SOUTH TOMS RIVER – During a recent South Toms River council meeting, Vernon V. Willis painted and donated his rendition of the first South Toms River Borough Hall. A dedication will be hung with the painting, which recognizes that the first municipal building was located at 9 Bushwick Avenue, which is now known as Center Street.
The first meetings of the Borough were held at various places around town, including the real estate office of William Furman on Main Shore Road (now Flint Road), Birdville on Mill Street (the home of Councilman A.P. Greim), Dorsett’s Store in the Kosich Building on Main Shore Road, the Nobles and Peck garage, and Mayor Flint’s home. The below proposition was made during the January 13, 1930 council meeting at Birdville:
“Tax Assessor J. Lester Yoder submitted a proposition to erect a building on his property fronting Bushwick Avenue (now Center Street), design it to meet the requirements for Municipal Headquarters, and lease it to the Borough for a term of three years at a rental of three hundred dollars per year from date of occupancy. Building to be completed in four months from date. It was regularly moved, seconded and carried that Assessor Yoder’s proposition be accepted.”
On May 19, 1930 the first meeting was held at the original Borough Hall under a governing body of Mayor Hortie G. Flint and council members Frank W. Applegate, Charles N. Warner, A.P. Greim, Arthur Cornelius, Charles Feeney and Charles Nordstrom.
