5 LAKES NEIGHBORS:

We will be using email to let you know what is going on for the centennial. To get on the email list send your contact info to liaison Janice Robertson – janicer@optonline.net.

Our 5 Lakes neighborhood is named for the chain of 5 lakes: Crystal, Sunset, Olive, Shadow and Cove. Cove is sometimes referred to as Propagation Pond. The last three are really ponds, each less than 5 acres – but everyone calls them lakes.

Some of the 5 Lakes neighbors have been looking up the history of this section of the Borough. Much of this area was swamps until the Fox Hill Ice Company needed more lakes for their ice business. In 1893 they built a stone block dam and constructed Crystal Lake from a wide swampy valley. Several years later they created Sunset Lake and built an icehouse along North Pocono Road. Later in 1905 the company built Birchwood Lake, but Birchwood is in another neighborhood so that is not part of our story.

We found a map of Mountain Lakes in 1910. Our neighborhood is not shown as part of Mountain Lakes. We read that by 1912 Hapgood had acquired the property, named the lakes and drew plans with roads around the three lakes. The 250 acres of Borough parkland near our neighborhood were purchased from a developer in 1952.

Let Janice know if you have more to add to the history of our neighborhood. Do you know any good stories?

mascot – Bullfrog
liaisons – Janice Robertson: janicer@optonline.net