For many of us who live on or near or have visited Long Beach Island, we mourn the loss of the Shack. Although dilapidated, it had grown to be a symbol of our entrance to the Island. What people may or may not know is that there is another “shack” that exists on 15th Street in North Beach Haven. This shack, named “Poor Helen,” is a mere 12 feet by 24 feet, making it perhaps the smallest residence on LBI. This tiny little structure, which sits out on the bay, is someone’s home.

In 2006, the structure was incorporated in Margaret Thomas Buchholz’s book Island Album: Photographs and Memories of…