Tour
de Sparta The Lake Mohawk Country Club will once again sponsor a tour of homes in the reservation featuring houses, both old and new, built in the lake style. The tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. An optional luncheon will be served on the Boardwalk from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tickets for the tour are $25 and may be combined with the luncheon for $35. Reservations are required for the luncheon. The tickets may be purchased at the Lake Mohawk Country Club office and at the Drue Chryst Gallery at 21 White Deer Plaza during business hours beginning Sept. 8. Tickets for the tour will also be available on the Boardwalk the day of the tour from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The event will be held rain or shine with all proceeds to benefit the club. For additional information, call 973 729-6156. This home on Meadowbrook Terrace offers a panoramic view of the area from every room. Unlike many of the houses in the reservation, it is not historic in terms of years, but it still has the charm and essence of lake living. Walter and Edna Lynch built this home 22 years ago for their retirement years. The house is surrounded by an abundance of trees which offer privacy. Winding stairs lead up to the front entrance. The house features a living room with a stone fireplace. A gourmet kitchen and the dining room look out on the large deck. The main floor also contains two bedrooms and a large master suite that opens out to the deck. There are hardwood floors throughout the home. A warm and inviting family room overlooks its own charming patio. From there, a path leads to the cliff that looks down over the lake. "Racers Roost" on West Shore Trail reflects the resident bachelor's vision and hard work of the past 11 years. This true Lake Mohawk cabin captures the essence of the Crane era on one side and has been combined with a European Swiss chalet on the other side, linking both traditional and contemporary settings. Each space in this residence has been thoughtfully designed and efficiently used, reflecting the owner's four years in the Navy. There are two narrow circular staircases and multi-levels, each with a view of the lake. The 65-year-old cabin has a compact galley kitchen with a glass-walled dining area, a cozy living room with a stone fireplace and a ship-shape bedroom. The chalet boasts medieval granite floors, slab wood countertops and a soaring wall of glass. The home uses only stone, wood and glass and very little, if any, paint. With a racecar in the garage, a hot tub on the deck, chipmunks, turkeys and deer on the patio, this mountain home offers the best of both worlds. The little log cabin on Fern Road captures the spirit of the lake. From the outside, it is pristine and charming, as if it had just been constructed. But, this original Lake Mohawk pioneer home, resting on stone pillars overlooking the lake, was built in 1927 out of chestnut logs. The home has been restored to highlight its original Dutch doors, bubble glass windows, floor-to-ceiling granite fireplace and, of course, the beautiful natural tones of the chestnut logs. Minor changes over the years include a garage-to-den conversion and an enclosed basement accessed by a spiral staircase. The antique furnishings and organic décor of the log interior recall the bygone era of simpler times; where good food, pleasant company and a cozy fire completed the perfect day. The home on Alpine Trail was built atop a boulder in 1937 by the Crane Company. The Loesche sisters of Woodcliff originally owned it. It was later bought by Warren and Minerva Fogerty and then passed to Peter Arnow and Robert Linder in the 70s who owned radio stations WDHA and WMTR in New Jersey. The house sits on a deeply wooded lot with stone terrace walls, three patios and a tree house of a deck. The cabin boasts a spacious layout that draws attention to pine paneling throughout, a cathedral ceiling, a fieldstone fireplace with a hand-hewn wood mantel, hardwood floors and a stained glass window. The renovated was designed by the owners with maple and glass cabinetry and Shivakashi granite counters. The home is decorated with a collection of art, antiques, Arab lanterns from Israel, Egypt and Turkey and oriental carpets. This four-year-old home on West Shore Trail, with its perfectly manicured lawn, sits on three acres. The deck on the rear overlooks a park-like setting. The interior has been custom designed and beautifully decorated by its owner, who is also an artist. The first floor features a large, open great room and a gourmet kitchen with exquisite mosaic tile designed by the owner. The walls of the charming and cozy living room and library showcase the owner's work. The home also features hand-painted sinks and an antique mantel. Upstairs are two bedrooms and a guest bath with a stained glass window. The master suite is breathtaking, from the large and light-filled bedroom to the warm. Glass blocks comprise one side of the open, walk-in shower. This lovingly cared-for home on West Shore Trail was built in 1935. The house was acquired in 1943 by Matthew Breiner, a butcher from Brooklyn, after his racehorse won a big stake at Belmont. His daughter suffered from tuberculosis and the only treatment recommended by the doctors was "fresh, country air." The home has dark, wavy wood siding, unique shutters, cutout porch railings, and a stone chimney and retaining walls. Breiner's son built the rock chapel in the corner of the yard. Inside, natural woods are layered on the upper living room wall that serves as base to the loft. A natural slate shelf near the fireplace, wood doors with original hardware and wood floors are charming elements. The marbled kitchen counter and whimsical red cabinets were added by the Ramsey family in 2000. The current owner, a retired attorney, purchased the home in 2005 to be near his two daughters. This charming boathouse on West Shore Trail has long been a landmark on the lake. The owner of the home across the street, Charles D. Ehrengart, built it himself around 1933. Ehrengart earned a Silver Star in WWI for bravery under fire, was stranded on a sandbar off Cuba for six months while in the Merchant Marines, became president of an international textile dyeing company, played in an orchestra and made seven trips around the world. He styled the log boathouse after a Swiss chalet and designed and constructed the banisters with heart-shaped cutouts and an elaborate trim around the roof. On the poop deck, there is a mural depicting King Neptune and the Seven Seas, a mermaid and the Arctic and Polar regions. The interior is true lake-style, with its dark wood and fanciful details. Beautifully restored and freshly painted by the present owners, this is one of Lake Mohawk's jewels.