The Henderson Photos - Marconi High-Power Wireless Belmar Station, aka Camp Evans 1914

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The Henderson Photos

Marconi High-Power Wireless

Belmar Station

aka Camp Evans

1914

Edward
Henderson
photographer
1914

Mr. Edward F. Henderson lived on a small farm on Belmar Boulevard, Wall, just east of the route 18 overpass. His hobby was photography. He recorded the best views of the Marconi Station near his home. He recorded the date of most of the photos. Thanks to him we can see views of Wall long gone. His 1914 camera created glass negatives which his son Mr. Russ Henderson and family preserved. The open fields have been replaced by homes. Thanks to Mr. Russ Henderson and the Olde Wall Historical Society for sharing these long gone views.

January 14, 1914
Mr. Henderson in is his driveway south of Belmar Boulevard on with a Marconi Wireless Mast in the background. Note the horseshoe marks in the soil.

This undated photo looking east on Belmar Boulevard shows the Wireless Mast and the line of utility poles. Note the 1914 moon which would in 1946 be used to reflect radar waves sent and received from the former Marconi Station.

The open fields of old Wall. To the right, three of the 400-foot masts can be seen. On the horizon is a farm with a windmill. Click here or on the photo for an enlarged view.

March 23, 1914
This is the best view of five of the six 400-foot masts. Note the service team and the person near the base of closest mast. Click here or on the photo for an enlarged view.

April 12, 1914
This view is from across the shark river from Shark River Hills. All the five fireproof Marconi buildings can be seen as well as all six 400-foot masts. Note on the right an antenna can be seen. The top portion of the 150-foot "balancing tower" was saved by Wall Township. It was placed on Marconi Road.
Click here or on the photo for an enlarged view.

November 6, 2001
The masts are long gone. Only one mast guy wire anchor has survived from mast #2, the first in the old photo with the man next to it. The open fields of the old station were filled with buildings during 1941 and 1942 to support radar development to help defeat the Axis powers in WWII. Later these building would house cold-war era classified projects.

November 6, 2001
This view is very different. The masts were dropped in 1925 and the balancing tower fell from age in the 1970's. All the Marconi buildings are there, hidden by giant sycamore trees that were planted as seedlings by the Marconi company in 1913. If you look close you can see the roof of the operations building near the river. Over the years cat-tails have grown in the silt hiding the ground floor view.

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