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–Not graded
History · Ocean View

Ocean View’s post office opened in 1830, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and old-book passages.

1830first post office
0on the National Register
12%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Ocean View’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Ocean View began

When was Ocean View founded?

1830

The Ocean View post office opened in 1830, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 685196 years
Founding year: the first Ocean View post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Ocean View’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18884 editions of the USGS map, 1888 to 1972. Watch Ocean View change.Deep rootsA post office since 1830: 196 years of Ocean View.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Ocean View’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ocean View’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewEAST FRONT - Rising Sun Tavern, 158 Sho…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Ocean View on the map, 1888 to 1972

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ocean View. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Ocean View on the 1888 USGS mapOcean View on the 1894 USGS mapOcean View on the 1941 USGS mapOcean View on the 1972 USGS map1888Sea Isle sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ocean View.

The story so far

Ocean View, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Ocean View yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Ocean View is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Dennis Township in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, Ocean View had a population of 685. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08230. The post office was established in 1872, with William Doolittle as the first postmaster. Ocean View is located at 39°10′35″N 74°44′01″W.

Its first post office opened in 1830.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Ocean View in 1897

Passages that mention Ocean View, cut from the printed page as they were published.

In 1872 postoffices were at Ocean View and Palermo,, the former on May 6 and the latter on December 1 1. February 24, 1873, the office at South Dennis was first opened.
The history of Cape May County, New Jersey1897 · page 364Read the page →
Read the text

In 1872 postoffices were at Ocean View and Palermo,, the former on May 6 and the latter on December 1 1. February 24, 1873, the office at South Dennis was first opened.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Ocean View, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s2 items
EAST FRONT - Rising Sun Tavern, 158 Shore Road (U.S. Route 9), Ocean View, Cape May County, NJ1933EAST FRONT - Rising Sun Tavern, 158 Shore Road (U.S. …EAST FRONT AND SOUTH SIDE - Rising Sun Tavern, 158 Shore Road (U.S. Route 9), Ocean View, Cape May County, NJ1933EAST FRONT AND SOUTH SIDE - Rising Sun Tavern, 158 Sh…
1940s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today4 recent
2020-08-14 16 00 13 View south along U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) at Cape May County Route 625 (Sea Isle Boulevard) and Sc…20202020-08-14 16 00 13 View south along U.S. Route 9 (Sh…2018-08-09 14 03 21 View north along U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) just north of Cape May County Route 625 (Sea Isle Boulev…20182018-08-09 14 03 21 View north along U.S. Route 9 (Sh…2018-08-09 10 04 59 View south along U.S. Route 9 (Shore Road) just south of Cape May County Route 625 (Sea Isle Boulev…20182018-08-09 10 04 59 View south along U.S. Route 9 (Sh…Calvary Baptist Church Cape May Co2010Calvary Baptist Church Cape May Co
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

EAST FRONT - Rising Sun Tavern, 158 Shore Road (U.S. Route 9), Ocean View, Cape May County, NJ
Retake this viewEAST FRONT - Rising Sun Tavern, 158 Shore Road (U.S. Route 9), Ocean View, Cape May County, NJ, 1933

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Ocean View’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Ocean View

Nobody well known was born in Ocean View itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Gregory Goodwin PincusAmerican biochemist · b. 1903
Keith AndesAmerican actor · b. 1920
Peter ErskineAmerican musician · b. 1954
Gay TaleseAmerican writer · b. 1932
Walter TroutAmerican musician · b. 1951
Marla AdamsAmerican actress · b. 1938
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Dennis Township5 historic placesAUpper Township6 historic placesASeaville1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townSouth Seaville1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Ocean View’s history

What year was Ocean View founded?

The Ocean View post office opened in 1830, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (6), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.