Photos ~ 1913 ~ 1914 ~ 1922 ~ 1938 ~ 1939 ~ 1940 ~ WWII ~ 1943 ~ 1945 ~ 1949 ~ 1953 ~ 1998 ~ 1999  ~ 2001 ~ 2002
The history of the Marconi Hotel

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The Marconi Hotel, also known as Building 9001, was built in 1913. The original facility was constructed by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America as the New York to London link in the ‘World Encircling Wireless Girdle’ (Sammis, Oct. 1912 Pg. 255, map 4).  Built on a high bluff on the south bank of the Shark River basin, the complex of buildings with grass lawns and 85-year-old sycamore trees creates a park-like setting.  The complex was a self-sufficient early twentieth century industrial village.

The Marconi buildings are good examples of early twentieth century industrial architecture that features unembellished substantial brick masonry construction.  They are not cast in any formal style but incorporate Craftsman and Spanish Colonial elements, such as dormers, eave brackets, and Spanish Imperial roof tile, which are appropriate to their date of construction.  Concrete is used as the sole architectural accent on windowsills, piers, and porch supports.  The J. G. White Engineering Corporation of New York constructed this station for the American Marconi Company.

The hotel is a U-shaped, 2 ½ story brick building constructed as a 45-bedroom hotel for unmarried employees. This substantial building is utilitarian in style. The hotel's three gable roofs are finished with Imperial tile; a one story piazza, supported by brick piers and covered with tile, wraps around the building’s front and side elevations. The exterior has largely remained the same over the years. The east set of Dining Room front double doors have been replaced by a window, a fire escape has been added to the center rear and the rear of the kitchen area connects with a enclosed ramp to a 1942 constructed building.

The first floor interior features a center foyer hall with a large fireplace and stairs to the second floor. To the each side of the foyer a large door leads to hallways.  The right hall led to bedrooms, now offices. The left hall led to the hotel office, two bedrooms, the lounge hall doors, dining room, and kitchen passage. Also, in the foyer were double doors leading to the lounge. The lounge features a large fireplace and was used as a billiards room. The dining room sat up to fifty persons, tables near windows had a view of the ocean. Behind the kitchen were double doors, which led to a pantry which, led to the kitchen. In the kitchen was a walk-in freezer.  Behind the kitchen there was a laundry room and stairs, up to the servants bedrooms and down to the basement. The foyer, dining room, kitchen and billiards rooms were sub-divided into offices to meet wartime space needs.

Upstairs at the top of the center foyer stairs is a hallway and across the hall, the former library. To either sides are halls which led to bedrooms that are now offices. Also in the upstairs center hall are stairs to the attic. Originally, the upstairs servants’ area hallway was separate from the main upstairs hallway and rooms. The Army connected them. Due to the poured concrete floors all bathrooms floors were elevated eight inches to allow the pipes to be concealed. The individual guest room plumbing and closets were removed by the Army, as well as the kitchen equipment and walk-in freezers. Radar development workspaces are still intact in the attic. In the east end of the attic are four 10-ft. by 10-ft. radio work booths with two layers of metal screens.  In the full basement, the WWII blackout electric panel remains, as well as the cold war era Fall-Out shelters.

"For the comfort and convenience of the large staff of operators and engineers necessary to maintain the twenty-four-hour service at Belmar the Marconi Company has erected the hotel shown in the above illustration.  Built of dark red ornamental brick, with a lighter red tile roof, this fireproof structure is as handsome as any of the palatial summer resort hotels in the vicinity.  It is a city block long and contains 45 bedrooms."-August 1914 Issue of Wireless Age

"Situated on a high bluff at the westward end of the Shark River, a broad and navigable stream dotted here and there with sailboats, canoes and motor boats, the Belmar hotel commands a vista unsurpassed for miles around.  An endless profusion of laurel, birch, oak, maple and pine cover the hills, and the spoils of wild grape vines and huckleberries, mulberries and blackberries are there for the wireless men and visitors.  Off to the eastward may be seen the broad expanse of the Atlantic and the edge of the pine belt, and the resultant pungent blend of piney aroma and salty tang of the sea holds great attraction.  A landing dock for motor boats is under construction and the wooden slopes of the Marconi property will soon become the headquarters of the numerous picnickers from the seashore cottages."-August 1914 Issue of Wireless Age

1913 ~ 1914 ~ 1922 ~ 1938 ~ 1939 ~ 1940 ~ WWII ~ 1943 ~ 1945 ~ 1949 ~ 1953 ~ 1998 ~ 1999  ~ 2001 ~ 2002
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