It isn’t difficult to imagine the Bay Head and Mantoloking of one hundred years ago. One merely has to look at the area today; stately shingled houses, beautiful churches, family-owned businesses and miles of oceanfront. The Barnegat, Bay Head and Mantoloking area has survived the onslaught of change that has shattered other communities over the decades.

Most of the original houses still stand, creating the sense of stability and permanence, a sense that is softened by the area’s relaxed atmosphere. After all, Bay Head was developed as a summer resort following the Civil War when New Yorkers and Philadelphias began to discover the pleasures of recreational boating.

Although most of the area’s residents live here year ‘round, the relaxed mood prevails, perpetuated by summer filled with the delights of being near the water.

Surviving also is the sense of continuity. Most of the houses in the Mantoloking and Bay Head area were built in the late 1800’s in the then popular shingle style. Most shingle style houses are simple in plan and homogeneous in material. This, in addition to the fact that the town fathers laid out the streets in an organized grid formation, gives the boroughs the distinction of being remarkably consistent.

Built to house servants as well as families, many of the houses are large and spacious. Most have expansive porches and large windows designed to make the most out of pleasant sea breezes.

The houses, the churches, the hotels, the small businesses, and even the beaches which make up the Bay Head and Mantoloking area each have a bit of history to tell. Part of the romance of this special shore area is indeed its history. But what is equally exciting is the future - a future Bay Head and Mantoloking invite you to share.