The Bon Air lasted longer than most all of the grand hotels that once dominated the lake landscape, keeping visitors entertained in the River Styx cove for decades during the twentieth century. Then: In 1914, D.B. Smith's impressive cottage, "Westerly," was converted into the Hotel Bon Air and Cottages. In 1925, the main building was greatly expanded and modified, creating some 33 rooms and prompting its renaming as Bon Air Lodge. The Bon Air was one of the last vibrant hotels on the lake, remaining very popular through the 1950s.
Now: The Bon Air was sold in 1960 and became the Arrowcrest Lodge. In 1970 it was destroyed by fire and the current building, which houses efficiency apartments, was built on the site.
These 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.
