THE DOO WOP ARCHITECTURE
OF WILDWOOD CREST
In the last
decade Wildwood and Wildwood Crest have become literally world
famous for their abundant Doo Wop architecture. But what exactly
is Doo Wop architecture?
Doo Wop is a term coined by MAC (the Mid-Atlantic Center For The
Arts) in the early 1990s to describe the unique, space-age
architectural style that was common in the 1950s and 1960s that
incorporated modern, sweeping angles, bright colors, starbursts,
boomerang shapes, plastic palm trees, and angular wall and roof
styles. (It was named after a music style popular at that time,
sung by groups like The Turbans and The Ink Spots.) Other parts of
the country refer to the Doo Wop style as "Googie" or "Populuxe" architecture. The first motel to reflect this style in Wildwood
Crest was the Ebb Tide Motel at 5711 Atlantic Avenue, built in
1957. Many of the Doo Wop motels (including the Ebb Tide) were
built by Will and Lou Morey, who specialized in such designs.
The different categories of Doo Wop architecture include:
.
1) Modern/Blast
Off:
Glass walled, angular roof style that brings to mind the jet-age
airports of the 1950s and 1960s (Satellite and Admiral Motels)
.
2) Vroom:
Architectural movement expressed in angular, forward-thrusting and
pointed building elements (Ebb Tide, Pan American and Bel Air
Motels; Surfside Restaurant).
.
3) Tiki/Polynesian: Reflects the fascination with the South Pacific, incorporating
plastic palm trees and tiki heads in abundance (Tahiti, Waikiki,
Kona Kai and Casa Bahama Motels).
.
4) Chinatown
Revival: Reflects interest in exotic foreign travel, particularly the
orient (Singapore Motel).
.
5) Phony Colonee:
A patriotic style that reflects Colonial American brick and
lamppost elements (Saratoga and Carriage Stop Motels).
.
 |
Admiral
Motel
7200 Ocean Avenue
(1964). Original owners Eugene and Anne Davolos.
Designed and built by Lou Morey. Doo Wop style: Modern/Blast Off. |
 |
Ala Kai
Motel 8301 Atlantic Avenue (1963). Original owners Kurt and Gertrude Burghold. Doo Wop style: Tiki/Polynesian. |
 |
Caribbean Motel
5600 Ocean Avenue (1958). Original owners: Dominic and Julie
Rossi. Designed and built by Lou Morey. Doo Wop style: Tiki/Polynesian/Modern. |
 |
Caribbean Motel's
unusual,
horseshoe-shaped pool. |
 |
Casa
Bahama Motel
7301 Atlantic Avenue
(1959). Original owners: Chester & Catherine Jastremski.
Doo Wop style: Tiki/Polynesian.
(Demolished in February of
2005.) |
 |
Casa
Bahama
pool area
close up. |
 |
Casa
Bahama's
artificial palm trees, typical of those in Wildwood since
1958. (Official name: Palmus plasticus
wildwoodii.) |
 |
Casa
Bahama's
classic
neon sign. |
 |
Ebb
Tide Motel
5711 Atlantic Avenue (1957).
Original
owners: Harry Stokes, Jr.
and Margaret Stokes, Albert and
Agnes
Beers. Designed by Lou Morey;
built by Will and Lou
Morey. Doo Wop style: Vroom.
(Demolished in December of 2003).
|
 |
Ebb
Tide
detail,
showing its unusual slanted walls. |
 |
Jolly
Roger Motel
6805 Atlantic Avenue
(1959). Original owner: Palmer Way. Designed by Lou Morey;
built by Will and Lou Morey. Doo Wop style:
Modern/Blast Off. |
 |
Kona Kai Motel (1968), 7300 Ocean Avenue. Original owner:
Manuel Santos. Designed and built by Lou Morey. Doo Wop style:
Tiki/Polynesian.
(Demolished in January of 2006) |
 |
Satellite Motel
5909 Atlantic Avenue (1958).
Original owners: Will and Jacqueline Morey. Designed
and built by Will Morey. Doo Wop style:
Modern/Blast Off.
(Demolished in October of
2004.) |
 |
Satellite Motel
pool area. |
 |
Satellite Motel
roof. Classic Doo Wop upswept boomerang style. |
 |
Schumann's Restaurant 5901 Atlantic Avenue
(1956). Original Owners: William G. and Mary
E. Schumann. Designed and built by Will Morey.
Doo Wop style:
Modern/Blast Off.
(Demolished in 2003.) |
 |
Surfside Restaurant
5601 Ocean Avenue
(1963).
Original owner: Thomas Michael John Sr. Opened July 4, 1963. Doo Wop style: Vroom.
(Demolished in October of
2002.) |
 |
Surfside Restaurant
interior;
October, 2002. |
 |
Tahiti
Motel
7411
Atlantic Avenue (1963).
Original owner:
Robert Gerhardt Jr. Doo Wop style:
Tiki/Polynesian.
(Demolished in December of
2004. |
|