Hurricane Sandy

Union Beach Home, Iconic Image of Sandy's Destruction, Torn Down [VIDEO]

The yellow brick home along the Raritan Bay, known as the Princess Cottage, was torn down Friday morning.

The photo of the Princess Cottage carved nearly in half by surging flood waters has become one of the most enduring images from Hurricane Sandy.  Located along the Raritan Bay in Union Beach, the yellow brick home stood for 150 years before Sandy caused damage beyond repair. On Friday, Jon Zois and his family watched as the historic building was demolished, finishing the job the storm started.  It's not the way he wanted to make history, Zois said, but he believes that the image of the building, still standing even after being cut in half, stands as a symbol of New Jersey's resiliency in the face of disaster. Though the home is gone and along with it the associated history, Zois said his father, the owner of the property, plans on …

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Hurricane Sandy Takes Bite Out of Historic Waterfront Home in Union Beach

The 150-year-old waterfront home stood strong through numerous storms, but Sandy's raging winds and rising tides took a chunk out of this historic home.

Before Jon Zois and his girlfriend Meredith evacuated their Union Beach home that overlooks the Raritan Bay on Sunday afternoon, they each packed a suitcase and moved their more valuable possessions up to the second floor. "I thought worst case scenario we would get a flooded basement and living room and would have to replace some furniture and the carpets," he said. The couple hunkered down during Hurricane Sandy at the Holiday Inn in Hazlet, where Zois said that the staff did everything they could to keep their guests, most of which were evacuees, comfortable after the hotel lost power. The couple's friends from Union Beach were posting on Facebook and Tweeting during the storm that water had reached homes five blocks away from the …

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Theresa Battagliotti

7:37 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Please have Jon and Meredith contact me at 908-766-7447 I'm an Interior Designer & Real Estate Agent specializing in historic homes & restorations. My team including a highly respected architect want to help them rebuild their home. My daughter's childhood friend lives in Union Beach & lost her entire first floor through the raging flood that swept through her home. Very sincerely, Theresa …   more ›