Riverside Marina History

Photo Courtesy of Riverside Historical Society

Riverside Marina sits sheltered in a harbor in Riverside, NJ several miles north of Philadelphia, at the confluence of the Delaware River and the Rancocas Creek. The area is steeped in history, but Riverside Marina has its own unique story. Originally a peach orchard, the tract was purchased in the 1930’s by Walter Reeder’s Delaware River Sand and Gravel Dredging Company. The mining of sand and gravel altered the shape of the shoreline and created the harbor.

With the onset of WWII came a demand for large scale production of Liberty Ships, necessary for the transportation of U.S. troops to overseas war zones. Sand from Reeder’s company was sold to shipyards for the creation of Ferro cement, a type of reinforced cement used in the construction of these vessels. Riverside’s current owner, Glenn Winter’s father, Oliver Winter, was a young Merchant Marine aboard several of these ships.

During the 1940s, the natural beauty and tranquility of this man-made harbor began attracting the attention of forward-thinking businessmen for the purpose of recreational boating. Several sections of the “sandpit” were purchased and transformed into marinas and boat building facilities. In 1955, Riverside Marina joined the venture.

As the marina business began to flourish, Reeder sold his company to Merrill Ambler’s Amico Sand and Gravel Company, which continued mining and dredging operations into the 1960s, creating Amico Island. Now, a 55 acre park, it includes 2 miles of trails, a lake, scenic overlooks and is a natural habitat for deer, heron and bald eagles.

In 2007, Glenn Winter took ownership of Riverside Marina and continues to support and enhance the tradition of pleasure boating in this sailing community. Glenn is proud to include among his staff, sailors and craftsmen with long-standing ties to these riverfront towns and the sailing industry.