Community Spotlight: Grassy Sound

Middle Township’s seventy-two square miles encompass a diverse array of communities, none more unique than Grassy Sound.

Located on the eastern edge of the township, an eclectic mix of about three dozen homes clings precariously to the vast salt marsh along the Grassy Sound Channel, nestled in the shadow of the Route 147 Bridge.

Most of the homes are built on wooden pilings over the wetlands. Weathered wooden gangplanks create a rustic boardwalk that connects many of the houses. The salt cottages, some dating back to the early 1900s, have withstood countless high tides, nor’easters, hurricanes, and superstorms. Like their owners, these homes stand as a defiant testament to the will to survive and the effort to preserve the history of one of New Jersey’s last original fishing villages.

The village on Grassy Sound emerged with the arrival of the Anglesea Railroad in the late 1800s. The railroad was soon followed by the advent of automobiles and the construction of the narrow, two-lane North Wildwood Boulevard.

Dozens of marsh-side shanties sprang up along the causeway, with little regulation and minimal utility services. Many seasonal residents were considered squatters. Anyone who visited the Wildwoods from the mid- to late 1900s would remember the ramshackle collection of shanties, the narrow, pothole-studded roadway, and the rickety wooden plank bridge to Anglesea.

The March Storm of 1962 washed away many of the original houses, and even more were lost to eminent domain when the new Route 147 divided highway rerouted the gateway to the Wildwoods in the 1990s.

Fifty years after the shore's 1962 nor’easter, Hurricane Sandy—also referred to as Superstorm Sandy—hit the Jersey coastline in October 2012. It was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record and brought winds of 115 miles per hour, causing more than $70 billion in damage. Two million New Jersey homes lost power, and 346,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

The Grassy Sound community took a major hit, with homes being lifted off their foundations and thrown onto the roadway.

Despite the hardships and New Jersey’s efforts to declare the Grassy Sound homes "unfit for habitation," the homeowners remained determined to defend their property rights and preserve their unique heritage and community.

A major obstacle to Grassy Sound's future sustainability was the lack of a permanent sewer system. After years of effort led by Grassy Sound Sewer Association President Carole Powell, the property owners reached an agreement with Middle Township in May 2017 for a state-of-the-art sewer system, supported by funding from the USDA. With the completion of the sewer system, the threat of property condemnation was removed, and many property owners felt confident enough to invest in major renovations to improve their properties and increase their long-term value.

Through more than a century of adversity, the resilient inhabitants of Grassy Sound have defied the odds, weathered numerous storms, and overcome dire predictions of their demise.

Today, the future looks bright for this salt marsh enclave. Middle Township remains committed to preserving and protecting Grassy Sound to ensure the village's ongoing sustainability while safeguarding the surrounding marshland and waterways for generations to come.