Before Blue Marsh there was Fox Lake
Before Blue Marsh Lake was even a thought, Fox Lake was a small man-made lake along the Spring Creek right before it merged with the Tulpehocken Creek in North Heidelberg Township. It was a popular summer destination in Berks County beginning in 1928 through the mid-century. Initially developer Fox Lake, Inc. only advertised bungalows, which were popular amongst Reading residents as a means of escaping the city in the summer months. These bungalows surprisingly included some modern amenities for the time such as running water and a bath.
Within a few years modern year-round homes were also built around the area. All of them were razed in the 1970s when the Army Corp of Engineers built Blue Marsh Lake. Some remnants of stone stairways and foundations have been left behind.
According to this August 18th, 1934 Reading Times article, some of the occupants of the area at the time included Dr. and Mrs. Hiester H. Muhlenberg, Mr. and Mrs. J. Heber Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Harmon, Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Sartz and Mr. and Mrs Elmer Mengel. The article also says the Muhlenberg’s owned the cottage on the top of the hill, which matches the ruins in the area of stairs #2 (referencing the images above).
The hand pump drinking fountain appears to be in the area of the remnants of the charming old stone farm house occupied by the Sartz’ indicated in the 1934 article linked above. The pump is a Monitor model pump manufactured in Wisconsin by Baker Manufacturing company. According to facebook commenter Glenn Riegel; the pump was installed by the ACoE when they were attempting to set up a camp ground in this area around the time Blue Marsh was being flooded. Funding for the camping infrastructure never quite panned out so the project and the pump have been abandoned since.
While all of the conveniences provided at Fox Lake were reserved for property owners, occasionally the area opened to the public to promote the community and entice more buyers. The 1929 Reading Times ad below promotes this type of event for “Decoration Day”, which is more recently referred to as Memorial Day.
Only two years after beginning the community of Fox Lake more amenities were being added. As the 1930 Reading Times ad below shows; tennis courts, miniature golf, and beach improvements were being made to Fox Lake. However development never seemed to really take off, and this is likely due to the Great Depression.
All of the homeowners in this area had their properties taken by eminent domain and sold to the ACoE in the 1970s. The majority of the area that the bungalows covered is now under water. Below is the aerial of how the area looked in 1958 in comparison to how it looks now since the creation of the larger Blue Marsh Lake project. The main road around the area is now the Skinner’s Loop trail.
Thanks for posting this. I hadn’t thought about the place in years, but reading about it triggered memories of going a few times with my parents to visit their friends who had a place at Fox Lake, probably in the mid to late 1940s.
This is a nice article covering Fox Lake and the aerial views comparison along with the great advertisements. In our book, “Blue Marsh and the Pleasant Valley – One Last Look’, we included a history and many photos relating to the lake and the old farmhouse that originally was on the property along with a complete lot layout plan. There is a short section of steps that led down to the front door of the farmhouse. When we did our book in 2018, Jack Sartz was about 96 or 97 and I was in contact with his daughter. I remember the area in passing by there along the Tulpehocken Creek. One former resident of Fox Lake had his ashes spread at his former homesite when he passed away. So much history was lost with the Blue Marsh Dam.
Just to clarify. This states that the lake began just before Spring Creek flowed into the Tully. Actually there was a fair amount of distance (about a quarter mile) between the dam and where Spring creek flowed into the Tully underneath “Thunder Bridge”. Below the dam was a little island that water flowed around on each side. Past that it turned back into a tree lined creek that flowed to the Tully. There was a farm field on the Fox Lake side that we used to fire off model rockets with our buddy Scott Smith. We spent many hours retrieving (or at least trying to retrieve) the rockets that came down and got caught in those trees or ended up in the creek. The good old days.
Fox Lake was a haven for turtles and we would often go there to capture and collect painted, musk, and snapping turtles. I remember one incident where I though I had become stuck on a branch in the mud but when I pulled myself free I had a snapping turtle attached to my foot.
We always stopped at Pyles’ Grocery store on the north side of State Hill for soda pop and snacks. I left the Reading area during the mid 1970’s and missed the construction of Blue Marsh. Does anyone know if the State Hill Cave that was located in a quarry near where the damn was constructed still exists?
We would also catch turtlea there,great times
Yes but it’s under 25 ft of water and part of it was destroyed and the rock used at the dam it was ohnmacts cave on the ohnmacts farm the barn is still there below the spillway