By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – The Monmouth Boat Club has secured a $750,000 state grant to replace its century-old foundation, preserving a historic waterfront landmark that has stood since 1879.
The New Jersey Historic Trust, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), has approved nearly $14 million in grant recommendations from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund to save and promote historic sites throughout the state. In an announcement late last month, the DCA listed Red Bank’s Monmouth Boat Club among 67 other projects statewide to benefit from the funding.
Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund, a state program managed by the New Jersey Historic Trust, supports planning, restoration and capital improvements at historically significant sites across the state, but the funding recommendation must still clear legislative appropriation and approval by the governor, and requires matching funds from municipal or partner entities before it can be disbursed.
“This is the first grant the club has ever received since it was founded in 1879,” said Andrew Zangle, club commodore. “We’re the only building on the National Historic Register that’s left standing from its time on the waterfront in Red Bank.”
The club’s leaders have estimated the project, which involves lifting the entire National Historic Register building to install new foundation pilings, to cost over $2 million. The club, entirely volunteer-run, aims to raise the remaining funds through its nonprofit wing, Friends of Monmouth Boat Club.
The Monmouth Boat Club has “existed in pretty much exact form since 1930,” Zangle said. It endured Super Storm Sandy and severe weather conditions throughout the decades, but a 2019 engineering survey revealed that the building’s structural integrity was severely compromised. “The foundation itself is, over time, failing, and the building is off level because of the foundation,” Zangle explained.
The club attempted temporary repairs in 2020, including propping up the structure and attaching additional beams alongside the existing ones to strengthen them. However, club leaders quickly realized provisional measures were insufficient. “You can’t just continue to repair. You have to put piles in the ground to replace the ones that are 100 years old,” Zangle explained.
The foundation replacement will maintain the building’s historic character.
“We’re going to put a new foundation in to make sure we have this building for another 100 years,” Zangle said.
Repairs to the foundation will include lifting the historic building and temporarily relocating it about 50-60 feet away on club premises. Nearly 60 helical (spiral) steel piles will be installed 60 feet deep in the ground to replace the existing foundation and secure the structure for the future.
The foundation replacement will maintain the building’s historic character, with only minor interior modifications, such as flood vents. With bids going out in spring 2026, construction is scheduled to begin next fall, with a six-month active construction period through winter 2027. The project aims for completion by that summer, ensuring the club is fully operational for the 2027 season.
The project’s scale demands continued commitment from the club members. Brian Bugbee, vice commodore of Monmouth Boat Club, noted that the restoration effort is “almost like a second job.” With approximately 20 committed volunteers, the club members are investing significant personal time to preserve their historic institution.
This commitment is deeply rooted in the club’s multigenerational history. Bugbee himself grew up at the club; both his parents and grandparents were members. For longtime members like Zangle and Bugbee, restoration of the boat club is more than just a structural repair; it’s a col- lective effort to maintain a cherished community landmark that has been integral to Red Bank’s maritime heritage for over a century.
Bugbee noted a World War I memorial plaque in the club honors members whose names have become synonymous with area history, with many commemorated veterans having streets named after them. The plaque showcases the club’s deep roots. “It’s a very special place to Red Bank and even Monmouth County in this part of New Jersey,” Bugbee said.
The Monmouth Boat Club is a membership-based club centered on sailing, rowing and waterfront recreation along the Navesink River. Members have access to club facilities, including boat racks, launching areas, moorings and the historic three-story building overlooking the river. The club runs social events, like barbecues, dinners and movie nights, hosts regattas, holds an active junior sailing program and supports rowing and small craft activities.
Next spring, the boat club is planning to host a fundraiser gala and will be working with various philanthropic individuals and businesses in the area that want to partner with the club to preserve this piece of maritime heritage intact.
The article originally appeared in the September 25 – October 1, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
