Plastic Palm Trees and Neon Nights: Preserving Wildwood’s Doo Wop Dreams

Just north of the Victorian elegance of Cape May lies a seaside resort with a completely different vibe. It is loud, it is colorful, and it boasts the largest collection of mid-century resort architecture in the United States.

Welcome to The Wildwoods. Here, “Doo Wop” isn’t just a genre of music; it is an architectural movement defined by plastic palm trees, angular roofs, and enough neon to light up the Atlantic Ocean.

But like the fading echo of Bobby Rydell singing “Wildwood Days,” this unique landscape is under threat. As real estate values soar, many of these “motels of tomorrow” are being bulldozed for the condos of today. Here is the story of how the Space Age landed on the Jersey Shore, and the fight to keep it there.

The Highway to the Future

Before the 1950s, Wildwood was a quiet town of boarding houses and forests. Everything changed in 1955 with the opening of the Garden State Parkway.

Suddenly, the shore was accessible to the middle-class masses from New York and Philadelphia. To accommodate the influx of station wagons, a building boom began.

• The Architects: Local builders, most notably brothers Lewis and Wilburt Morey, began experimenting with new designs.
• The Goal: In a sea of motels, you had to stand out. The designs became louder, flashier, and more exotic to lure drivers off the avenue.

What is “Doo Wop” Architecture?

The term was coined in the early 1990s by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts to describe the specific space-age style found in the Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District (a 2-mile stretch between Atlantic and Ocean Avenues).

It is a visual cocktail of 1950s optimism, characterized by:

• Asymmetrical shapes and canted (angled) windows.
• “Floating” ramps and balconies.
• Swimming pools with slide boards.
• Flashy neon signage.

The 5 Styles of Wildwood

Not all Doo Wop is created equal. Preservationists have categorized the motels into five distinct sub-styles. How many can you spot?

1. Modern/Blastoff: Inspired by the Jet Age and the Space Race. Think glass walls, swept-wing roofs, and Sputnik imagery.
   • Example: The Caribbean Motel (Wildwood Crest).
2. Vroom: Forward-thrusting, pointed building elements that look like they are moving fast even when standing still.
   • Example: The Ebb Tide (Wildwood).
3. Chinatown Revival: A nod to American exoticism, featuring pagodas, curved roof beams, and Zen gardens.
   • Example: The Singapore (though recent renovations have removed some original details).
4. Tiki (Polynesian Pop): Thatched roofs, plastic palm trees, and tiki torches evoking the South Pacific.
   • Example: The Waikiki or The Royal Hawaiian (Wildwood Crest).
5. Phony Colonee: A 1950s take on the Colonial era, featuring red brick veneer, white columns, and cupolas mixed with motel layouts.
   • Example: The Saratoga (Wildwood Crest).

The Neon Garden

You can’t talk about Wildwood without talking about the signs. Produced by local legends like Allied Sign Company and Ace Sign Company, these massive neon beacons were works of art.

Sadly, between 2000 and 2005, unregulated development led to the demolition of nearly 50 vintage motels.

To save what was left, the Doo Wop Preservation League was formed. Their crowning achievement is the Doo Wop Experience Museum.

• The Building: Housed in the former 1960s Surfside Restaurant, the building was saved from demolition, dismantled, and reassembled in Fox Park. It features a kaleidoscope pinwheel roof.
• The Neon Garden: Outside the museum lies a “graveyard” of restored neon signs from demolished motels. It is a beautiful, glowing tribute to the landmarks we have lost.

The “Neo-Doo Wop” Wave

The preservation movement has been so successful that even modern chains are playing along. If you drive through Wildwood today, you will see a Wawa, an Acme Supermarket, and a Walgreens built in the “Neo-Doo Wop” style—complete with boomerang angles and custom neon signage.

While the battle against the wrecking ball continues, places like the Caribbean Motel and Chateau Bleu (both listed on the National Register of Historic Places) prove that with enough love and neon, the Wildwood Days don’t have to end.

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For More Information

• Doo Wop Preservation League (www.doowopusa.org)