Scarce - see detailed info below. On treated / smooth paper stock. Showing signs of wear, handling and age. One binding staple is missing and all pages have cleanly detached from the remaining staple. The pages still tuck into each other squarely along the top and bottom edges. The right edges are uneven and some have small notch-shaped paper losses. Some pages have light staining. Several eye-catching illustrations and photos. All text are present and legible. Overall, the issues do not take much away from this piece. Will display well in your collection. You will receive the exact booklet as shown in the photos. Overall, in fair to good condition.

Closed, it measures approx. 4 1/2" x 6"

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This is an early real estate investment prospectus issued by the South Jersey Realty Company to promote the large-scale development of Stone Harbor, New Jersey, on Seven Mile Beach. It is more than a simple sales brochure—it outlines the company's financing plan, describes the planned infrastructure, and invites prospective buyers on free inspection excursions by rail to view the property. It is an excellent example of the highly ambitious promotional literature that helped transform undeveloped barrier-island land into one of New Jersey's premier shore resorts. Date This booklet should date to circa 1910, with late 1909 to mid-1910 being the most likely period. Several internal clues point to this timeframe: The booklet states the South Jersey Realty Company purchased the property "three years ago," placing publication about three years after the company's 1907 acquisition. It refers to the proposed $500,000 hotel as still in the planning stage. The Ocean Parkway and canal are described as nearing completion rather than already open. The Harbor Inn is operating as the company's headquarters for prospective investors. Automobiles are featured prominently, reflecting the emerging automobile tourism boom of about 1909–1911.

Was the project completed? Largely, yes—and far more successfully than many speculative resort developments of the era. The South Jersey Realty Company, led by the Risley brothers, purchased approximately 3,674 acres on Seven Mile Beach in 1907 and launched one of the most aggressive shore-development campaigns on the East Coast. Unlike many speculative ventures that failed after selling lots, the company actually carried out much of the promised infrastructure. Among the improvements completed were: Grading and laying out streets. Concrete sidewalks and curbs. Water and sewer systems. Artesian water works. Electric service. Dredging of harbor basins and channels. Construction of the Ocean Parkway (Stone Harbor Boulevard) with its drawbridge connection to the mainland, formally celebrated in 1911. Many of the photographs in this booklet show those improvements either under construction or recently completed. Did it become something else? In reality, it became modern Stone Harbor. Rather than disappearing, the development evolved into the incorporated Borough of Stone Harbor (1914) and one of New Jersey's most desirable residential and vacation communities. The basic street grid, waterfront layout, and much of the early infrastructure established by the South Jersey Realty Company formed the foundation of today's town. Some individual projects mentioned in the booklet changed over time: The Harbor Inn, prominently featured as the company's showcase hotel for prospective investors, had originally been built in 1892 as the Abbotsford Inn. After the South Jersey Realty Company acquired it, it was renamed the Harbor Inn and used to host guests arriving on the free inspection trips. It remained an important landmark for years before eventually being demolished in the early 1920s. Not every grand vision came to fruition. Some promotional illustrations issued by the company depicted ambitious attractions—such as amusement facilities and other resort features—that were never built. Notable aspects of this booklet This booklet is particularly interesting because it documents the "bond plan" that distinguished the South Jersey Realty Company from many other developers. Instead of simply selling lots, the company promoted improvement bonds that financed roads, utilities, and other infrastructure, while offering building lots as incentives to investors. This innovative financing helped transform what had been largely undeveloped sand dunes into a functioning seaside community. Overall, this is an excellent surviving example of the promotional material that accompanied the birth of modern Stone Harbor. It captures the community at the moment it was transitioning from an ambitious real estate venture into a permanent and thriving Jersey Shore resort—one whose success ultimately fulfilled much of the promise made in these pages.

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**Shipped securely in a poly sleeve, sandwiched in cardboard, inside a rigid mailer via USPS Ground Advantage service w/ tracking**

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