Olwell's Lamb Book Store

A recent photo of Joe & Katherine Olwell in front of their store located at 9th & New Jersey Aves. in North Wildwood	The original Lamb Book Store began at the Olwell's Miniature Golf & Ice Cream which was located on the 300 block of 17th St.

Driving down New Jersey Avenue in North Wildwood, there are many shops and stores that catch the eye. On the corner of 9th street, there is a quiet, peaceful looking shop painted white with seashell pink trim, called the Lamb Bookstore. If you venture inside, you will meet one of the easiest going, friendly owners you probably have ever come across. His name is Joe Olwell, and he and his family have an incredible and inspiring local history.

Joe’s family has a long history on the island. His father, Joseph Olwell came here in the 1920’s, and owned and ran an electrical shop. He was doing well, his business prospering due to the building boom in the Wildwood Crest which left many new houses in need of wiring. Suddenly, the Depression began, and started to make its presence felt. Everyday life started to become harder and harder for everyone, but he was able to secure a job as the city’s electrical inspector. This job kept him and his wife off of welfare and out of the breadlines, but they did lose their house and moved back in with his parents.

Mr. Olwell and his wife Katherine were going to church one day in 1931. The collection plate came around, and he asked his wife if they had anything for the offering. His wife gave him their last dollar, and that is what they gave.

“It was the hardest thing he ever did, was leave that dollar,” Joe said. Back then, a dollar was significantly more valuable to a budget; a dozen eggs cost 15 cents.

When they got home from church there was a man standing on their doorstep, who had owed them money. He said “Mr. Olwell, I can’t give you all the money I owe you, but I can give you ten dollars.” The Olwell’s were surprised and appreciative of this sudden gift. “You could eat for 3 weeks on a dollar back then,” Joe said.

Four years later, he bought a premier hotel in Wildwood. Even in the midst of the Depression he was doing well, and the Olwell’s were even able to take trips to Florida. “What you sow, you reap. Just like the widow’s mite in the Bible, when you give everything to God he takes care of you,” Joe said. He believes everything they were blessed with later was due to their willingness to give everything they had to the Lord, even when it was difficult.1

That and his father was a “bullheaded Irishman” with a feisty attitude that kept him going through hard times, as Joe will tell you with a laugh.

Their hotel, Hotel Cromwell, had one of the 5 elevators in Wildwood. It was on Atlantic and 26th street, and boasted a grand piano, and a chandelier from Czechoslovakia. The Olwell’s bought it outright in 1937. This was the start of their twenty seven years in the hotel business. Even through money problems and tough times, the hotel stayed open. The dining room closed, due to a lack of food stamps, but Mr. Olwell ran the business, and his wife ran the desk. His family developed a great relationship with the locals.

Over the years, other businesses found their way into Joseph and Katherine’s capable hands, including a donut shop up on the boardwalk by Cedar Avenue. The family also had several apartment houses, including the Delwind on Glenwood Avenue. Many times the Olwell’s had no familiarity with the type of business they took on, but they dove in and learned as they went.

Joe Olwell and his four siblings grew up in Hotel Cromwell. Joe remembers riding his bike around the dining room, and the air raids that were practiced when German submarines patrolled the coast.

Joe grew up in Catholic schools, joined army and then went to law school. He was making a good living working different jobs but at the end of the day he really hated what he was doing. One day he noticed a Bible on his bookshelf, and read a quote telling the readers that if they read for 15 minutes or more each day, they will be blessed. Joe took this to heart, and realized committing his life to God gave him purpose, a direction to his life.

He felt the Lord lead him to open a Christian bookstore on the island. He originally was going to supply the prayer meeting he was attending with books, but he got the idea to take out the custard stand and mini golf his family owned on 17th street, and put in a bookstore. March 1st 1974, he opened the Lamb Bookstore. It was open part time, while he worked as a substitute teacher the rest of the time.

After two years, he decided to leave substitute teaching because he was being reprimanded by supervisors at the school for mentioning or talking with kids about God. He felt like he should leave the school and open his store fulltime, because he could talk about faith whenever he wanted then! He relocated his store in 1984 to its current location.

“I remember the first day I was open. It was early in the day and foggy, and I had all of my lights on. A man had walked past to go down to the beach for a bucket of sand, and on his way back he stopped a moment to put the bucket down and rest. He came right in, and bought a New Testament [Bible]. If he hadn’t put that bucket down to rest, and seen my lights, he probably never would have come in,” Joe laughed. That was the start to 36 happy years that Joe and his wife have owned and operated the Lamb Bookstore.

Joe attributes all of his and his family’s success and long happy lives to the Lord’s blessing for their faithfulness. He waits behind the counter of the Lamb Bookstore, ready to pass on that blessing to others with his kind conversation and friendly service.

The Olwell’s Hotel Cromwell located at 26th & Atlantic Aves.
	Young Joe Olwell