In 1950, the salt marshes were bought by the Shapiro brothers, Herbert and Jerome, who developed vacation homes throughout the Jersey Shore.

Using a dredge towed up from North Carolina, construction began on Beach Haven West's 130-plus saltwater lagoons and 5,000 single-family homes.

The first phase contained the lagoons and cul-de-sacs branching between Morris Boulevard and Jennifer Lane.

Afterwards, the third phase was completed, which contained the development along Mill Creek Road between Route 72 and Jonathan Drive, as well as the Charles Boulevard spur.

They completed the Mill Creek Road section along Mill Creek down to Barnegat Bay at East Point, added the southern lagoons along Newell Avenue known as Village Harbour, and developed the Colony Lakes section by 1986.

Through satellite imagery, it is evident that the community was intended to expand below the delta of Mill Creek at the bay.

Ghosts of about a dozen partially dredged lagoons in that area, as well as a curious curve in Newell Avenue, indicate the planned expansion.

However, a lack of permits, increasing pressure from the EPA and the Wetlands Protection Act of 1970 kept the community from expanding further.

The first model home, an expandable Cape Cod-style house, opened on Selma Drive in 1957.

Like many Capes, this home had one finished floor with two bedrooms, the attic was capable of expansion with dormers, and there was an outside shower.

The style was pure 1950s: wide-exposure asbestos siding, aluminum jalousie windows throughout, and dark wood paneling inside.

The colors were all pastels, ranging from canary yellow, pistachio green, and bright pink, to name a few.

Keeping the same modern architectural style, the three bedrooms were arranged along the front of the house facing the street.

All interior spaces featured exposed rafter vaulted ceilings with rigid insulation on the roof.

Base models featured a screened porch stretching completely across the back of the house, which was covered by a long, gently sloping roof.