Sand Castle City Shaped By Family’s Memories

Aug 15, 2023

By Juliet Kaszas-Hoch | on August 30, 2023

(Supplied Photos)

Twenty members of the extended Fearen and Miles families, ages 5 to 67, spent an entire day digging and designing to create a fantastic sand castle city in Beach Haven earlier this month. As Frank Miles of Etter, Pa., explained, the undertaking honored Bill Fearen (1928-2021), formerly of Camp Hill, Pa., ‘who led his four daughters, all now in their 60s, in the construction of elaborate sand castle designs throughout a lifetime of summer trips to New Jersey beaches.

‘Bill specialized in the art of sand drizzling, adding unique ornamentation to standard bucket-formed sand towers,’ Miles added. ‘Over the years, Bill taught his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom worked on this project, how to execute his magic drizzles.’

Fearen had a particular fondness for Beach Haven – his commemorative brick can be found there across from the Long Beach Island Historical Museum – and the city his family christened ‘Billsville’ remained on the beach in the borough until, said Miles, ‘the tides created a fresh palette.’

Currently, plans are in the works for an even more spectacular ‘Billsville 2’ creation in August 2024 when the family construction crew returns to LBI.

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