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The Asbury Park Historical Society has launched a major fundraising campaign to purchase and restore the historic Stephen Crane House in Asbury Park, according to a news release from the 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.

“Our goal is to raise $250,000 and we hope we can garner public support in our effort so we can continue the community and educational programs already associated with the house,” Historical Society President Don Stine said in the release.

Current house owner Frank D’Alessandro has offered to sell the house to the Historical Society for $1, the release stated. Campaign contributions will assist the society with the costs associated with the purchase and maintenance of the home.

“We will have closing costs, insurance, some taxes, utilities and major restoration expenses related to obtaining the house,” Stine said. “However, this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the historical society and we can not let it pass us by.”

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 works include “The Red Badge of Courage,” “Maggie: A Girl of the Streets” and many other important pieces of 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 both Asbury Park and American literary history,” Stine said.

In order to help facilitate the purchase and restoration of the house, the Historical Society has filed an application, with documentation, to have it placed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. The application is now under review by the New Jersey State Historical Preservation Office.

The Historical Society is creating a special Stephen Crane House Endowment Fund and is trying to raise $250,000 by the end of August to facilitate the purchase and restoration of the Victorian-era house. The society will also pursue any grants available once it purchases the house.

Endowment fund packets can be obtained by contacting Stine at sales@antichay.com or by calling 732-774-4590.

For more information on the Stephen Crane house and how to donate to the campaign, visit the Asbury Park Historical Society website, APHistoricalSociety.org. All contributions are tax deductible.

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