Constructed in 1879 as St. James Episcopal Chapel, the structure served as the house of worship for wealthy families who vacationed in Long Branch, including seven U.S. Presidents. Designed in the Shingle Style, the imposing tower was added in 1895, causing some structural deficiencies that the current owners needed to stabilize. The applicant acquired the property in 1953 and ran a museum for many years until structural failure resulted in closing the property to visitors. 

The 2017 Trust grant helped fund the ongoing exterior restoration of the building, including restoration of doors, exterior painting and reinstallation of stained-glass windows that had been in storage. The 2008 Trust grant helped fund exterior restoration, including repairs to the shaped wood shingles, porch restoration, exterior painting in historically appropriate Victorian-era colors, and masonry repointing. Interior stabilization and the first phase of exterior restoration were completed with the aid of a previous Trust grant. 

For more information, visit: http://www.churchofthepresidents.org/