ARTS ON THE LAKE
Lake Carmel Arts Center
640 Route 52
Kent Lakes, NY 10512

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Office hours:
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Mon., Wed. & Fri.; other times by appointment.

845 228-AOTL (2685)

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90th Anniversary of Lake Carmel Exhibition

Saturday, November 21, 2020 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Sunday, December 13, 2020 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

 

Coming soon to Arts on the Lake

Opening Nov 21 @ 1 PM and runs through Dec 13


 

 

Arts on the Lake will host an Exhibition- A Celebration of the 90th Anniversary of Lake Carmel on weekends in November and early December.

 

This exhibition of photos, artifacts, and memorabilia will continue on Sunday November 22nd, and over weekends through December 13th. Visitors to the exhibit will be required to wear a mask upon entry and while viewing the exhibit, and social distancing will be in effect in compliance with NYS and local regulations.

 

Lake Carmel’s long history dates back to July 1930. The lake and surrounding community was developed by the Smadbeck brothers, who excavated and dammed a swamp in the 1920s and sold lots through the now-defunct New York Daily Mirror. They advertised and sold more than 12,000 lots. Each was 20 feet by 100 feet and a minimum of two was needed to build a cottage. One parcel cost $96.50 and could be had for $12.50 down and $3.50 a month. Warren Smadbeck and his brother at the Home Guardian Co. were the original landowners, and they were often referred to as the “Henry Fords of the real estate industry" for their practice of buying lake-bordering tracts within commuting distance of large cities, subdividing them, building roads and selling the home sites through newspaper promotions. They sold more than 700,000 lots in 30 states, where 75,000 homes were built. At one point, it was estimated the developments housed a permanent population of more than 500,000. Warren Smadbeck died in 1965 at age 80; his brother, Arthur, died 12 years later at the age of 90.

 

Today, Lake Carmel is a vibrant hamlet in the town of Kent in Putnam County, New York, and is home to over half of the town of Kent's population of 8,282 centered around the 1.6 mile long manmade lake in the southeast corner of the township and just north of the town of Carmel.

 

Area residents who are is interested in exhibiting historical photos or small artifacts, please contact Walter Recher of the Lake Carmel Advisory Board email wrecher@verizon.net Arts on the Lake is located at 640 Rte. 52, in the Town of Kent.