 27^th at 200 Old Half Way Road in Barnegat, New Jersey from 2pm to 4pm. 

Get the kids away from the new video games, bundle up and watch history come to life!

Whether you call it the Affair at Cedar Bridge or the Battle of Cedar Bridge it is said to be one of the last land conflicts of the American Revolution and the final one in New Jersey. 

It happened on December 27, 1782 when the Burlington Militia came to Manahawkin after hearing Loyalist John Bacon might be lurking about. 

Bacon had been a wanted man for quite some time. Not only was he a Loyalist, but two months earlier he was known to have participated in the killings of several American privateers who were plundering the cargo of a British ship that ran aground near Barnegat Light.

After searching Manahawkin, the Burlington Militia decided to stop at the Cedar Bridge Tavern for some refreshments and to rest their horses.  Bacon’s bunch had the same idea!  And so the Affair at Cedar Bridge began.

Turning the tables on his pursuers, Bacon's crew barricaded the old cedar bridge by the Tavern and traded heavy gunfire with the militia before escaping into the Pine Barrens.

Bacon was not able to cheat death for much longer. The following April, he was killed by militiamen and his body dragged through the streets of Manahawkin.

In 1782, Cedar Bridge was located in Manahawkin (Stafford Township), but is now part of Barnegat.

The Jersey Shore was hit hard by this weekend's storm...It dumped up to two feet of snow in some areas like Manahawkin, with drifts of 3 feet or more.

Manahawkin home owners and our road crews had their work cut out for them...in Manahawkin side streets were not cleared until mid afternoon Sunday.  Main through streets in Manahawkin; Lighthouse, Nautilus, and Mermaid were passable but really a mess.

The snow ended in Manahawkin around 7am Sunday.  It was a beautiful and quiet morning.

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My house in the snow!

If you’re Christmas shopping in Manahawkin, think spending locally!

With only 4 shopping days until Christmas, why not bypass those big box stores and put some money back into the local economy.

Here are some suggestions:

A gift certificate for a great seafood dinner at Exit 63 Seafood Corner.

Have friends with pets, or does your pet need a vacation after a busy holiday?  Try a gift certificate or a pet spa visit at Lucky’s Bed and Biscuit.

While the outside shopping stalls are closed, at the Manahawkin Flea Market you can find a number of indoor shops.  Great for gifts and gift certificates.

Still haven’t picked up your Christmas Tree and wreath?  Just up Route 72 in Manahawkin is the Green Tree Garden Center. They have cut and fresh trees!

All that shopping and you’ve not left Manahawkin!  Treat yourself, stop by the ‘Hawkin Deli for the tastiest deli sandwiches at the Jersey Shore!

Hurry, there are only a few shopping days left!

Merry Christmas, from my home to yours!

A recent blog by fellow Rainer John Occhi inspired me to think local for part of my Christmas and year round shopping.  I hope you do the same 

In his blog “All Real Estate Is Local…And You’re Retailer’s Should Be Too!” John advocates spending some shopping money locally, at locally owned retailers rather than big box stores.  Please check it out!

1.    Sift together dry ingredients.  Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in eggs.  Mix in dry ingredients until blended.  This mixture will be very thick.  Fold in cranberries and chips.

2.    Divide dough.  Make two logs about 12 inches long and about ½ inch around.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, cool for 20 minutes.

3.    Slice in ½ inch think cookies.  Stand them up on the baking sheet and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.

4.    Make espresso and enjoy!!!  Merry Christmas and Happy Snow Day!  

ENJOY!

There's a lot of talk about the real meaning of Christmas, and while we sometimes get caught up in the glitz of it all we do try to teach our children the real reason for the holiday.

Sometimes though kids have a different take on the real story of Christmas.

My friend's young son Jake came home after Sunday school last week with a new perspective on the Christmas story.

He had learned all about the birth of Jesus and the Wise Men from the East who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus.

He was so excited he could hardly wait to tell his parents.

So as soon as he got into the car to head home, he immediately began, “I learned all about the very first Christmas in Sunday school today!

