Squan Beach Life Saving Station

Squan Beach Life Saving Station At A Glance...

• One of nine Duluth-style life saving stations built to the same design by the same architect, and the 1902 building is still standing.
• On June 13, 1903, four men rescued five people from the sea, and Congress awarded gold lifesaving medals to three of them and a silver medal to the fourth.
• The museum is full of artifacts that wreck divers brought up from shipwrecks along the Jersey Shore.
• A Manby mortar and its faking box, the gear that shot a rescue line out to a ship in trouble, are on display.
• After the Coast Guard left in 1996, Manasquan bought the station in 2000 for one dollar.
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• New Jersey Shore Region Monmouth County

• Attractions:

  • Museum / Gallery

Contact / Location

A Brief History

Volunteers from the community watched this stretch of coast long before the government paid anyone to keep watch at sea, and wooden stations stood on this spot before the present building. The station standing today was built in 1902. It is one of nine Duluth-style stations designed by the same architect, George Tolman, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architecture and maritime history.

On June 13, 1903, four men rescued five others from the sea, with Keeper Robert Longstreet among the rescuers. Congress awarded gold lifesaving medals to Longstreet, John Andersen and Charles Bowker, and a silver medal to Harry Andersen.

The station became part of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915 and served as the Manasquan Coast Guard station until it was decommissioned in 1996. The Borough of Manasquan bought it on July 26, 2000, for $1.00, with restrictions that return the property to the federal government if they are broken.

Restoration took years. The borough bonded $300,000 for cleanup and rehabilitation in 2002, and work began in 2005 with asbestos abatement. Grants from the New Jersey Historic Trust of $30,375 (2005), $450,000 (2006) and $75,000 (2017) helped pay for the interior rehabilitation and the final exterior restoration. Superstorm Sandy destroyed the roof, which was replaced in kind.

Programs / Education

The station runs a lecture series on local history, listed under Upcoming Events on its website. The lectures are free and come with light refreshments. The lecture posted when this was researched was held at the Squan Village Historical Society's Carriage House, 105 South St., Manasquan, not at the station, so check the venue before you go.

Things to See & Do

The museum displays artifacts recovered from shipwrecks by the New Jersey Historic Divers Association, and artifacts from U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard rescues. A Manby mortar with its faking box is on display; the mortar was the small cannon used to shoot a rescue line out to a ship in trouble, and the faking box held the coiled line.

The station's website also shows historic photographs of the building from the early 1900s, the 1950s and 2017. A library and a gift shop are on site.

Special / Seasonal Events

The station is a stop on the Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey, a two-day October event that sends visitors to 11 lighthouse sites, four life saving stations and one museum. A $10 registration fee covers a souvenir from each site.

Admission & Guidelines

The museum is free. Tours can be arranged by calling 732-447-6419.

Membership is $25 per person per year, or $250 per person for a lifetime membership.

Hours / Season of Operation

Open to the public Thursdays from 4 to 6 pm and Sundays from 2 to 4 pm during the summer season. From after Labor Day through the beginning of Memorial Day weekend the station is open by appointment only.

To arrange a visit or a tour, call 732-447-6419.

The station is run by a board of volunteer trustees and a membership. It is looking for new members and for volunteer docents. The Borough of Manasquan owns the building.

Stockton Beach Park is about 0.2 mile away, and the Manasquan Beach Front Boardwalk is about 0.3 mile away. Manasquan Inlet is about 0.9 mile south. Distances are straight-line, measured between map points.

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