James A. Bradley
Encyclopedia
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and real estate developer. He designed the resort destination of Asbury Park on the New Jersey Shore. Bradley was also involved in the development of Bradley Beach
Bradley Beach, New Jersey
Bradley Beach is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 4,298. The summer population can reach 30,000.-History:...
, which bears his name.
Biography
Bradley was born on February 14, 1830 in Rossville, Staten IslandRossville, Staten Island
Rossville is the name of a neighborhood of Staten Island, New York, located to the west of Prince's Bay, on the island's South Shore.-Early History of the Area:...
to Hannah and Adam Bradley. At age sixteen, in 1846, he became an apprentice brush
Brush
A brush is a tool with bristles, wire or other filaments, used for cleaning, grooming hair, make up, painting, surface finishing and for many other purposes. It is one of the most basic and versatile tools known to mankind, and the average household may contain several dozen varieties...
maker for Bernalds and Weeks in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1857 he established his own brush making business, Bradley & Smith, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Bradley was married to Helen M. Packard of Boston, they had no children.
Bradley converted from Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
to Methodist, and was very close philosophically with the leaders of the Ocean Grove Meeting Association who ran the summer retreat on the New Jersey shore. These relationships lead Bradley to focus his attention on developing the area around Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Ocean Grove is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean Jersey Shore, between Asbury Park to the north and Bradley Beach to the south...
.
On January 24, 1871, Bradley acquired approximately 500 acres (2 km²) of land east of the New York and Long Branch railroad
New York and Long Branch Railroad
The New York and Long Branch Railroad was a railroad in central New Jersey, running from Bay Head Junction in Bay Head to Perth Amboy, where it connected to the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Perth Amboy and Elizabethport Railroad. The railroad was jointly owned and operated by the Pennsylvania...
, between Wesley and Deal lakes
Deal Lake
Deal Lake, the largest lake in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and one of the largest lakes in New Jersey, occupying 158 acres and drains into the Atlantic Ocean....
. Bradley named the new community Asbury Park after Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury
Bishop Francis Asbury was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now The United Methodist Church in the United States...
, the founder of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Bradley served as the first postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of Asbury Park from 1874 to 1884, and established the city's first newspaper, the Asbury Park Journal (1876-1910) in 1876, serving as its editor and until 1882. Bradley began Asbury Park’s first sewerage
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
system in 1881, and setup water & gas works in 1884. Bradley also served as Mayor of Asbury Park, New Jersey
Mayor of Asbury Park, New Jersey
Mayors of Asbury Park, New Jersey:*Ed Johnson 2009 to present.*Kevin G. Sanders.*Kenneth E. Saunders Sr. 1996 to 2001.*Thomas S. Smith 1989 to 1993.*Daniel O. Hearn circa 1970.*George A. Smock II 1950 to 1955....
and councilman. In 1894, Bradley was elected to the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
from Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
.
The City of Asbury Park sued Bradley for control of his beach front property, and sewer system in 1902. Bradley lost the suit.
Bradley died June 6, 1921. He was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York.
Legacy
A statue of Bradley stands in front of the Paramount Theater and Convention HallAsbury Park Convention Hall
Asbury Park Convention Hall is a 3,600-seat indoor exhibition center located on the boardwalk and on the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It was built between 1928 and 1930 and is used for sports, concerts and other special events. Adjacent to the Convention Hall is the Paramount Theatre; both are...
complex in Bradley Park.
Bradley set aside park lands, waterfront
Shore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
areas, and urban scale blocks, that widend at the ocean. Bradley donated land to religious and civic groups, and the public library. Bradley is responsible for the creation of the mile long oceanfront boardwalk that remains today.