Stone Harbor goes ‘Back to the Future:’ Preservationists deploy time machine to Seven Mile Island to save historic Beach Bungalow

STONE HARBOR, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — A coalition of local preservationists and community members has launched a high-visibility, cinematic public awareness campaign to protect the architectural heritage of Seven Mile Island.

On Monday, July 6, 2026, from 2 to 6 p.m., an authentic Back to the Future tribute experience—featuring Doc Brown’s iconic DeLorean time machine, Marty McFly’s black 4×4 pickup truck, and look-alike performers—travelled through major Stone Harbor corridors.

The campaign aims to mobilize regional vacationers and permanent residents ahead of a critical Monday evening Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing regarding the proposed demolition of an original 1935 beach bungalow located at 259 99th Street.

If successfully acquired by the preservation coalition, the property will be permanently preserved as “Twinkle’s House,” www.twinkleshouse.com, an intended non-profit respite sanctuary for families to see the ocean for the first time. The sanctuary is explicitly dedicated to the kindness and memory of Samuel “Sheik” Destefano, Muriel Destefano, and Roxanne Destefano Moreschi, who cherished the home as a multi-generational family retreat for nearly 50 years.

Event summary & logistics

• What: Save the Beach Bungalows Public Awareness Campaign & Photo-Opportunity.
• When: On Monday, July 6th, 2026, from 1 to 6 p.m.
• Who: Open to families, children, summer tourists, and media representatives. All voluntary donations directly support the development of the non-profit respite sanctuary.
• Where: (On-Site Tracking Schedule):

• 1 p.m.: Aerial Campaign. Airplane banners for “Save S.H. Beach Bungalows! Mon 6 / Tue 7” will fly from 122nd to 80th Street to alert thousands of sunbathers.
• 2 to 3 p.m.: Bungalow Press Media Shoot. Photo opportunity at the historic bungalow site: 259 99th Street (adjacent to St. Paul’s Catholic Church).
• 3 to 4 p.m.: Transit. Cruising 96th Street, 2nd Avenue & 3rd Avenue
• 4 to 5 p.m.: Stephanie’s Gift Shop (9720 3rd Avenue). Stephanie Dimuzio’s artwork is the cover for Twinkle: A Stone Harbor Memoir at the Jersey Shore, www.twinklesbook.com, with 100% of profits to preserve Twinkle’s House.
• 5 to 6 p.m.: Final Hearing Rally. Final high-visibility deployment directly outside the Stone Harbor Municipal Building / Zoning Board location (9508 Second Avenue) prior to the 6 p.m. public session.

SHPO application insights & media opportunities

• State-Level Historical Significance: The campaign leverages architectural data from the pending State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) application files. The 1935 cottage is physically documented as a rare, surviving example of early 20th-century working-class “Seven Mile Island regular” vernacular architecture.
• Vehicle Logistics & Ownership: The featured screen-accurate replica vehicles (DeLorean Time Machine and Marty’s 1985 Toyota Truck) are curated and owned by Jon Miller, proprietor of Jon Miller Car Care Center in Tuckerton, New Jersey (jmcarcare.com / 609-296-4400), sourced via DeLorean Rental New Jersey. High-resolution promotional images of the vehicles are available for immediate download via the Official Google Photos Press Gallery.
• Interviews: Local preservation organizers, multi-generational property owners, and seasonal visitors from the broader Mid-Atlantic region (including heavy vacation footprints from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, as well as New York and Washington, D.C.) discussing the accelerating loss of character-defining coastal architecture.

Contacts

Brian L.
For The Avalon + Stone Harbor Preservation Society
info@lustigstrategies.com