The Wildwoods became known in the midcentury for their quirky motels and rock-and-roll music venues. But what remains of that history has been vanishing due to the demolition of its most beloved landmarks. More than 200 so-called doo-wop motels are gone.
The latest motel that could be lost is the Chateau Bleu, with its heart-shaped swimming pool. Built in 1959, it is one of only two motels in the Wildwoods listed on the National Register.
The owner, Surf Capital, LLC, will present a proposal tonight before the North Wildwood Planning Board to redevelop the property into three condos.
“It’s one of the finest examples of mid-century resort architecture on the East Coast,” said John Donio, president of the Doo Wop Preservation League. “It’s a special place and it just brings a smile to your face.”
Donio, who owns the Daytona Inn & Suites, said architecturally sensitive renovations have been taking place elsewhere on the island, such as at the Lollipop Motel and the Starlux Hotel, and he hopes the same will happen at the Chateau Bleu.
“The properties that embrace the retro design – it helps you economically,” Donio said.
Donio and other preservationists are hoping to convince the owner to spare this unusual landmark. That’s really all they can hope for as being listed on the National Register doesn’t have any legal power to prevent demolition.
“The people who own it have a right to put there what they want as long as it meets the requirements of the city,” said Kathleen Smith, who works at the Doo Wop Experience Museum.
The museum on Ocean Avenue in Wildwood has many of the signs and artifacts from doo-wop motels that are no longer standing so Smith is keenly aware of the staggering loss of Doo Wop motels. “I’ve been down this road so many times,” she said.
Taylor Henry, president of the Wildwood Historical Society, said that another alternative would be to the preserve building, but subdivide the interior into condominiums similar to what happened at the Lollipop Motel.
Henry said the building, completed in 1959, was less than 50 years old when it was listed on the National Register, which would normally make it ineligible for the Register.
“Because it was so unique, they made an exception,” Henry said.
Our publication has followed the Wildwoods situation for the past few years. The last time Jersey Digs spoke to Taylor Henry was in 2021, around the time the Ocean View motel was in danger. In the end, it was saved and is now called Madison Resort Wildwood Crest.
Henry, author of Wildwood Houses Through Time, was hoping the media coverage surrounding the Ocean View would stir the hearts of local elected officials to re-form a historic preservation commission that could give these landmarks legal protection from demolition. While writing her book, she discovered that a series of historic districts were created, but the commission no longer exists to enforce them.
Unfortunately, that didn’t come to pass. But she hasn’t given up hope that someday it could happen.
“It’s always good to have hope,” Henry said. “I just hope that by the time people come around there will still be something left.”
The proposed demolition of the Chateau Bleu endangers more than just one building – it threatens the charm of the entire island, according to architectural historian Stephanie Hoagland.
“The loss of the hotels is one thing, but the change in the overall feeling of the Wildwoods is completely different,” she said. “Once you put up all these vinyl-sided condos, the personality is gone.”
Hoagland, who worked at Doo Wop Preservation League when the organization was trying to establish Doo Wop Historic District, saw her dream slowly die when developers showed up and offered motel owners twice what the properties were worth.
“The Chateau Bleu is one of the really great motels remaining,” Hoagland said.
