Wildwood Doo Wop.com

A longtime staple at the busy junction of 26th & Surf Avenue, the Packard was one of the forefathers of the island's motel boom of the mid-late 1950s. Themed after the iconic automobile brand of the same name, it served several generations of vacationers over a span of 48 years. The Packard occupied one of the more high-profile locations on the island, resting at the southern edge of North Wildwood's famed Surf Ave. strip at 26th Ave. It sat on the west side of 26th, where it was originally neighbored by the Savoy Hotel (and later the Blue Diamond Motel / Bird of Paradise Motel). Directly across 26th to the east still stands the Avalon Motel and Surf Motel; the Boardwalk is one block away in the same direction.

• The Packard was built and originally owned by Frank and Mary Grieco in 1956.
• The motel was named after a luxury brand of automobile, built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, MI and, later, the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, IN. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, but the brand went off the market in 1958, just two years after the opening of the Wildwood motel. Packard automobiles are highly sought-after by collectors today.
• The structure, along with the roadside sign out front, was originally painted in a green, white and red striped pattern to reflect the Italian heritage of the owners. Not surprisingly, many of the Packard's earliest patrons were of Italian decent.
• Relatively early in its lifespan, the Packard took on the familiar color scheme it is most remembered for: brown trim, bright yellow room doors and green metal chairs. The double-sided roadside sign was painted brown with white lettering ("Packard" in horizontal script lettering at the top, "MOTEL" arranged vertically underneath), with a vertical yellow "arrow" spanning its height on the right-hand side.
• The Packard could lay claim to the title of being the first "Doo Wop" motel in North Wildwood. The island-wide distinction generally goes to the Fantasy Motel on Rio Grande Ave. in Wildwood proper, but the two motels opened within weeks of each other during the Spring of 1956.
• Other "Doo Wop" entities that debuted in 1956 include: Tthe Skylark Motel and Wildwood Diner in Wildwood proper, along with the Beach Waves Motel, Carousel Motel, and Schumann's Restaurant (later Hudson's Restaurant) in the Crest.
• The motel was sold to a Mr. and Mrs. Kost in 1959. After a very brief period of ownership due to a severe illness to Mr. Kost, it went back to the Griecos.
• Alfred and Patricia Haehnel purchased the motel from the Griecos, with the transfer being completed on August 17, 1959. The Haehnels would run the motel for the duration of its existence (a total of 45 years).
• For many years after selling The Packard, Mary and Frank Grieco ran a bike rental shop on the corner of 26th and Ocean, just across the street from the motel. That location has seen many different owners and incarnations - including sitting vacant for several years. It re-opened in 2008 as the Off the Boardwalk Restaurant.
  
• The Packard was demolished in favor of a new condo complex after the 2004 season. The lot sat completely empty for the duration of the 2005 season before new construction began.
  

Motels of the Wildwoods MPDF S.R. 1/16/2004

Wikipedia entry on the Packard Motor Company:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard

Al Alven, Wildwood Doo Wop Team

Seeing the Packard every year was like seeing an old friend. It's still difficult to imagine that it's gone, and that that junction at 26th & Surf has been transformed so dramatically. I used to love looking down 26th Ave. from the Boardwalk at night, seeing the Packard all lit up a block away (with the Bird of Paradise Motel -- thankfully still there -- right behind it). Even by 'Wildwood' standards, there was something very magical about that area at the time. I really miss it.