Sea bright Historical Society Presents Retrospective on Landmark Building
By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
SEA BRIGHT – On balmy summer nights in decades past, revelers packed The Peninsula House on the waterfront, among them Bert Lahr, the original Cowardly Lion in the “Wizard of Oz.” Frank Sinatra’s parents, who enjoyed strolling the beach with their young son, were regulars.
Affectionally known as the P House, the landmark hosted elegant weddings, memorable soirees and countless “meet-cutes.” Mentioning it today still elicits an avalanche of fond recollections. Built in 1881 by Mifflin Paul, Sea Bright’s founder, the massive wood structure had an unrivaled 100-year legacy. The era that resonates most among shore denizens today, however, is the early 1980s, before the stately building burned to the ground in 1986.
Architectural designer and historic restoration specialist Mary Weir, a Pittsburgh native who moved to Sea Bright in 1967 and now resides in Long Branch, acquired the deteriorating property in 1979, undertaking a challenging restoration.
Weir shared her journey during “A Backward Glance: The Peninsula House Era 1884-1984,” presented by the Sea Bright Historical Society in the Beach Pavilion May 2. The evening was moderated by retired WNBC-TV New Jersey reporter Brian Thompson. Alongside slides depicting The Peninsula House through its various iterations and Weir’s restoration, she offered riveting details and insights. “I didn’t know what was going to happen when I signed the contract,” Weir said, noting the property included eight acres of private beach. “You could not build another place like that today. It was magical.”
Working with a small army of construction workers, artisans and craftspeople, Weir removed and stored whatever could be saved and repurposed, filling her own home with salvaged finds. Gas chandeliers were converted to electric. She traveled to a London church for leaded glass windows, found an antique marble balustrade from Verona, Italy, in an old Newark mansion, procured the oak and cut-crystal entrance doors from Philadelphia’s Wanamaker estate, and found the 1914 hand-carved carousel horse that graced the lobby window in California.
Mif flin Paul built The Peninsula House as a Victorian hotel for his daughter, Martha Dederer. Three years later, he moved it from its original perch on the Shrewsbury River to the east side of Ocean Avenue, utilizing rollers and horses.
“Jewel of the Sea”
For the next 100 years, it was known as the “Jewel of the Sea,” changing ownership three times. Hotel operations ceased in 1959, and the venue became a beach club known for its saltwater pool and well-heeled members.
When Weir took over, she built five restaurants and a Grand Ballroom within its walls. Friday’s attendees reacted with gleeful recognition as she recalled the Lobby Bar with its brass elephant heads, the lively Sand Bar, and the French country-style Wine Cellar restaurant where bread, soups and acclaimed desserts were all made in-house. The landmark’s famous porches operated from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. for drinks, eats and ocean breezes.
“I’m an architect, but nothing was as challenging as running a restaurant,” Weir recalled. “We started every day at 5 a.m., seven days per week, and did that for three years. I miss it and I don’t.”
She learned to cook on the job, lavishly decorated for holidays and special events, and welcomed as many as 5,000 guests on summer weekends. She hired Tim McLoone, a successful area restaurateur and musician today, as a pianist, “right out of college.”
When a new opportunity came calling in the form of Lear’s Magazine, founded by Frances Lear, Norman Lear’s wife, Weir made the difficult decision to sell The Peninsula House and relocate to Manhattan.
“I sold it to a beautiful hotel concern, and I was to be part of the new ownership before it burned down,” Weir said. “It was devastating. Those old wooden hotels were tinderboxes. Nothing could be saved.”
“Sea Bright is honored Mary Weir is still here in town and is willing to share with us the great history of the P House,” said former Mayor Dina Long, who attended Friday’s event with her husband Rob. “It was so iconic. It may be gone but will never be forgotten.”
Brian Thompson, who resides in Monmouth Beach, was contacted by a mutual friend of Weir’s and asked to emcee the evening, which featured light bites, music by Dave McCarthy, and a bar dispensing The Peninsula House’s signature Planter’s Punch.
Weir continues to rehabilitate historic homes and is currently writing eight short plays for the Long Branch Historical Museum Association to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The many hats she’s worn over the years include author, editor, philanthropist and patron of the arts, particularly opera. She serves on the board of the Count Basie Center for the Arts Education Committee and is co-founder of Ludo Collaborative Arts, Inc., a musical performance organization. She was a board member of Pacific Encore Performances, the Children’s Cultural Center and Monmouth University. She headed the university’s scholarship and holiday balls for over 15 years.
Weir’s master’s in architectural design from Pennsylvania State University has taken her from restorations at the Jersey Shore to Rhode Island and Florida, where in 1985, she was outbid in her attempt to purchase the Marjorie Merriweather Post landmark estate Mar-a-Lago from then-New York businessman, now President Donald Trump.
“All applause to Mary for keeping the memories alive,” Thompson told The Two River Times. “History is something we should never let go of. It helps us understand who we are.”
The article originally appeared in the May 8 – 14, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
