Hanover House got its name from the previous owners, Robert and Ester Hanover of Philadelphia. They were Randi's favorite aunt and uncle and played a major role in Randi's childhood. We felt it appropriate to give the house their name, thus keeping the memory of Ester and Bob alive to us and to all of the extended family that have spent so many happy times on LBI. If we speak of HH as more than just a home, it's because of the difficulty in separating the physical home from the wonderful memories of the times that we have spent there.
The Hanover's purchased HH in 1953 after vacationing for many years on the mainland. They loved to escape to the "shore" from Philadelphia and actually owned a "cabin" somewhere in the mosquito-ridden wetlands. None of the cousins can pinpoint the exact location, but they do remember the bugs. In the early 1950's, Ester would annually take the train down to Miami, and bring Randi and her younger sister, Sherry, back to Philadelphia for the summer. Bob thought that Philly was great, but not too comfortable for the kids in the summer. He loved the water, boating, and fishing on LBI, but the cabin was too small for this extended family. The search was on for a new, larger summer home. Ship Bottom on LBI was the perfect location. When they found this beachfront cottage in 1953, they purchased it immediately. HH was born!
HH was enlarged in 1954-55 by the addition of the sunroom and deck. This new addition made HH roomier and added breathtaking views of the beach, ocean, and bay. It also allowed a rental unit to help defray the costs. At this time, there was no dune and Bob would "rope off" an area east of the house on the beach that the kids were allowed to play in. Pictures of the "Old Hanover House" can be seen in the Gallery section under HH History. We've included some personal pictures that are also on the walls of HH to give you a better feel for LBI and HH in the 50's.
Bob loved boating and fishing and, in 1956, bought his dreamboat, The Bargulus. We found the original contract and the purchase price was $1,450. The Hanovers also spent many hours fishing at the cut by the Lighthouse on the north end of the island.
Ester didn't spend as much time at HH after Bob's passing in the late 1950's. In March 1962, "The Great Atlantic Storm" (also known as "Five High Storm" and the "Ash Wednesday Storm") damaged much of LBI, along with most of the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. Fortunately, HH had been rebuilt securely on pilings (1954-55) which allowed the storm to "pass through" the house. As it passed through, though, it took much of the kitchen and furnishings with it, ending up on the Boulevard. Some of the photos show Ester surveying the damage. You also can get an idea of the "wash out" under the house. She was about 5 feet tall.
In December of 1969, Randi brought me to Ship Bottom. It was love at first sight! We were stationed in the Army at Ft. George G. Meade in Maryland and couldn't wait to escape the DC area on the weekends. 1969 to 1971 were very turbulent times and we would spend the weekend away from the bad news on TV and, in fact, away from the world. Our time was spent fishing, walking on the beach, flying kites, eating, drinking a bit too much, and basically "vegging out." Even though we were escaping, I didn't mention another twist of fate. Until my daughter Shani bought me a souvenier Ship Bottom coffee mug in 2000, I didn't know the history of the lighthouse on LBI. It was built in 1858 by a Lt. George Meade, who was a General during the Civil War. I was leaving Fort George G. Meade to visit Lt. George G. Meade's Island.
Ester was the consummate hostess. She never tired of running around with us, and she showed us every nook and cranny on the island. She knew everyone, and everyone knew Ester. I forgot to mention that her vocation was charity work. She spent countless hours donating her time and energy helping the multiply handicapped, both in Philadelphia and also on LBI. Our joke was that she could only drive the blind, because they wouldn't know how bad a driver she was. People on the island knew that if they saw Ester's car coming, they would pull off to the side of the road. This may not be true, but after riding once with her, I think I believe it. Regardless, her kindness and tireless work for the less fortunate should not go unmentioned.
Randi and I moved to Hartford, Connecticut from 1971 to 1974 for my orthodontic residency at the U. of Connecticut. It made the drive a bit longer, but we still managed to fit some vacation time in at LBI. It was also a chance to spend some summer time on the island. Most of our time visiting LBI when I was in the Army seemed to be in the winter, or that may have just been the mood of those troubled times. I really had never seen the summer crowds before. Yes, they even existed in the 70's. We made wonderful memories of playing on the beach, eating, drinking, and being carefree. Also, in the summer time, the miniature golf courses, great restaurants, and ice cream parlors were open!
In 1972, we helped (pushed) Ester to leave Philadelphia and she decided to live full time on LBI. She lived at 40th and Spruce Street in Philly adjacent to the U. of Pennsylvania Dental School. It was a good time for her to leave inner city Philadelphia, and we felt that she was much safer living on the island. She lived full time on LBI from 1972 to 1999 with a few short stays at our home in Miami to "thaw out". We visited Ester, but not often enough, during these years. We have great stories of emergency repairs to keep HH "afloat" (I actually think about it as an old boat) but those stories will be added at a later date.
We hope you enjoy learning and seeing the history of HH. We'll be adding the construction photos, so you can get a feel for how these changes evolved.
We also hope you will add your own comments to our guestbook section. If you find a great restaurant or spot to visit, or discover a "must see" place, please let us all know so we can take advantage of your find. If you can figure out how to add a photo (image), please feel free. If you just email it to me at HanoverHouseLBI@aol.com , I'll add it to the site ASAP. We'd like to see faces that match the names of our guests.
Wishing you a wonderful LBI vacation,
Len and Randi Rothenberg