Wildwood's Doo Wop on its way to National Register of Historic Places

The Wildwoods, NJ—June 25, 2003-- The Wildwoods’ Doo Wop Preservation League (DWPL) has announced that the State of New Jersey's Review Board for Historic Sites approved its nomination of the Wildwoods for the National Register of Historic Places and, with enthusiastic support, passed it on for federal approval.

According to DWPL Board Member Elan Zingman-Leith, The New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites has sent the organization's "multiple property documentation form" on to the National Park Service in Washington, which maintains the National Register of Historic Places, for an informal review by the staff.

"This is a great day for the Wildwoods," said Zingman-Leith, who has worked on the National Register nomination for South Beach Miami and others. "The State recognizes The Wildwoods' DooWop architecture as a cultural treasure, and that the Federal government is considering it too is fantastic."

The Park Service now must decide whether the multiple resource nomination for the Wildwoods is significant enough to make an exception to the usual rule that a property must be 50 years old to be nominated and will list the Wildwoods on the National Register of Historic Places. Then the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office will schedule reviews of two individual nominations (within the multiple resource nomination) for next September. Finally, The State Historic Preservation Office will consider buildings within the multiple resource nomination area for creation of a historic district.

The 1950's DooWop character of the Wildwoods is the focus of extraordinary attention and support right now. This month, Smithsonian magazine has a feature story titled "Doo Wop by the Sea." The author, Doug Stewart, wrote, "The town's gaudy motel districts, in fact, are considered a shoo-in for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in the next year or two." He adds, "When it's all lit up at night, you feel like you're on vacation even if you're working." The Wildwoods' DooWop architecture has also been featured in a cover story in Preservation, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Condé Nast Traveller.