By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Partly hidden behind the sprawling canopy of a cedar tree and a black pine is a yellow house on Park Road that is as old as Sea Isle City itself.
A plaque attached to the front porch of the three-story home shows that it dates to 1882, the same year visionary real estate developer Charles K. Landis founded Sea Isle as a beach resort laden with lagoons and inspired by Venice, Italy.
“It was the third house built in town, to my knowledge,” said Barbara Crowley, who owns the historic home with her husband, Michael.
Remarkably, the house still exists in a shore town where so many other old buildings that once surrounded it have been obliterated by coastal storms or demolished to make way for development of modern, upscale vacation homes.
It is so old that it predates the construction of Sea Isle’s historic St. Joseph Catholic Church in 1884. Barbara Crowley noted that the house was temporarily used as a venue for Catholic services while the church was still being built.
Barbara Crowley looks at old black and white photos of the house.
The house was originally owned by Roger Dever, a surveyor who accompanied Landis to Sea Isle in the 1880s and was elected as a member of the first City Council. Tragically, Dever drowned when his boat capsized in Townsends Inlet in 1888, according to a New York Times story.
Barbara and Michael Crowley learned much of the history of their home from the late Theresa “Sis” Bonitt, a Sea Isle resident who was Dever’s great-niece.
“Almost everything we know about the house is second or third hand,” Barbara said, largely crediting Bonitt.
Originally, the house was built on 45th Street, then known as Ariadne Street, but was moved a few blocks away to its current location at 4520 Park Road in the 1950s. A property exchange was made with St. Joseph Catholic Church that led to the house being relocated.
The church took the land on 45th Street formerly occupied by the house to build a school and auditorium. Meanwhile, lagoon-front property once used by a church priest became the new location for the house on Park Road.
The house took on its distinctive yellow color scheme in 1998.
Michael Crowley, now 75 and a retired teacher, bought the house in 1979 for $80,000. Originally, the price was supposed to be $85,000, but it was cut by $5,000 because the oil heater wasn’t working, Michael recalled.
The house was white when he bought it, but he repainted it gray with pink trim. It was not until 1998 that the Crowleys had the house painted in its distinctive yellow color scheme.
“I love yellow,” said Barbara, 74, a retired school administrator.
The Crowleys used the house as a rental and vacation home until they made it their full-time residence in 1990. The house was showing its age then.
“It was in very, very, very rough-hewn condition. It was a handy man’s special,” Barbara said. “Initially, it was just a lot of primping and masquerading.”
Then the couple hired construction contractor Geoffrey Dash of Leesburg, N.J., to give the house an extensive makeover. The result was a much more attractive home that combines modern touches with the old-fashioned charms from the 19th century.
The living room, for instance, includes the home’s original brick fireplace. Barbara also blended in antique furniture older than the house itself. The vintage pieces in the living room include a grandfather clock from the 1700s, library chairs from the 1800s and a card table from the 1700s.
The living room includes the original brick fireplace, along with other historic touches. (Photo courtesy of Barbara and Michael Crowley)
Before the Crowleys moved in, the previous owner expanded the house. Altogether, it has 17 rooms. There are four bedrooms on the first floor and two on the second.
The back deck overlooks a lagoon, making for relaxing mornings or summer evenings savoring the water views.
Barbara noted that the house’s location has created a breezy, tranquil setting for her and Michael.
“We get the sunrise, we get the sunset and we get the air from the corners. It really is like a little hamlet,” she said.
The screened-in porch at the front of the house overlooking Park Road serves as another serene spot. The Crowleys love the canopy of trees that has created a veil of privacy for their home.
“We didn’t plant them. God did. He did a nice job,” Barbara said of the tall cedar and black pine trees.
Tall trees in front give the screened-in porch some privacy. (Photo courtesy of Barbara and Michael Crowley)
The trees serve as a habitat for rabbits, ducks and birds. In a town where mature trees are rare, this mini-wooded setting also draws admiring looks and comments from passersby.
“All of a sudden, there are so many people who are talking to us in the last two years. They are so warm, so friendly and so complimentary,” Barbara said.
Inevitably, the conversation turns to the historic house.
“People stop to chat and say that they love this house and ask us how old it is. It is a gift to our hearts,” Barbara said. “Even little kids say this is their favorite house. I really believe people are nostalgic and are remembering the better days.”
