submitted by David Check, written by Dorothy Kulisek
128 E. Lotus Rd., Wildwood Crest, built c. 1907 demolished in 2004
In the early 1960s, when the Check family first began vacationing in Wildwood Crest, the long drive down the Garden State Parkway from Plainfield, New Jersey, felt expedient but monotonous. Helen, however, always insisted—much to her husband’s annoyance—that they take the “shore route,” Ocean Drive. Though the trip took a couple of hours longer, it was far more scenic. Along the way, just north of Asbury Park, stood an old waterfront Victorian mansion painted pink. Helen adored it, and she made the family stop to see it whenever they passed. Each time, she would smile and say she dreamed of someday having a pink house at the shore.
In 1973, the family moved permanently to Wildwood Crest, into a circa-1907 home with a wraparound porch and stately columns. At the time, the house was painted white. The following year, Helen and her husband decided to repaint it a subdued gold, which looked handsome and traditional. But when the early 1980s came around and the house was due for another fresh coat, Helen saw her chance.
As the family discussed possible colors, Helen pushed for pink. Her husband and sons—David and Dan—were adamantly against it. Reluctantly, everyone settled on a compromise: mauve. Yet as the painter began testing samples, something curious started to happen. Each day, when the men came home from work or school, the color on the walls looked lighter. At Helen’s instruction, the painter kept edging closer and closer to pink. Finally, Helen gave the order and had the paint delivered before anyone could object.
The family braced for embarrassment, convinced they would be the laughingstock of the neighborhood. But to their surprise, passersby began slowing down to admire the house. Some even stopped to take photographs. Over time, more pink houses began appearing around the island, perhaps inspired by Helen’s bold choice.
When people complimented the Check family on the pink house, Helen’s husband and sons would just shake their heads and say, “Oh yes… isn’t it beautiful?”
And so, by a little persistence—and a touch of trickery—Helen finally achieved her lifelong dream: a pink house at the shore.
