Ocean Grove's First Community Christmas Tree.

It's Christmas time again at Ocean Grove. The town is all abuzz with excitement as people prepare for Christmas. The lamp posts on Main Avenue are adorned with Christmas wreaths which have been strung with lights. Firemen's Park has been outlined with yuletide lights by the Ocean Grove Fire Department. The Community Christmas Tree in Firemen's Park has likewise been beautifully decorated and lighted by the Firemen in preparation for the annual Christmas Eve Program. 

The Community Christmas Tree as it Appeared in 2019

lamp post on Main Ave.

Every year on Christmas Eve, at 6:00 PM, in Firemen's Park there is a program of Christmas carol singing, led by a brass band and the arrival of Santa Claus on a fire engine. The event also features the serving of ginger snaps and hot cider, as well as the distribution of a paper lunch bag that contains an apple and orange, with a small bag of hard candy. This program has over the years come to be known as “Santa in the park.” As far back as anyone has any recollection “Santa in the park” has been a staple of Ocean Grove’s Christmas tradition. “Santa in the park” as it is known today, didn’t always revolve around Santa Claus. The program originally was a public Christmas tree lighting and Christmas Eve program, which did not initially include Jolly Old Saint Nick.

Firemen's Park Decorated for Christmas

In this post I will be covering the history of Ocean Grove’s first public Christmas tree and the associated exercises.

The story of Ocean Grove’s first public Christmas tree does not begin in Ocean Grove, but in New York City. On December 24th 1912 (Christmas Eve) at 5pm, church bells began to ring out all across the five boroughs of New York City.  The church bells were heralding the start of something new to the United States, a public Christmas tree lighting and community celebration. This event took place in Madison Square Park and was attended by over 20,000 people. The festivities began when the tree was lit at  5:40 pm. This Tree was 62 feet tall and 20 feet wide at its base with an 18 inch trunk. The tree had 1,200 multicolored lights and was surmounted by a 10-inch Star of Bethlehem. The exercises around the tree consisted of choirs and bands performing Christmas carols. At midnight the event was concluded by a performance of ‘America' also known as ‘My Country 'tis of Thee.’

Madison Sq. N.Y.C. 1915

The United States first public Christmas Tree was the brainchild of 49 year old Emilie D. Lee Herreshoff, the wife of Dr. John Brown Francis Herreshoff, a prominent chemical scientist. Mrs. Herreshoff was inspired by a rise in philanthropic causes related to the city’s poor, as well as older Christmas traditions in European countries.

In the December 19, 1912 edition of The New York Times, there was an article that reported on the festivities that were to take place at America's first public Christmas tree. The article also made known Mrs. Herreshoff’s hopes and intentions for the future of this Christmas tradition, that she Introduced to the United States. Here is an excerpt from the aforementioned article that details Mrs. Herreshoff’s hopes and intentions.

“Many of the older countries on the Continent (of Europe) have special National festivities, customs that have been in existence for hundreds of years, but America has none, and Mrs. Herreshoff and those who are helping her hope that the public Christmas tree may become a National feature, to be found in every town and village, a place where all may gather, rich or poor, on Christmas Eve, listen to the Christmas music, and feel that it is their tree, their Christmas, and that the spirit of peace and good-will encircles them, no matter how friendless they may be.”

The following year Mrs. Herreshoff’s hope that the public Christmas tree would become a national feature came to fruition. In 1913 alone the practice of having a public Christmas tree spread to Detroit, Baltimore, Jersey City, and 50 other cities throughout the United States. In 1914, it was decided that Ocean Grove would also have a public Christmas tree with appropriate festivities. The following appeared in the December 24, 1914, edition of the Ocean Grove Times.

“A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR THE PUBLIC

Ocean Grove is to have a public Christmas Tree. Every man woman and child in the place may have a share in it, for it is nobody's tree in particular, but everybody's in general. You may have a tree at home but that will not prevent you from participating in the enjoyment afforded by the public tree. 

