History

Atlantic Realty Company

company · founded 1916

A land company that in 1916 set out to build a rival seaside resort about five miles north of Ocean City. In May it bought the Cold Harbor tract between Sinepuxent Bay and the ocean from the Ocean Beach Land Improvement Company, doubling its holdings to a strip running clean across the beach with roughly two miles of ocean front and as much bay front, and began surveying for bungalows, cottages, possibly a hotel, a sewerage plant and a board walk. Chapter 316 of the Acts of 1916, approved 11 April, authorized it — with the consent of the Worcester County commissioners and on plans approved by the Secretary of War — to build a drawbridge across Sinepuxent Bay from Sandy Point, so that the new development "can be reached direct without going through Ocean City and along the beach."

In the record (1)

  1. 1916

    The Atlantic Realty Company buys the Cold Harbor tract five miles up the beach and wins its own act of Assembly for a drawbridge — a rival resort meant to be reached without going through Ocean City.

    *Democratic Messenger*, 6 May 1916: "That Worcester County will have a new seaside resort is the announcement just made following the purchase by the Atlantic Realty Company of [—] acres of land known as Cold Harbor, between Sinepuxent Bay and the ocean and about five miles from Ocean City. This tract, which was bought from the Ocean Beach Land Improvement Company, through the office of Richard W. Cook in Baltimore, exactly doubles the Atlantic Realty Company's present holdings. Work has already been started in surveying and mapping out the property, and will be followed by the erection of bungalows, cottages and possibly a hotel, the installation of a sewerage plant and the construction of a board walk. The place chosen is the spot at which a bridge is to be built across the bay from Sandy Point on the mainland of Worcester County ... A road will be built from the Sandy Point bridge to the highway on the mainland that connects with Berlin, [so] that the new development can be reached direct without going through Ocean City and along the beach." The bridge was real law: Chapter 316 of 1916, approved 11 April 1916, authorized the Atlantic Realty Company, with the consent of the Worcester County commissioners, to build a drawbridge across Sinepuxent Bay "between Sandy Point on the Western side of said Bay and a point at or about three-quarters of a mile north of Sandy Point Island on the Eastern side," on plans to be approved by the Secretary of War. In November the *Messenger* reported yet another company formed "to develop a large tract north of Ocean City."

    1916 is the year two Sinepuxent bridges were authorized in the same session — one to open Ocean City, one to bypass it.

    Source · checked 2026-08-06