All photos and story by Carol Warren
These pictures were culled from home movies shot on 8mm film between 1960-1962 by Pauline and Ralph Swann, who were early buyers into Tower Shores; the small cottage they built on Admiral Rd on Lot 14 still stands at this writing (2018). The earliest pics show some views from 1960 when they first bought their lot, then 1961 when there was only the famous Nomad Village (A-frame rentals and a liquor store), 3 small houses belonging to the Swanns, the Conoscentis (whose house is still there) and the McCabes (they were year-round residents), plus a few larger houses on the dunes.
The last two photos are of Pauline and Ralph Swann with one of my older sisters in July 1961, sitting on the steps of the cottage’s still-being-built front porch. Dad built lots of stuff, including the little boardwalk shown in the foreground. In the background you can see what we called “Hobbs’ place”, which was built on the dune end of Admiral Rd.
Of course, Hobbs’ place was completely wiped out in the ’62 nor’easter along with the entire dune there.
Later photos show the aftermath of the March 1962 nor’easter that pounded the coast for 3 days, causing the ocean and bay to meet. The dune-built homes – and the Tower Shores dunes themselves – were wiped completely out, the Nomad Village units floated around, the streets were gone or hidden under a few feet of sand, and the 3 small houses remained.
