Union Beach Home, Iconic Image of Sandy's Destruction, Torn Down [VIDEO]
The yellow brick home along the Raritan Bay, known as the Princess Cottage, was torn down Friday morning.
The photo of the Princess Cottage carved nearly in half by surging flood waters has become one of the most enduring images from Hurricane Sandy.
Located along the Raritan Bay in Union Beach, the yellow brick home stood for 150 years before Sandy caused damage beyond repair. On Friday, Jon Zois and his family watched as the historic building was demolished, finishing the job the storm started.
It's not the way he wanted to make history, Zois said, but he believes that the image of the building, still standing even after being cut in half, stands as a symbol of New Jersey's resiliency in the face of disaster.
Though the home is gone and along with it the associated history, Zois said his father, the owner of the property, plans on rebuilding.
Bill Heller
5:21 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
My heart goes out to the Zois family. We live down the street, though we've never met them. I wish the Princess Cottage could have been rebuilt. The Zois family and all of Union Beach lost an historic treasure. It survived every storm for the last 150 years, but Sandy was an evil lady. I wish the Zois family a ton of happiness moving forward. All of UB is rooting for them.
Sal
9:15 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
All of the destroyed waterfront homes on Front Street, Brook Ave, Dock St. etc. in UB and in every town along the shore should be rebuilt up on round solid concrete pilings containing many reinforcing rods at 14 feet above the normal high tide sea level so that water and waves can more easily go around round shaped concrete pilings and so the water and waves flows under the homes.
seventeen
9:43 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Bill, I know of many people...life-long residents, saddened over the devastation that Union Beach has incurred. I would like to know if this family (Zois) has any ties (real feelings) towards Union Beach, as most of us do. The owner and his sister own seven different properties there (re: N.J. Tax Records site). The "Princess House" was bought for $1.00 in 2000, amongst a couple more properties on Front St. & Fifth St. And, the owners addresses are from Union and Newark, NJ. What Gives? Do they really know the historical/sentimental value of the "Princess House"...or, anything about Union Beach's History?
Chelsea Naso
10:13 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
More about the family can be found here: http://patch.com/A-zmD2
herb caravella
10:51 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
sal,bill my cert team from aberdeen helped serve food in ub. i still live the horror of the devistation i saw. i have many friends in union beach personal and fireman all good people. i am still trying to remember ub the way it was and will be again.
seventeen
11:31 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Chelsea...thanks for that link. May be helpful to others. Union Beach, wrongfully, used to have a bad reputation - called "Onion Beach". Not my words, but others, in the '60's.
Have you ever seen the 'Quilt' that the life-long residents/Seniors, lovingly, created...depicting the 'History' of Union Beach...which, proudly, has been hung in their Municipal Bldg.,since the '70's? Very proud of their heritage...and, rightly so. You may be interested in doing a story about this. All of the Bayshore area Newspapers 'Showcased' it at that time.
Holly Gallagher
8:06 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
I saw that quilt the day before the storm when I visited to attend a meeting held by the town in preparation for the storm. So beautiful. I would love to see a story about the quilt. It struck me so, I took a photo of it on the wall.