Pompton Lakes: A Quiet Side of New Jersey

During my son's freshman year in college, his friends from other states often commented on New Jersey being the most populated and polluted area of the country. My son objected to such one-sided definition, and proved his point by showing on-line pictures of his home town Pompton Lakes, and Northern New Jersey in general. It is not a common knowledge that this is a land of beautiful forests and quiet lakes, where nature and history speak to you if you find time to listen.

Located approximately 30 miles northwest of New York City, the Pompton Lakes area was originally inhabited by the Indians of the Lenape tribe. Their legacy is found in geographical names of neighboring towns and rivers: Ramapo -"Round Pond", Pequannock - "Dark River", Hoboken - "Tobacco pipe", Mahwah - "Festival place", and of course Pompton itself - "Meeting Waters", perhaps because this area was located at the meeting of the three rivers: Pequannock, Wanaque and Ramapo). (http://www.pomptonlakeshistory.com/things/early_history.htm)

The first Europeans to settle here were Dutch farmers. In 1694 captain Arent Schuyler from New York bought over 5000 acres from the Indians. Some houses from that era still exist in Pompton Lakes. The oldest part of the Bartholf Homestead dates to 1697. The house was possibly used as a campsite for American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. The Schuyler-Colfax house, until recently, was one of the seven built in the country before 1700 still housing a member of the original family. (www.pomptonlakeshistory.com/places/schuyler-colfax.htm).

When iron ore was discovered in the area, ironworks were constructed on the Pompton River during the early 1700. In neighboring Ringwood Robert Erskine, a manager of the local ironworks, was a strong supporter of the colonial cause. He formed the first volunteer unit to be offered to the American Army, and later was appointed by General Washington a surveyor for the army. Ringwood Manor, built in 1807, occupies the place where Erskine house once stood. (http://www.ringwoodmanor.com/arch/arch.htm).

With the opening of the railroad station in Pompton Lakes in 1870 the town gradually became a thriving suburb and a popular summer destination. One of the distinguished visitors was Emanuel Einstein, a Vice President of Raritan Woolen Mills. After his death in 1909 his wife and children donated a beautiful building in Tudor Revival style to become a Public library. Pompton Lakes became known in the sports world after the establishment of a boxers' training camp in 1920s. Well known boxers such as Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson trained at the camp.

The quiet suburban life of Pompton Lakes was suddenly interrupted in 1996 when Hollywood filmmakers decided to make the town a background for the movie "In and Out". Pompton Lakes High school, built in 1933, was featured in all its Colonial Revival glory as a local educational institution of fictitious Greenleaf, Indiana. It was certainly an unusual experience to see Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck walking along Lakeside Avenue.

Pompton Lakes today is a quiet and friendly town with its own unique identity. There are many parks and nature reservations in its immediate vicinity: Ramapo Mountain State Forest, Ringwood State Park and Skylands Manor - former estate of Abram S. Hewitt, now the centerpiece of the State Botanical Garden, and Wawayanda State Park with numerous hiking trails. Visitors interested in history can explore Washington's Headquarters and Jockey Hollow in Morristown (20 miles from Pompton Lakes), or experience an atmosphere of Colonial American life in Waterloo village (Stanhope, NJ). Even New York City with its museums, restaurants, concert halls, and great shopping is only half an hour away!

Every season brings its own charm to our town. Wintertime, school windows become enchanted pictures of favorite children's stories; in spring every garden trying to outperform neighbors in its show of flowers; fall brings trick-o-treaters of all ages to your door, and summer calls for a long forgotten fishing pole. A town to call home…