Inside an Ocean Grove Tent

One thing that makes Ocean Grove so unique is that the association still rents and leases 114 tents each season. They are actually canvas in the front and are wooden structures in the back that accommodate running water and plumbing (added in the '40s and '50s, mostly).


Leases are seasonal, and as long as the residents participate in the programming through their presence and participation in the community, their lease is renewed. Leases are passed down from generation to generation and only one or two cottages open up a season (so they have a very long waiting list).

Today, I was able to visit one cottage. In this cottage, the front room was set up as two bedrooms.


And the back room was a living room, with a kitchen off the back and bathroom off the side. The resident told me her mother put in a bathtub because she didn't believe in showers; it's one of two bathtubs in the tents.

This is the kitchen, added on in the '50s. From the kitchen is a back door to a communal backyard. All of the tents are arranged in blocks, so that all of the back doors open onto this backyard. Now a spot for picnics and games, it was once the spot for the latrine.


In addition to the tents, the association also owns and similarly leases 15 cottages. Other cottages on the grounds are privately owned, and on 99 year leases.