Roof raising and exterior renovation work has exposed a ghost sign in Beachwood Borough this week, revealing the location of a business that opened over 100 years ago on the corner of Lookout Street and Atlantic City Boulevard (Route 166).
“ACHWOOD GARAGE,” “MACHINE and REPAIR SHOP” and “GOODRICH TIRES & TUBES” can now be seen on the grey brick side of the structure, today adjacent to the gas pumps of the QuickChek convenience store at the merge point of Routes 9 and 166, but until the mid-20th century would be seen by Pennsylvania Railroad passengers traveling to and from Island Heights, Ocean Gate and Seaside Park. The rail line later became the parkway access road that carries what is now Route 9 from Toms River into the existing Atlantic City Boulevard/Route 166. The remainder of the railroad path through Beachwood was cut off and became buildable land, including where the convenience store now stands.
According to Beachwood Borough Directory and Who’s Who 1924, by pioneer resident William Mill Butler, garage proprietor Frank W. Goodrich was a year-round resident (when the borough, until after World War II, was primarily a summer resort of New York City) with his wife, Anna, and children, Alpheus and Alice.
“Mr. Goodrich has taken an active part in Beachwood affairs; is owner of one of the finest garages to be found anywhere in the state; is president of the Board of Education and has served in the position of collector of taxes; is one of the state fire wardens for this district and has been devoted to his task of fighting forest fires and saving the lives and property of the people of Beachwood.”
The same book recounts a brief story where his wife also got involved in firefighting efforts when she came across a brush fire in the mostly undeveloped town and succeeded in putting it out with the help of two youths.
Mr. Goodrich also helped fund the construction of the Polyhue Yacht Club (later Beachwood Yacht Club) that stood where now is the Community Center (it burned in 1979 and at the time was used both by yacht club and borough municipal court). Mr. Goodrich also wrote himself into the pages of borough history by donating the copper box that held historic documents marking the founding of the town that was placed in the cornerstone of the original borough hall / firehouse on the corner of Beachwood Boulevard and Atlantic City Boulevard.
Soon the garage ghost sign will be covered up again, likely to be found once more by some future generation to consider Beachwood’s past.