Notable Residents of Keansburg:
- William W. Ramsay: Methodist minister, general store owner and Father of Keansburg. He successfully lobbied to get a US Post Office in town thanks to sponsorship from Senator Kean. In his honor, the town's name was changed from the original Granville. That name was derived from a granary on Waackaack Creek off Palmer Avenue. Farmers would bring their wheat to grist and the flour would then be shipped off to NYC via Tanner's Landing.
- George Martin Huss: (born July 23, 1853, Died 1941) Famed architect resided on Beacon Blvd in the Beacon Beach section of Keansburg during the Summer months. The large orchard farmhouse which still stands, was built in 1907. The Huss house features a fireplace mantlepiece with the likeness of all of his six children cast or carved into it. He designed the College of The City (New York) in 1888. He also designed the first Keansburg National Bank of a Roman Revival style in 1914. Earlier in 1894, he translated the famous french architectural text book "Rational Building" by Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. Huss designed both Hooper Fountains in NYC 1894, which still stand, one of which is pictured below. The unique fountains were designed upon a grant per Hooper's wishes "...whereat man and beast can drink". The fountain features a water fountain for people and a trough for animals.
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| Hooper Fountain |
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| The First National Bank of Keansburg |
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| Huss House obscured by trees |
- James P. Maher: (born November 3, 1865) Influential politician and businessman from Brooklyn, NY. He served as a U.S. Representative for the state of New York before moving to Keansburg, New Jersey. He was a real estate developer and an early investor in Keansburg, along with the Gelhaus family. Maher was elected Mayor of the town in 1926 and was interred at St Joseph's Cemetery in Keyport, upon his demise in 1946.
See Also: James P. Maher
- Horace Marvin "Buddy" Thorne: (September 29, 1918) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. On December 21, 1944, near Grufflingen in Belgium, he voluntarily took up an exposed position on top of a destroyed tank in order to better fire on the German forces. He routed several German positions before being fatally wounded. He was born in Keansburg, New Jersey, Thorne grew up on a 53-acre farm in the nearby East Keansburg section of Middletown Township. He and his eight siblings attended Port Monmouth Elementary School and Leonardo High School. Thorne Middle School in Middletown is named in his honor.
See also: Horace M. Thorne
- Lou Taylor Pucci: (born July 27, 1985) A young actor who was raised in Keansburg, a few blocks from the boardwalk. He has starred in a number of independent films including Arie Posin's The Chumscrubber, the HBO miniseries Empire Falls, Mike Mills' film Thumbsucker, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, which was directed by John Krasinski of The Office; The Informers, with Billy Bob Thornton, Winona Ryder, Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke, based on Bret Easton Ellis' collection of short stories; and The Answer Man (aka Arlen Faber) with Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham. Pucci is also in the upcoming remake of Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead. He hosts a workshop for teen age actors in New Jersey, once a year.
See Also: Lou Taylor Pucci
- James Coonan: (born December 21, 1946) An Irish-American mobster and racketeer from Manhattan, New York who is currently serving a 75-year prison term. He lived in Keansburg for a number of years in the 1970's and planned a number of his exploits here. He was born in 1946 in the Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan area of New York City. When Coonan was a young man, Mickey Spillane, a well-known mobster, kidnapped his father John, a local accountant. Seeking revenge for his father, brought him into a life of crime.
See also: James Coonan
- Salvatore Antonio "Sal" Naturile: also known as Donald Matterson[1] (born c. 1953/1954, Keansburg, New Jersey-died August 23, 1972, South Ozone Park, Queens) was an American bank robber who, along with John Wojtowicz, inspired the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon. In the film he is portrayed by actor John Cazale.
See also: Salvatore Naturile
- Terry Alden: Infamous bank robber and federal fugitive from Trenton State Prison. He died in Leavenworth Prison after being convicted for several armed robberies in St. Louis, MO. He robbed five banks while on the run after escaping through a chase wall behind his Trenton prison cell in 1977. After a tiring trial, he was quoted saying "Cut the shit, I'll plead guilty to the other one (too)" when the jury prolonged their deliberations over one of his five robberies.
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