Avon-by-the-Sea , New Jersey is a four season, seaside, Victorian community located on the Atlantic Ocean - just 60 miles from New York City and Philadelphia . It is surrounded by three different bodies of water. To the north is Sylvan Lake , the quiet home of Avon's famous swans. The southern border of town is the busy Shark River inlet with its drawbridges that enable a parade of boats come and go. On the east is the Atlantic Ocean where you can enjoy the rolling surf, laughing gulls and gentle sea breezes.
Avon-by-the-Sea has much to offer vacationers and day visitors.
Avon 's clean, white sandy beaches are a great place to relax, swim and bask in the summer sun. Our fine restaurants and quaint shops will round out your "day at the beach."
In the quiet seasons Avon's non-commercial boardwalk, replete with Victorian lamps, benches and pavilions, is a wonderful place to stroll and unwind. Fishing, boating and scuba diving are year 'round activities in Avon-by-the-Sea.
HISTORY
Avon-by-the-Sea was officially named "New Branch" around 1855 during the Victorian era. It has been said that the land also was known as the Swanton Tract or the Lewis Greene Property.
In 1878 the
Jersey Shore primarily consisted of the towns of
Long Branch ,
Asbury Park and Ocean Grove, which were very popular summer vacation spots for wealthy visitors from
New York and
Philadelphia.
O ne of these summer visitors to Ocean Grove was Edward Batchelor, a successful tobacco manufacturer from
Philadelphia who had come to Ocean Grove to relax and fish. One day Batchelor decided to visit a local fishing spot called "Deep Hole" just south of New Branch at
Shark River . During the trip to "Deep Hole" he passed through New Branch and was very impressed by the land. On the return trip Batchelor noticed signs advertising the land for sale. The very next day Batchelor purchased 300 acres of land from T.W. Finn for $45,000.00.
In 1897, Robert C. Love, surveyor and F.G. Harrison, an engineer were contracted by Mr. Batchelor to look after his newly acquired land and under the supervision of the two men the town gradually took form. Originally Batchelor planned to use the land as the new center for his tobacco firm. With this in mind he named the land "Key East" presumably after a type of tobacco or cigar. A short while later, however, on the advice of Love and Harrison, Batchelor decided to develop Key East for its real estate potential.
Over the next decade, Batchelor provided the investment needed to construct the basic facilities essential to a growing resort community. The town was surveyed and divided into lots and sold for premiums unheard of on the
Jersey Shore . Roads were cut through the dense woods, a sewer system was built, as was the Pavilion on
Norwood and Ocean Avenue. Very important was the construction of the Avon Inn in 1883.
The town known as "Avon-By-The-Sea" came into existence when it was incorporated under an act of legislature as a borough on
March 23,1900 . It's speculated that the name "Avon" came from the days of "Key East", when a hotel at the foot of Sylvania Avenue was known as the "Avon" Inn.
Despite the town's growth from its modest roots, that growth has never been unrestrained or chaotic. Although there are commercial establishments on Main Street and Ocean Avenue, they are surrounded by residential development so that the basic character of the town has not been altered. After the town became Avon-By-The Sea, vast improvements were made. A boardwalk was laid and fire companies were organized. The present public school was built in 1908 and the library was built in 1916. Avon-By-The-Sea represents a conservative type of growth. While there have been changes in
Avon , they have been neither radical nor inconsistent with past commitments.
GovernmentAvon-by-the-Sea has governed under the Walsh Act since 1919, by a three-member commission. It is in the Sixth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 11th Legislative District. Monmouth County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Education
Avon Elementary School serves approximately 140 students in public school for kindergarten through eighth grade.
For grades 9-12, public school students attend Manasquan High School in Manasquan, as part of a sending/receiving relationship. The high school also serves students from Belmar, Brielle, Lake Como, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Spring Lake Heights who attended Manasquan High School as part of sending/receiving relationships with their respective districts. Students may also apply to academy schools in the Monmouth County Vocational School District, which include the Academy of Allied Health & Science, Biotechnology High School, High Technology High School, Marine Academy of Science and Technology and Communications High School. Additionally, students have the option of attending Academy Charter High School, located in Lake Como, which serves residents of Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Deal, Interlaken and Lake Como. Those students are accepted on a lottery basis.