Maryland’s primary seaside resort sits on a barrier island lying between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sinepuxent Bay that until the late nineteenth century was largely deserted. Ocean City’s first hotel opened in 1875, spurring early growth facilitated by a rail line from Berlin in 1881. The Trimper family built two hotels in the 1890s and in the succeeding decades installed the first amusement park rides. The boardwalk and original city pier were started by hotel owners, in 1902 and 1906, respectively. Early extant boardwalk hotels include the rebuilt Atlantic (1926; 401 Baltimore Avenue), the Lankford (1924; 807 Atlantic), and the Majestic (1925; 613 Atlantic).
Boardinghouses appeared, often run by the wives of fishermen and lifesaving station employees, such as the Tarry-A-While (1897; 108 Dorchester Street) and the Jefferson (c. 1903; 3 Dorchester Street). Individual and multi-unit cottages and bungalows were built during the early twentieth century. Most were raised on piers, clad in wood shingles, and offering front porches catching the ocean breeze, such as 505–507, the Rosemont at 509, and 511 Baltimore. Extant Colonial Revival houses, now seemingly out of sync with their surroundings, include the Esham House at 707, the shingled house at 711, and the George Vickers House at 800 Baltimore. Small apartment buildings were constructed for longer stays, such as Crop Ayre (608 N. Baltimore). The Gothic Revival St. Paul’s By the Sea (1900; 302 Baltimore) and other churches contributed to early references to Ocean City as the Ladies Resort.
A post-World War II boom and the 1952 construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge ushered in increased development, the replacement of many old buildings, and the advent of the motor lodge. Few single-family houses were built during this period, with the exception of the atypical International Style Joseph Edward Collins House (1949; 710 Baltimore). In the 1980s and 1990s more early structures gave way to luxury hotels and condominiums, commanding the beachfront with balconied rooms providing views of the ocean, such as the colorful Hyatt Place (1 16th Street) by Fisher Architecture of Salisbury. Still, many noteworthy buildings speaking to the earlier seaside town remain and are as illustrative of Ocean City ethos as Thrashers french fries, Dolles Candyland, and Dumser’s Dairyland ice cream.
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