Continuing, with barely a breath, Jake exclaimed, "There wasn’t a Santa Claus way back then, so these three skinny guys on camels had to deliver all the toys!

"And then and then," Jake excitedly continued, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with his nose so bright wasn’t there yet, so they had to have this big spotlight in the sky to find their way around!”

Manahawkin Homes For Sale - November 2009 Manahawkin, NJ Housing Market Report
 
Manahawkin homes for sale increased in November with inventory at about 450.  But the November sales of Manahawkin homes also increased, more than doubling 2008 numbers.

Take a look at November, 2008...

While the median price of Manahawkin homes sold in November saw a dramtic drop since one year ago, it is up from October, 2009 by about $3,000.  

Only 11 of the 36 Manahawkin homes that closed in November were waterfront, ranging in price from $245,000 to $600,000.

All but one were located in the Beach Haven West section and the other on Mallard Island.  And all but one Manahawkin waterfront home sold from $10,000 to nearly $40,000 less than list price.

 Welcome to Manahawkin (Stafford Township), NJ-Ocean Acres Park

Tuckerton Homes for Sale - November 2009 Tuckerton, NJ Housing Market Report

Tuckerton homes sold at about the same rate in November 2009 as the previous month, but the median price was much higher.  October's figures were a little misleading since a condo was listed twice and sold for well under what a single family or waterfront would command.  First take a look at the November 2009 figures for Tuckerton homes.

The numbers for Tuckerton homes in November 2008 looked like this...

The inventory of Tuckerton homes for sale stood at about 70 throughout the month of November 2009.  The quaint Borough of Tuckerton had its strongest 2009 home sales in October and November.  November also saw a big drop in the days on the market for Tuckerton homes, the lowest for all of 2009.

Rutgers University Marine Field Station (RUMFS)-Tuckerton, NJ


All figures in this Tuckerton Housing Market Report are from the Jersey Shore Multiple Listing Service.

Little Egg Harbor Homes for Sale - November 2009 Little Egg Harbor, NJ Housing Market Report

The number of Little Egg Harbor homes for sale increased in November, and the median sale price dropped.  As in much of southern Ocean County,  more Little Egg Harbor homes for sale made it to the closing table in November.  In October, 2009 there were 29 Little Egg Harbor homes sold.  

Compare the November, 2009 Little Egg Harbor figures with last year's...

The median price of homes sold in Little Egg Harbor dropped substantially over last year, and is also lower than the price of Little Egg Harbor homes sold in October 2009.  

Of the 40 Little Egg Harbor homes that sold in November, 2009, 12 were waterfront homes.  Those prices ranged from $130,000 for a 2 bed one bath, 950 square foot ranch on Radio Road to $355,000 for a new 2400 square foot home with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths.  This home on Daddy Tucker, just off Great Bay Boulevard, was a Little Egg Harbor short sale.

December 2009 and January 2010 market reports will give us a better idea if the increase in the sale numbers for Little Egg Harbor homes is a real signal of a recovering housing market.  So far this month 18 Little Egg Harbor homes have sold.

If you'd like more information on Little Egg Harbor homes or neighborhood, give me a call. 

Radio Road, Little Egg Harbor, NJ (Osborn Island) 
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Homes for Sale in Barnegat - November, 2009 Barnegat, NJ Housing Market Report

What's going on in Barnegat, NJ?  The number of homes for sale in Barnegat is leveling and the sale of single family homes in Barnegat nearly doubled in November when compared to the same month in 2008!

The median sale price also increased, bucking national trends.  The December, 2009 Barnegat Housing Market Report should give us a better idea of whether this upswing in the sale of single family homes in Barnegat was fluke due to the expected expiration of the $8,000 first time home buyers tax credit, or a sign of a recovering housing market.   

 At the same time last year...

If you'd like more information on homes for sale in Barnegat or if you'd like neighborhood specifics on homes for sale in Barnegat, please contact me.

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All figures from the Jersey Shore Multiple Listing Service.