by Dave Coskey
Hard to imagine that in this, the age of LED animated electronic signage, there was actually a time back in the 1960s and ’70s when just about every business and public building in Avalon and Stone Harbor had at least one hand-painted sign that was created in a small shop located on the street level at 2115 Ocean Drive. That small sign shop in Avalon, with the glittering letters spelling S-I-G-N-S across the front, was where the magic happened: sign magic created by Jim Leahy.
Leahy’s wife, Eleanore, had a desire to live at the Shore. Already a successful Nabisco salesman in Philadelphia, he figured changing territories wouldn’t be too big a deal. As children, the Leahys had both vacationed in Avalon, so the north end of the Seven Mile Beach was the natural destination for the family to relocate.
Just two problems: The Leahy family was growing to include six children. And even with the entire county as his new territory, at that time it equated to less than a very small section of his previous city route. Leahy’s commissions matched the small population of Cape May County…with a growing family to support.
Leahy is remembered as a naturally gifted artist. With the island just beginning to burgeon, he realized that signs were needed. That led to what would be referred to today as his side hustle, only in a very big way. Over time, his signature, -LEAHY-, was a familiar sight from one end of Seven Mile Beach to the other, as well as for much of Cape May County.
He hand-lettered and painted signs of all shapes and kinds: menu boards, operating hours, outdoor, indoor…if you could imagine it, Jim Leahy could make and paint it. And often did. Despite the literally hundreds of signs on the island, most people would acknowledge his signature works were his “welcome to” signs.
For the better part of five decades, every person coming into either town on the Seven Mile Beach, regardless of roadway or bridge, was welcomed by a sign designed, painted, and signed by Jim Leahy. For many years, there were eight Leahy signs welcoming everyone to both towns, regardless of route or bridge. Over time, they became treasured, iconic reminders of both Avalon and Stone Harbor.
A Leahy sign is still the first memory that generations of island visitors have of their visits here decades ago. People can only dream of the legacy Jim Leahy established, one that endures more than four decades after his passing.
An example of the iconic status of his work came in early January. That was when the Avalon Historical Society partnered with the Borough of Avalon and the Avalon Library and History Center to recreate a series of Leahy’s classic Welcome to Avalon signs on Avalon Boulevard for 2026. Simply powered by the memories of so many, a Seven Mile Times Facebook post promoting that boulevard signage program generated 145,000 page views in under 48 hours…at midweek in mid-January. The power of -LEAHY-.
People from all walks of life and from all corners of the country have commented on the resurgence of the Welcome to Avalon signs.
Former resident Robin Sonner wrote: “Jim Leahy did the Sonners sign for our home at 50 East 14th Street. The sign still hangs today in my office here in California.”
From his home in Colorado, contractor Mike Studzinski commented that “Mr. Leahy made two signs for me. He suggested that I use two different telephone numbers. It would make it look like I had more than one truck.”
“The welcome to Avalon signs were classics here in Avalon,” said Mayor John McCorristin. “Everyone had signs by Jim. Going back when we had New Dawn Surf Shop, they were Leahy signs.”
According to Pat Killian, “He painted an Irish blessing for our new home in 1962. It hung there until we sold it in 1998.”
And Mary Mazza Gambone remembered “sitting and waiting for my dad to arrive on Fridays at the corner of 21st Street and Ocean Drive. We loved watching Mr. Leahy paint.”
But Craig Montesano probably summed it up best with his one-word comment: -LEAHY-.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Avalon Historical Society will rotate a different classic “Welcome to Avalon” sign by Jim Leahy every three months along Avalon Boulevard in 2026. The signs from 1964, 1972, 1976, and 1982 were restored from authentic photos by Jenn Forster of Seven Mile Publishing. As each new sign is posted, an individually numbered card version of that sign will be available on a first-come basis, in limited quantities, at the Avalon History Center on 39th Street. The cards are free of charge, courtesy of the Avalon Historical Society, the Borough of Avalon, and the Avalon Library/History Center. Just another great reason to occasionally visit the Avalon History Center on 39th Street.
See the article and photos in the February issue of Hugh's News |
