Sea Girt "Army" Camp
In 1884, agreement was entered into to purchase a tract of land from the south end of the Stockton tract. In 1887, by act of legislature, 120 acres were purchased for $51,000 for the purpose of establishing permanent camp, rifle range and seacoast battery for the use of the National Guard of the state. The lands were again annexed to Sea Girt in 1939 when State Assemblyman J. Stanley Herbert reported to Mayor and Council that the annexation bill had passed both houses of the Legislature. The camp was established as a summer capitol of New Jersey where the Governors spent the warm months until the Second World War. It was here that Woodrow Wilson learned of his nomination for the office of President of the United States.
The first Governor’s Cottage is the present superintendent’s home, originally it was a farmer’s house on the Stockton farm. What is now known as the Governor’s house was the state of New Jersey exhibit at the St Louis exposition, which was moved here in 1906.
During Governor John Corzine's term, he had proposed selling the army camp as it was no fully used by the State Police/ national Guard. This faced strong local opposition, but never moved beyond the talking stage and it currently seems to be tabled.
