A History of the
Lighthouse Tavern
Fifty-six years later, on August 26, 1901 the property was sold by Elias Hulfish Chambers and Louisa Chambers, his wife, for $1200 to Spencer L. Hiller of New York City. Then, on a date uncertain, the property was sold by Spencer L. Hiller to Clarance R.Wells and wife.
Mr. and Mrs. Wells held the property for fourteen years and on March 1, 1909, they sold it to Ella Arends. On June 3, 1923, Ella Arends and Adoloph Arends, her husband, sold the property to Fred Tabe of the City of Elizabeth. Sometime in July 1925, Mr. Tabe sold the property for $1 dollar and other considerations to Thomas H. Lyons and his wife Nettie M. Lyons of the City of Newark and theyopened the “Lyon’s Inn.”
On April 21, 1927, Mr. and Mrs. Lyon’s sold the Inn for $1 and other considerations to Mary Demeter of the City of Bloomfield. Mrs. Demeter renamed the establishment the “Lion’s Inn” and operated it for 18 years.
The Lighthouse Tavern and the land it sits on has been a part of Jersey Shore history since the 1800s.
On the 30th day of January in 1845, Ralph Chambers sold the land and premises to Elias Hulfish Chambers for $30 as recorded in the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office in book 0 4 of Deeds Folios 212 &c.
As the deed states, the property began at a white Oak Tree on the westerly side of the shore road and led from Waretown to Barnegat and ran first (1) north fifty two degrees and thirty minutes east, three chains and twelve links: thence (2) north thirty seven degrees and thirty minutes west, three chains and sixty one links: thence (3) south fifty two degrees and thirty minutes west, three chains and thirty links: thence (4) south forty one degrees thirty minutes east, three chains a sixty one links to the place of beginning. Containing one acre and sixteen hundredths of an acre strict measure.
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On May 29, 1945, Mrs. Demeter and her husband, Louis Demeter, sold the Lion’s Inn for $1 dollar and other considerations to Phoebe Wagner of the Borough of Ocean Gate.
On September 5, 1946 Phoebe Wagner and John Wagner, her husband, sold the Inn for $1 dollar and other considerations to Dora Linnert of Ocean Township, Ocean County. Then on May 2, 1955 Ms. Linert, who had since married and become Mrs. Paul Jozat, sold the Inn for $1 dollar and other considerations to Frank and Joseph Massare of Philadelphia.
On June 14, 1963, the Massare brothers sold the property to William B. and Emma Lott of Point Pleasant Borough. Mr. and Mrs. Lott ran the Inn for nine years and on May 18, 1971 sold the property to Michael and Lucia Oleniak and John and Rosemarie Waskiw of Newark, NJ.
On January 27, 1972, the Oleniak’s and Waskiw’s ended their partnership when the Waskiw’s sold their interest to the Oleniak’s for $25,000. The establishment was then renamed, The Lighthouse Inn.
On July 1, 1982 the most recent chapter of the property’s history began when Michael Oleniak and Lucia Oleniak sold the Inn to Jim Keady and Sean Annito. Jim and Sean would rename the establishment, The Lighthouse Tavern. Jim and Sean manned the helm at the Lighthouse together until Sean’s retirement in 2004.
Jim Keady continued to serve up great food, drinks, and entertainment until his passing in May 2013. The Lighthouse is now run by Jim's son, also Jim Keady, who has upgraded the tavern inside and out, giving a fresh look, but keeping its longstanding charm. Come in soon and let the staff at the Lighthouse Tavern serve you up great food, drinks, and fun!
