One of Lake Hopatcong's most popular pit stops has a long history on the main lake, as does the beach situated next door. Then: The Mt. Arlington dock was already a privately run beach with bath houses, boats, and refreshments in the 1890s. The Lee Brothers operated the beach during the 1910s, before purchasing the property now known as Lee's Park in Van Every Cove. In 1924, the Barnes brothers bought property at the Mt. Arlington dock and established a boat yard.
Now: Having started their own boat company a few years before, Orrin and Fayette Barnes would build boats at the site into the 1950s. Barnes Brothers Marine Base is still one of the lake's busiest marinas, while the property next door still serves as Mt. Arlington's public beach.
This and dozens of other "Then and Now" images and stories are available in an updated version of Lake Hopatcong: Then and Now by Marty Kane, president of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum. Purchase that and other lake-related history books here on the museum's website. And see hundreds of photos and other historical paraphernalia at the museum, which is located in Hopatcong State Park and is open on Sundays, from noon to 4 p.m., through the fall.
