Bivalve, N.J. – Nearly a year ago, lured by the simple introduction on the Bayshore Discovery Project web site: “Delaware Bay Day is the largest Tn Requin FREE folklife and seafood festival in the tri-state area,” I grabbed my camera gear, programmed the GPS, and headed southeast from the Philadelphia, Pa. area—destination Bivalve, New Jersey, home of the June Delaware Bay Days festival.
Bivalve (its descriptive name comes from the rough-shelled oysters that were the source of its livelihood throughout the early 1900s), is just over an hour’s drive from Philadelphia and Atlantic City—and an easy day trip from the tonier beach towns like Avalon and Stone Harbor. Gray weathered buildings and rusting equipment sit idle along the outskirts of the small town offering no hint of the historic treasures and delectable seafood waiting in this coastal town.
In the first half of the 1900s, Bivalve, a booming, rough-cut, 24-hour-a-day town, was at the heart of a thriving two-million-bushels-a-year oyster industry. Crews of stately oyster schooners delivered their hauls to a long row of waterfront sheds where oysters were shucked, graded, processed and packed. Train service arrived in town around 1900 and by 1920 as many as 80 rail cars left Bivalve daily packed full of shucked oysters for delivery to Philadelphia, New York City and beyond. Meanwhile, local commerce moved along oyster-shell roads. The seemingly endless oyster trade also kept skilled craftsmen busy in local shipyards building new oyster dredges and work boats.
The shellfish boom also supported the neighboring community of Shell Pile, named for the tall mounds of shells that accumulated outside the oyster shipping sheds. Shell Pile was a black community of about 1,000 residents living in wooden barracks erected on stilts over the salt marshes. The Shell Pile community was essential for sustaining the continuous supply of the shucked delicacies delivered during these years.
But, this bounty of plenty came crashing to an end in the early 1950s. The oyster and clam beds, along with the towns of Bivalve, Port Norris and Shell Pile were nearly wiped out when the deadly MSX virus struck the shellfish population. Within three years, annual oyster harvests dropped from two million bushels to less than 50,000 bushels—not nearly enough to sustain the financial demands of the local economy. The shipping sheds, boat yards and the towns fell silent and gradually began to succumb to disuse and neglect.
Bivalve, however, has refused to die, and today, spirits in the community are running high. The echo of voices and clamor of activity are gradually increasing through the long dormant shipping sheds. The maze of former grading, processing and packing rooms have been converted into a musseum of local maritime culture and history, oyster dredging, and local crafts including decoy carvings and art.
One long room on the waterfront side offers an intimate look at early 1900s boat building. This is more than just a display. Stepping across the threshold is stepping back in history into a working 1930s boat builder’s shop where small boats are still built.
Outside the sheds on the docks I encountered tubs of fresh sweet raw oysters that had to be sampled. During the day I watched cooking demonstrations, tasted wines from local vintners, listened to music on several stages, and looked over the offerings of Jersey Fresh Seafood.
At the heart of this experience are the people. I talked with individuals who had lived—and now share—their personal and first-hand knowledge of the town, local events and its characters (captains, craftsmen, and crooks).
The revival of the area is supported not only by the spirit of its people, but two important initiatives. First, through an intense Rutgers research program at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory’s Bivalve Laboratory, virus-resistant oysters are gradually beginning to take hold in the Delaware oyster beds.
Equally important, the Bayshore Discovery Project is breathing new life into the area. In addition to the restoration of the shipping sheds, they have revitalized a historic oyster dredging vessel. Billed as New Jersey’s tall ship, Bivalve is the home port of the A. J. Meerwald, a restored 115-ft 1928 Delaware Bay oyster schooner; the centerpiece of the Bayshore Discovery Project's program.
From April through November, this beautiful ship offers a busy calendar of reasonably priced public sails, exploring the Delaware Estuary. On a 2˝-hour cruise, passengers help crew the schooner while learning about natural resources that molded the bay shore communities. Several shorter cruises will be offered during the Bay Day Festival. Special Events, including dinners, concerts, holiday celebrations, educational sails, and other family activities, are scheduled throughout the season.
A little farther to the southeast, on the shore at the confluence of the Maurice River and the Delaware Bay stands East Point Lighthouse, an integral part of the history of the area. Erected in 1849, it is the second oldest standing lighthouse in New Jersey. The lantern room offers a panoramic view of the Maurice River estuary. Managed by the Maurice River Historical Society, the lighthouse is open for special events and tours by appointment.
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