Tillie is the nickname of two murals of a grinning figure that were painted on the side of the

Palace Amusements Palace Amusements was a historical indoor amusement park in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It was built in 1888 and expanded several times over its history, but after a worsening economic situation in both Asbury and the country in the mid-1980s, it ...

building in

Asbury Park Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a dec ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Tillie is an amusement park "fun face", painted during the winter of 1955–1956. The name Tillie is likely a nod to

George C. Tilyou George Cornelius Tilyou (1862–1914) was an American entrepreneur and showman who founded New York City's Steeplechase Park. He was born in New York City to parents who had operated businesses in Coney Island from his early childhood. He fou ...

, owner of

Steeplechase Park Steeplechase Park was an amusement park that operated in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, United States, from 1897 to 1964. Steeplechase Park was created by the entrepreneur George C. Tilyou as the first of the three ...

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, which featured the

Steeplechase Face The Steeplechase Face was the mascot of the historic Steeplechase Park, the first of three amusement parks in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. It remains a nostalgic symbol of Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainmen ...

, similar grinning face signage.

In popular culture

Tillie has inspired various products, such as a soda brand. The mural has been featured in movies, ''

Weird NJ ''Weird NJ'' (sometimes abbreviated ''WNJ'') is a semi-annual magazine that chronicles local legends, purported hauntings, ghost stories, folklore, unusual places or events, and other peculiarities in New Jersey. The magazine originated in 1989 ...

'' magazine, TV shows such as ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

'', and a famous photo of

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

and the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recordin ...

early in their career.

Saving of Tillie

Like many other

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...

areas in the United States, such as

, Asbury Park fell on hard times.

was built in 1888 and closed in 1988 with the historic building falling into disrepair. When the Palace site was targeted for demolition and redevelopment, Asbury Park residents, Tillie fans, and Springsteen fans formed a grassroots effort to save Tillie. The group lobbied the state to block the demolition or at least remove the mural beforehand. The effort was partially successful, as the left-side Tillie, as well as the "bumper girl" murals, were removed. The right-side Tillie was demolished. From June 8 to June 11, 2004, Save Tillie volunteers removed the mural from the Palace building. The building was demolished in July 2004. Tillie and other murals from the Palace building were to be incorporated into a new building on the site. The two wall sections with the Tillie mural are currently stored in Asbury Park; the version on the Wonder Bar at Ocean Avenue is a replica.

Present-day history

After being saved from demolition, Tillie was put in a shed at the city’s wastewater treatment plant while it was decided what was to happen to the mural. It was left in the shed, which was battered by weather and became run-down, letting paint flake off the mural. On September 28, 2021, Tillie was brought out of storage for the first time in 17 years and sat outside Paramount Theatre before being moved elsewhere.

References

External links

Palace Amusements and other Abandoned Asbury Park Landmarks as Featured in Weird NJ

Photos of Tillie's home- Palace Amusements

- on the Springsteen news site ''Backstreets''
asburyboardwalk.com
- The Asbury Park Boardwalk: Past and Present. A collection of stories, photos, postcards and advertisements of the Boardwalk and City of Asbury Park. {{Coord, 40.217775, -74.00313, display=title Asbury Park, New Jersey Landmarks in New Jersey Murals in New Jersey Art in New Jersey 1955 paintings

In popular culture

Saving of Tillie

Present-day history

See also

References

External links