Is rediscovered Long Branch Coca-Cola sign doomed to disappear into storage like Tillie?

Dan Radel, Asbury Park Press
·4 min read
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LONG BRANCH - The recently discovered Coca-Cola sign created a lot of buzz, so much so, that the city acquired the sign and reassembled part of it for one night for all to see.

Coca-Cola even sent representatives who handed out free soda to the dozens of people who stopped by to view the piece of nostalgia that most likely dates back to the 1910s. Mayor John Pallone told the Asbury Park Press that the city is looking for an appropriate place to display the sign permanently. While they have some ideas, he said they haven't settled on a place yet.

For the meantime it will sit in storage. Will it see the light of day again, or will it be tucked away and collect dust like Tillie in Asbury Park or the Circle Drive-In clown in Wall?

Tillie, the grinning carnival face that was painted onto the facade of the Palace Amusements in the 1950s, saw the good times — and the bad times — of Asbury Park. Palace Amusements closed in the 1980s during a low point in the city's economy and the derelict building was razed in 2004. Before it was torn down, the mural of Tillie was removed and temporarily stored on city property.

Folks take pictures and look over the sign on display. The city of Long Branch has reassembled a 1910-era Coca-Cola sign that was discovered on the side of building when an adjacent building was demolished. Upon seeing the community buzz from the discovery, the city pieced the sign together to put on display at the Health & Technology Center.Long Branch NJThursday, April 27, 2023

Tillie of Asbury Park: Who owns the iconic face of the resurgent city?

The face has become an icon to the city since redevelopment kicked into high gear, bringing back scores of tourists, new residents and construction. Tillie's image now can be found on tons of Asbury Park memorabilia. But whether or not the real Tillie will ever smile on the city again remains to be seen.

Madison Marquette, the retail developer for the Asbury Park boardwalk, is the keeper of Tillie and other artifacts that were saved from Palace Amusements and also the Casino.

Madison Marquette did not return calls or emails for comment on this story but five years the developer took Tillie out of storage, had it painted and now it sits in a fenced in area next to Convention Hall.

Watch the documentary: The fight to save Tillie, the smiling face of Asbury Park

"There was a big rush to save Tillie in 2004. They cut the piece out of Palace Amusements and placed it on a flatbed truck. What's going to happen to now, I don't know," Asbury Park Mayor John Moor said.

In Wall, another piece of nostalgia sits in storage at Camp Evans — the Circus Drive-In clown. In 2021, after 67 years of greeting diners to the fast-food hamburger joint, the drive-in was torn down and the clown sign was donated to the town of Wall. Township Administrator Jeffrey Bertrand said the clown is still in storage and they haven't decided on a spot for it, either

"There's some people in town who find it very interesting and nostalgic," said Bertrand.

End of an era: Wall Circus Drive-In founder Richard Friedel dies at 95

Sometimes things do return to the public landscape. More than a century after she was struck by lightning, Liberty Triumphant returned to Freehold, albeit in a new location and no longer part of the Monmouth Battle Monument.

1884 Erecting the Battle of Monmouth Monument.
1884 Erecting the Battle of Monmouth Monument.

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In 1894, a decade after the Revolutionary War monument was dedicated, the statue of Liberty Triumphant, which sat atop the obelisk, was struck by lightning and damaged. A replica was put it her place two years later and the damaged original was repaired, with the intention of displaying it by the former site of the courthouse, which is where the Hall of Records is now.

However, that didn't happen exactly as planned, and the statue was discarded, only to be found in the 1940s in a pile of debris by a junk collector. He took it back to his home in Lakewood where it remained until 2000, when money was raised to purchase the statue from him and return it to Freehold. The statue was then placed in the pocket park next to the Hall of Records, close to where it supposed to go over 100 years ago.

When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rediscovered Long Branch Coca-Cola sign needs a new home