This week's "Then and Now" location hasn't changed much over the years—and the building itself will celebrate its centennial anniversary during the summer of 2010. Then: The merger of two clubs resulted in the formation of the Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club for the 1905 season. For the next five years, events were held at the cottage of the club's first commodore. The members longed for a clubhouse of their own and, after several years of planning and fund raising, a site was purchased in 1909. The club's chosen location on Bertrand Island commanded one of the lake's finest views. Ground was broken in the autumn of 1909 and the clubhouse opened on July 9, 1910.
Now: The club celebrated its centennial in 2005, and will celebrate the clubhouse centennial next summer. The Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club has endeavored to maintain the clubhouse in much the same way as it was in 1910. An addition was added in the early 1960s for a new bar area, but the club has steadfastly resisted the temptation to air condition and still only operates from May through September. The interior of the clubhouse retains the original Adirondack camp style, complete with its use of rough-hewn timbers. Listed on the National and State Historic Registers, this building is one of the lake's most enduring links to its past grandeur as a major northeast resort. (Tours will be available to the public during a week-long centennial celebration in July; stay tuned for more information.)
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.
