Holy Leisure

On July 31, 1869, twenty-two members of the holiness movement of the Methodist church gathered to pray on a beach on the New Jersey shore. Before long, Ocean Grove was established as “God’s Square Mile,” the first permanent camp meeting dedicated to both religious and recreational pursuits. In this richly illustrated history, Troy Messenger looks at the numerous informal amusements of summer life at Ocean Grove and provides a glimpse into a fascinating moment in the development of both nineteent