The Role of the Doo Wop Preservation League in Planning & Redevelopment in the Wildwoods

The proposed "Doo Wop Historic District"
aka the Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District

The strip along Ocean Avenue between Cresse Ave and Farragut Rd in Wildwood Crest is home to the nation's largest concentration of original "Doo Wop" resort architecture built during the period including the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.

Dramatic and unusual angles, flat roofs, glass walls, flying saucers, spaceship lights, tiki heads, lava rock walls, zig-zag balconies, sputnik satellites, a rich pallette of vivid colors, open-air building layouts and large, captivating neon signs define this remarkably unique district of hotels and motels that were built during the era of space-age glamour and Polyneisan pop.

It is the mission of the Doo Wop Preservation League, together with the state of New Jersey, national historic preservation, and supporters from all over the country and the world to have this district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, officially establishing the "Doo Wop Historic District" as one of the most unique and exciting resort attractions in America.

Having your hotel/motel property listed on the prestigious National Register as part of a 'historic district' provides a number of incentives and solutions for maximizing your property's value and profitability that would otherwise be unavailable.

The establishment of a historic hotel/motel district in this area will allow substantial economic support to become available to property owners in the form of tax credits, grants and other incentives to encourage restoration, renovation, modernization and expansion of "Doo Wop" properties along with new construction and development that adds to the "Doo Wop" character of the area, while affording property owners complete and total freedom over their properties.

The historic district comes with NO strings attached... NO restrictions on private property (we don't know why you would, but if you really want to tear down a Doo Wop building, you still can), NO formal design reviews for renovations (paint it pink, paint it blue, paint it black, whatever catches your fancy), NO problems! This type of historic district designation (unlike the strict ordinances that exist in Cape May and other traditional historic preservation districts) provides nothing but INCENTIVES to make preservation, restoration and expansion of existing Doo Wop properties as economically feasible (and flexible!) as possible for current property owners and potential new investors, at their own discretion. The idea is to create an environment in Wildwood Crest that allows property owners as well as outside investors and entrepreneurs to preserve our wonderfully unique and valuable "Doo Wop" properties while expanding and adapting them for maximally PROFITABLE use.

The Doo Wop Preservation League wants nothing but that which gives the Wildwoods and all of its property and business owners the best chance to be as successful as possible in the long term. We feel that preserving, promoting and expanding upon the exciting "Doo Wop" character that is unique to the Wildwoods (and the Wildwood Crest motel district in particular), has been enjoyed by residents and tourists for decades, and has recently been the subject of renewed interest by up-and-coming younger generations, baby-boomer nostalgians, and some of the most prominent travel, lifestyle and architecture publications in the world, is without a doubt the best way to accomplish this goal.

The DWPL needs the support of residents, tourists, and property owners alike in accomplishing our goal of listing the Wildwood Crest hotel/motel district on the National Register of Historic Places and convincing the Wildwood Crest commission and planning board to modify its ordinances to allow and encourage historic "Doo Wop" properties to be adapated and expanded for profitable use, while encouraging new construction to be consistent with the Doo Wop character of the district.