This is a visual history of the architecture of tourist accommodations in Maryland's famous beach resort. These have ranged from the Atlantic Hotel to the most recent chain hotels and condominiums that have so altered the streetscapes and skyline of the barrier island. Ocean City's architectural evolution paralleled national developments; it began on boardwalk-adjacent and beachfront sites with turreted and gabled cottages and shingle-clad Victorian hotels. By the 1920s, porticoed boardwalk hostelries emerged, and as the popularity of the automobile increased, auto camps and groups of cottages developed into motor courts and mom-and-pop motels during the mid-20th century. After the 1970s, lodgings changed, with infill condominium blocks, time-shares, and megastructures casting afternoon shadows across the beach.

With 275 postcard images, this visual account of Ocean City's historic boardwalk, renowned beach, and surrounding bay and ocean waters draws on the extensive Fisher Collection--perhaps the best private postcard collection on the Eastern Shore.

With 275 postcard images, this visual account of Ocean City's historic boardwalk, renowned beach, and surrounding bay and ocean waters draws on the extensive Fisher Collection--perhaps the best private postcard collection on the Eastern Shore.

Ocean City, New Jersey, was founded as a "Christian seaside resort" in 1879. Soon thereafter, it became a vibrant year-round community and a highly desirable summer retreat. Hotels were integral to the city's success. The most famous of these was the Flanders Hotel, which opened to much fanfare in 1923. It was built in the Spanish Mission Revival style and named after Belgium's Flanders Field; today, it is in the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to other stately hotels, such as the Brighton, the Biscayne, and the Bellevue, many smaller hotels and guesthouses, like Jernee Manor, the Castle Inn, Locksley Hall, and the Scarborough Inn, were also established. Ocean City's Historic Hotels features the rich architectural and recreational history of this New Jersey coastal town and its many hotels.

Nestled along the New Jersey coastline and built to be one of the original seaside tourist destinations, Ocean City still sets the standard for resort living along the mid-Atlantic. What was once a whale-processing center in the 1700s emerged as a destination for sun and fun by drawing the biggest names and the classic American families of the early twentieth century. As our country's search for the ideal vacation grew, this 7-mile stretch of beach cultivated a rich history and a reputation as one of the most alluring communities on the East Coast.