Collected and reproduced from various LPPOA newsletters (1940s-1990s).

Reminiscing:

 

· The year is 1928-29. The land is farm land. A young man and his young wife are “rooming” in Purdys while the young man works on the construction of the “new” school in Purdys. Many an evening the young man walks over to this location to watch a little “hopper car” travel over a single track carrying mud out from what is now Lake Purdy to what is now the ball field.

· At the time, there was no highway (Route 116) bridge over the reservoir and railroad. But there was a bridge over the reservoir.

 

· At that time people who were building and then living in their garages while they built their houses needed sand. A young twelve or fourteen year old boy would load sand into wooden baskets. Carting them in a little Model A truck, he would sell the sand to the home builders at 50¢ a load.

With foresight and intelligence, the first families of Lake Purdy, well knowing the worth of cooperation and strength of union, banded together in 1932. Most were summer and weekend residents who later winterized their homes. Some built two-car garages in which they lived while building their homes. It was in these homes and cellars and in the “grove” (site of the Folberth residence) that the first members met and organized as a property owner’s association. It was at meetings in the cellars of the Bushers, Marshalls, Clasens, and others that the association early developed the community spirit that to this day is remarkably prevalent. Picnics, clambakes, corn beef and cabbage dinners of that time in the grove were charged for at the rate of 50cents per person.

Mailing addresses of most members were in New York City, so the first meetings were held late Sunday mornings or mid-afternoon on Sunday. Mr. Harry Brainard, temporary chairman, called the second meeting to order on September 18, 1932, at which Mr. Raymond G. Downey was elected president.

On July 17, 1936, the Lake Purdy Property Owners Association was incorporated by the State of New York. Their dream of a permanent meeting place came true in 1939. The club house (first a shell) was erected with all the facilities necessary to enable the Association to function for its members’ enjoyment. In 1948, an enclosed porch was added to the lake side of the club house, allowing greater space for growing membership. In 1965, an enclosed entrance was added.

Because of members’ contributions of labor, time, money, fun, upkeep of the club house and active participation in meetings, the Lake Purdy Property Owners’ Association may be justly proud of its achievements; its advancement has been steady and ever consistent for the common good.

It has, in the past, and with the continued, great cooperation of all its members will continue to carry out the ideals upon which it was founded:

To own, maintain, protect and beautify the property generally, at Lake Purdy, in the town of Somers, in the County of Westchester and State of New York.

To further regulate, maintain, and protect the privileges of property owners.