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An open house will be held at the historic Stephen Crane House in Asbury Park on Sunday, August 10, in an effort to raise public awareness and increase donations for a major fundraising campaign to purchase and restore the location, according to a news release from the Asbury Park Historical Society.

The house, located at 508 Fourth Avenue, was built in 1876 and is one of the oldest houses in Asbury Park. It is also the teenage home of famous American author Stephen Crane and is slated to be placed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

Asbury Park’s Historical Society hopes to raise $250,000 to continue community and educational programs associated with the house. Current house owner Frank D’Alessandro has offered to sell the house to the Historical Society for $1. Campaign contributions will assist the society with the costs associated with the purchase and maintenance of the home.

About $35,000 has been raised so far, and almost all of which has come from donations outside of Asbury Park, according to Asbury Park Historical Society President Don Stine.

“We have had some success with our fundraising efforts but most of that success has been from outside of Asbury Park,” Stine said in the release.

Stine said the historical society has reached out to major Asbury Park redevelopers, like iStar and Sackman Enterprises, sent informational packets to Chamber of Commerce members, posted information on its website, and had media coverage — all with almost no funding results.

“We certainly want to increase awareness about the Stephen Crane House and its historical significance and we hope people, particularly Asbury Park residents, will help us,” he said.

The Historical Society will open the Stephen Crane House, with guided tours, information and some refreshments, on Sunday, August 10 from noon to 5 p.m., rain or shine

“I hope people come out to see the only-remaining true treasure of Asbury Park’s earliest days. To purchase the house is really an opportunity that cannot be missed,” Historical Society Trustee David Sobotka said, adding Stephen Crane likeness appears on the front cover of The Beatles’ legendary 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Stephen Crane [1871- 1900] was a prolific American author who began his literary career in Asbury Park as a teenager. Throughout his short life, Crane wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Expressionism. His writings include “The Red Badge of Courage,” “Maggie: A Girl of the Streets” and many other important fiction, poetry and essays.

“The good writers are Henry James, Stephen Crane and Mark Twain,” wrote Ernest Hemingway in The Green Hills of Africa in 1935.

“Asbury Park has lost many historic buildings in recent years and now it is time to take a stand and preserve this important piece of Asbury Park history,” Stine said.

Donations to preserve the house can be made by sending a check or money order payable to the Asbury Park Historical Society [with “Stephen Crane House” in the memo field], P.O. Box 543, Asbury Park, NJ 07712. Donations can also be made through Paypal at the historical society’s website: www.APHistoricalSociety.org.

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