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| Ocean Plaza Hotel 2019 |
What would become the Ocean Plaza Hotel began as the cottage of Martha and John Inskip, which was built in the early 1870’s. John Inskip, a Methodist minister, and Martha Foster were married in 1836. Together John and Martha became a “ministry team” and were thought of as the first “clergy couple.” They ministered in churches, camp meetings, as well as on the battlefields during the Civil War as chaplains, ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of the 14th Brooklyn Regiment. In 1867, John became the first president of the National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Holiness. It was through John’s friend, William Osborn, the founder of Ocean Grove, that John and Martha Inskip came to Ocean Grove and that John became one of the first trustees of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. On November 21st, 1870 the Inskip's purchased a lot at the corner of Ocean Pathway and Beach Ave. from the OGCMA. The following year (1871) they had a cottage built on the lot. It was in 1872 after the death of Rev. Rulif Lawrence, the 1st vice-president of the OGCMA, that Rev. Inskip was elected the 2nd vice-president to fill Rev. Lawrence's place on the executive committee. In 1878 John and Martha made Ocean Grove their home. They held religious services at their cottage, where at times more than one hundred people would congregate. Evangelistic work often called them elsewhere, and it was from Ocean Grove that they began an evangelistic tour around the globe. After one year, it was to Ocean Grove and their cottage on Ocean Pathway and Beach Avenue to which they returned.
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| Picture from the 10th Annual Report of the President OGCMA 1879 |
In September of 1881, John and Martha Inskip moved their residence to Philadelphia, Pa. It was written in ‘The Life of Rev. J. S. Inskip’ by W. McDonald and John E. Searles (1885,) “He was convinced that, unless he circumscribed his labors, he would soon utterly break down." John and Martha decided that they should confine their labors to one place; it appears that they felt that Philadelphia and not Ocean Grove was the place for their evangelistic work. But it wasn't long before Rev. Inskip over extended himself again. Rev. Inskip wrote in his journal concerning this, "We thought we were able to do all we engaged to without damage or serious difficulty. We were mistaken. We must submit, and consent for a season to cease from all pulpit labor.” As a result John and Martha purchased a farm in Chester County Pa. and moved their residence there. They hoped that the change would be beneficial to John's health and that with rest they could return to their evangelistic work.
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| Bird's eye view of Ocean Grove 1881 |
After the Inskips moved to Pennsylvania, Miss Tillie Thorne, a good friend of John and Martha, operated a boarding house in their cottage called ‘The Thorne House.’ Tillie was known as one of the most popular boarding house keepers. She was a very popular and successful proprietor with a very large following. She operated the first boarding house on Ocean Pathway, called Thorne Cottage, and later renamed the Waverly, before operating a boarding house at the Inskip’s cottage.
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| - Ocean Grove Record 7/28/1883 |
On October 24th, 1883, Rev. John Inskip suffered a stroke and on December 10th of that year Martha and he returned to Ocean Grove. It was his desire to return to his former place of residence at the corner of Beach Avenue and Ocean Pathway. It was here at the Thorne House where he spent his final days. He departed this life on March 7th, 1884, in the very bedroom that he occupied when it had been his residence.
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| Martha Jane Inskip Born 1819 – Died 1890 |
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| Rev. John Swanel Inskip Born 1816 – Died 1884 |
After the passing of her husband, Martha put an ad in the Ocean Grove Record to announce that she would be taking in boarders at her Ocean Grove cottage. It appears that she once again resided at the cottage and became the proprietor, becoming very involved in the community, as she had been in the past. She also continued the ministry that she and Rev. Inskip had begun.
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| - Ocean Grove Record 6/20/1885 |
In 1886, Mrs. Inskip traveled with some friends to Jacksonville, Florida, which marked a new chapter in her life. She began preaching and holding revival meetings there. In 1887 she continued her work in Jacksonville. It was in 1888, at Ocean Grove that a Mr. Champlin approached Martha with an offer of two lots at the village he had founded, Eggleston Heights, Florida, for the purpose of establishing a Methodist church as a memorial to her husband. On March 24th, 1889, the Inskip Memorial Church was dedicated. Later that spring Rev. Ashley L. Bateman was appointed to Eggleston Heights to pastor the new church. Martha was pleased with the appointment of Rev. Bateman to the church she had founded. In fact she was so pleased, that on September 2nd, 1890, Martha Inskip married Rev. Ashley Bateman. It was at the Inskip Cottage in Ocean Grove that the wedding took place. After the wedding, they immediately left for Florida, where they continued their work at the Inskip Memorial Church and began preparations for the Eggleston Heights Camp Meeting; which was being held the following February. Tragically, before their plans came to fruition, Martha took ill with “a congestive chill, which developed in gastric fever.” (Typhoid Fever) This ultimately led to her death on December 26th, 1890 at her winter home in Eggleston Heights Florida.
This
concludes part one of the early history of the Ocean Plaza Hotel. Keep your
eyes open for part two, which is coming out next week. If you found this post
interesting please share and Comment. Until next time… Justin Truth.