For two years the municipal Christmas Tree, introduced into the United States from Europe, has stood with the custom of singing carols in the street, which revives an old time Yule joy, for a newer, brighter and bigger Christmas festival. In some places a practical turn is given to the public Christmas Tree by loading it with gifts for those whom Santa Claus has overlooked in the distribution of his favors. We have not gotten round to that point yet, for this is our first attempt; maybe we will next year or the year after.

Through the agency of a public tree the Christmas holiday season is taking on a new tone. It is becoming more of a public function participated in by the organized public, and less the chimney corner celebration of the family. Not that the home Christmas tree is being done away with, but that the celebration which reaches "the lonesome poor and rich," that is participated in by the church, charity organizations and the municipality is forging to the front all over the country.

It has been read that the municipal Christmas tree serves as a rallying point for all who have no Christmas trees of their own, and yet are touched by the holiday spirit. The idea was originated in this country by a lady in New York, Mrs. E. D. L. Herreshoff, and the first tree was lighted in that city just two years ago. The country owes Mrs. Herreshoff a vote of thanks.”

Ocean Grove's first public Christmas tree program was a joint effort between Ocean Grove’s St. Paul's Methodist church and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.

The cedar tree that would become Ocean Grove’s first public Christmas tree was donated by Samuel A. Reeves who lived at 118 Main Ave., Mr. Reeves was the president of the Croce Automobile Company of Asbury Park. The tree was placed in the center of Woodlawn Park, known today as Firemen's Park and decorated by Camp Meeting chief electrician Walter Franklin. Mr. Franklin Trimmed the tree with multicolored electric lights and placed a large Christmas star on the topmost bough. 

The music for the Christmas Eve program was provided by the Epworth League Orchestra of St. Paul’s church. The Epworth League was a Methodist young adult organization for ages 18 to 35. The St. Paul's chapter of the league organized the orchestra in 1895. There was also a chorus formed for the occasion composed of young ladies From St. Paul's church. The chorus was organized by two prominent residents of Ocean Grove, Charles Bleecker Stirling and wife, Ethel Armenia Stirling.

Ocean Grove's First Community Christmas Tree 1914

On Christmas Eve at 9:00 p.m. several hundred people gathered around the public Christmas tree for a Christmas Eve program. The whole scene was one of beauty, for several inches of snow had fallen earlier that day. The whole scene was of the character so generally considered to be associated with Christmas. At 9:30 p.m. the program began with a selection performed by the Epworth League Orchestra. The music that night was led by Mr. Sterling. The rest of the program as recorded in the Jan. 1st edition of the Ocean Grove Times is as follows: 

Carol, “The First Noel” chorus. 

Prayer, Rev. Dr. Aaron E. Ballard The OGCMA president. 

Carol, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, chorus. 

Reading, “Christmas Greeting,” Mrs. Bleecker Sterling. 

Carol, “Silent Night” chorus. 

Duet, Misses Lillian Holmes and Esther Forsythe. 

Anthem, “Joy to the World. “ chorus. 

Solo, “There's a Song in the Air.” Mrs. Sterling. 

The program was concluded when Rev. James D. Bills, Pastor of St. Paul's church, gave the benediction. The gathered people then dispersed while the Epworth League Orchestra performed one last selection.

The practice of having a ‘Community Christmas Tree’ as it was referred to in the Ocean Grove Times, continued uninterrupted for two years. When the United States entered World War 1 in 1917, the OGCMA decided not to have a community Christmas tree on account of the war. In 1919, after the war had ended, the practice of having a Community Christmas Tree returned to Ocean Grove. During the 1920’s there was always a question of whether or not Ocean Grove was to have a community Christmas tree. Some years there would be a tree with a Christmas Eve program, then in other years there would be a tree without any Christmas Eve festivities. In 1931, The Ocean Grove Fire Department took charge of the community Christmas tree event. Since 1931 and up to the present day, the firemen of Ocean Grove have faithfully held a Christmas Eve program in Firemen's Park every year with few exceptions.

This concludes the history of Ocean Grove’s first public Christmas tree. In the future, I hope to give you a more detailed account of the history of Ocean Grove’s Community Christmas tree throughout the years. Until next time, wishing you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year... Justin Truth.