How New Jersey Lost Its Summer Capital: Long Branch

Long Branch, New Jersey, was once more than a seaside resort. For a few summers it was the capital of the United States. In 1881, President James Garfield was carried aboard a special train, a bullet still lodged behind his pancreas, and brought to the Jersey Shore as the last remedy his doctors had left. When the rails stopped more than half a mile short of the oceanfront cottage waiting for him, the town laid the final stretch of track itself. The bluffs, the sea air and the grand cottages made the town a place presidents chose, and the presidents who came gave it its name: the summer capital. But a town built on summer crowds, famous guests and ocean-front fashion also depended on all three staying put. The Newmarket, the long summers and the crescendo of the Gilded Age gave way to an auction and then a long decline. Today the Garfield Tea House stands in the park, built from railroad ties like those the town spiked down in a day. A statue of Ulysses Grant looks out over the lawn, and trains still stop at the depot. At 995 Ocean Avenue there is only a field with a low white fence, where the summer capital's cottage once stood. This is the story of how a dying president, a town that laid its own track, and seven presidents' summers built Long Branch's golden age — and how an auction and a long decline brought it to an end. A full history documentary about Long Branch, New Jersey — from the Gilded Age summer capital to the empty lot at 995 Ocean Avenue. Copyright & Fair Use Disclaimer • This video is a non-commercial, educational history documentary created for commentary, criticism and research. • Some archival photos and footage are used under the principles of Fair Use (Section 107, U.S. Copyright Act) for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.