Around Orange Lake (NY) (Images of America)

Around Orange Lake portrays the history of the lake and the adjoining locales of Gardnertown and Meadow Hill. The only natural lake for miles, Orange Lake was the location of a Colonial coinage mill, a source of power for many early industrial ventures, and home to one of the East Coast’s most famous amusement parks. In the late 1800s, cabins began to dot its shores, and by the 1920s, bungalow colonies flourished, with cottages that today have become substantial year-round homes. The lake also hosted famous personalities, including a Boston Tea Party participant, an early pilot, and a former governor. Their stories and others are intertwined with the history of the lake to create a picture of a very unique community.