Lake Swannanoa, New Jersey

Location

Lake Swannanoa is a #REDIRECT residential #REDIRECT lake #REDIRECT community located in #REDIRECT Jefferson Township, #REDIRECT Morris County, New Jersey, located in the state of #REDIRECT New Jersey, USA. It is within the scenic highlands region. The driving distance to #REDIRECT New York City is approximately 38 #REDIRECT miles.

#REDIRECT Geology/#REDIRECT hydrology

The lake has two main sections, connected by a channel. The #REDIRECT Rockaway River, whose #REDIRECT headwaters are in Jefferson Township, feeds the lake. There are also two ponds. There is a small island in the north lake.

The lake is impounded by two man-made #REDIRECT dams, one for each section of the lake. The south dam has a #REDIRECT spillway and #REDIRECT valve, the north dam has a large valve and #REDIRECT overflow spillway. The dams were both rehabilitated from the original Ringling-era fieldstone and concrete construction in 1998.

Planning is currently underway to upgrade the south dam to meet NJDEP Dam Safety & Flood Control requirements. This is as a direct result of an unusual #REDIRECT meteorological event, the August 2000 storm. This storm arrived and did not move for over a day, dumping 14 inches (official measurement, independant estimates say 16+ inches) of rain to a restricted area. The resultant flooding caused the main thoroughfare Berkshire Valley Road to become inundated, but did not cause either dam to fail. Excessive overflow caused some undermining of the dam structure which needs to be corrected. The lake is currently under orders of the NJDEP to maintain a water level of no greater than two and no less than three feet below spillway until the fix has been completed.

Due to the large #REDIRECT watershed, the lake both enjoys and is cursed with a high flow-through rate. The water in the lake is replaced approximately every 30–45 days. This allows for water refreshment, but makes aquatic weed treatment more challenging.

Historical information

Post-#REDIRECT Native-American, the area was mostly farmland.

Alfred T. Ringling

The property was consolidated, the lake enlarged (and two lakes combined), and a 28-room manor house with auxilliary structures were built in the rustic #REDIRECT neoclassical style to accommodate the winter home of the #REDIRECT Ringling Brothers Circus by impressario Alfred T. Ringling. Ringling's death in 1919 brought an end to this era.

The buidlings are on the #REDIRECT National Register of Historic Places. The manor house is currently privately owned by the #REDIRECT Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, #REDIRECT Roman Catholic Church.

Becoming Lake Swannanoa

The Ringling estate was purchased by Arthur D. McAllister in 1925">[1] and renamed Lake Swannanoa. Plans were created to develop a ritzy #REDIRECT golf and #REDIRECT country club, the original #REDIRECT prospectus calling for elegant #REDIRECT high society balls, and #REDIRECT racial/#REDIRECT ethnic restrictions. Due to the #REDIRECT great depression this plan never came to fruition, so instead in the 1930s it was developed as a residential community by Ringling Estates Inc. #REDIRECT Log cabin style houses were built on small lots as primarily summer homes, and were used as such throughout the 1950s. Although there are a few weekend residents today, most houses are now occupied year-round. Many of the current houses are situated on multiple original lots.

The name Swannanoa is reported to be "derived from the #REDIRECT Cherokee word Suwali-Nunna, meaning 'trail of the Suwali tribe,'"">[2] however the name was used in this case under the impression that the translation is actually "the beautiful trail."

Weird Swannanoa

Due to the Ringling Brothers Circus connection, and no doubt fueled by intake of substances both legal and not, particularly in strange hours of the night, the elusive home of Midgetville has been pegged here">[3], amongst many other potential locations.

There are local legends about the ghosts of circus animals haunting the manor house. A human #REDIRECT ghost is also said to haunt the #REDIRECT retirement home located on the lake.

Today

Lake Swannanoa is privately owned and operated by the Swannanoa Sentinal Society, a private non-profit corporation. Membership is by #REDIRECT deeded #REDIRECT covenant. There is a fee to join the covenant, and yearly dues are required. Access to and use of the lake is restricted to current members.

Notes

">^ Synopsis prepared by the Jefferson Township Historical Society, October 30, 1996
">^ Native American Place Names
">^ Weird New Jersey