Greenwood Lake Kicks Off Centennial Preparation with Cocktail Party

By Peter Lyons Hall

Under brilliant skies but a windy day at Thomas P. Morahan Waterfront Park, hundreds of guests and committee members kicked off the start of a year-long celebration of Greenwood Lake’s 100th Anniversary accompanied by live music and an excellent food and beverage menu, on Sunday afternoon, October 8, 2023.

Barbara Moore, former Greenwood Lake Mayor and event Chair, welcomed attendees to the fund-raising event at the start of the afternoon cocktail party, by introducing platinum sponsors and residents, Eric and Elizabeth Kohlmeier, and thanking them for their role in helping to launch the initial efforts to begin a series of informative and entertaining events in the coming months. “We are grateful to Erik and Elizabeth for their early sponsorship of this event,” said Moore, “and reminding our community of what an interesting and unique history that Greenwood Lake has.”

To get from New York City to Greenwood Lake in the 1920s required an economical and reliable car that could make the journey and return home. Fortunately, Greenwood Lake was filled with automobile service, repair, and maintenance stations that could guarantee that you could make the trip at 14 miles per gallon at that time (A Model T had a 10-gal capacity in those days).

Otherwise, travelers took the ferry to the train in Hoboken and then hopped on the train to Greenwood Lake, which often had to stop and chase herds of cows off the tracks. Upon arrival they were greeted by a steamboat which took them to their favorite hotel on the lake. Train service was halted in the late 1930s, after The Depression, when road systems increased and cars became the preferred mode of transportation. Greenwood Lake was formally incorporated as a Village on March 17, 1924.

New York State Senator, James Skoufis, issued a proclamation about Greenwood Lake’s history, followed by Committee Co-chairs Nancy Clifford and Jesse Dwyer’s brief comments about how steamboats used to ferry passengers to hotels that occupied the very place where Waterfront Park now stood.

The Kickoff Cocktail Party on October 8, 2023 featured:

1. Live entertainment by Lauren Davidson [laurendavidsonmusic.com];
2. Great food catered by Sarah Cox, featuring passed hors d’oeuvres, and several food stations consisting of empanadas, steamed chicken and vegetarian dumplings, salad, finger sandwiches;
3. Fabulous desserts prepared by Jean-Claude’s patisserie owners, Jean-Claude and Annette Sanchez;
4. Souvenir wine or beer glasses for choice wine and beer, or the event’s signature lemonade cocktail;
5. Information about all the upcoming events throughout the year;
6. Historical artifacts on display from Greenwood Lake resident Steve Gross;
7. Posters that featured “Did You Know” factoids about some of Greenwood Lake’s lesser known events that took place during its history;
8. Opportunities for guests to have their picture taken in front of a step and repeat banner with the Centennial logo.

Among the “Did You Know” posters was one about the first air mail rocket airplane launched from Greenwood Lake 85 years ago. In 1936 article in the well-respected magazine at that time, Popular Mechanics, stated: “Although it covered only a few hundred feet, the recent flight of the ‘Gloria,’ America’s first air mail rocket, at Greenwood Lake, may in time be considered as significant as that first historic flight of the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, which covered an even shorter distance.” Another poster described the film, The Magic of Belle Isle was filmed in the Village of Greenwood Lake in July 2011; it was directed by Rob Reiner and starred Morgan Freeman. Additionally, a poster featuring The Brandon House was one of the

the earliest major hotels in the Village of Greenwood Lake, built by Bill Wright, sat on top of the large hill just south of the Village on the east side of the lake. He also built The Windermere Hotel.

To learn more about the upcoming events celebrating Greenwood Lake’s unique history, or to become a sponsor, click on https://GWLCentennial.org