A Mini History of the town of Summit
By Karen Cuccinello
Summit Town Historian 2010-current
Summit was created from parts of Cobleskill and Jefferson on April 13, 1819. It was originally called Summit Four Corners when it was first settled in the 1790’s. Summit also encompasses the hamlet of Charlotteville which had a larger population than Summit during the mid 1850’s.
Natural Attributes -Summit has boasting rights for some of the highest elevations in the county, as high as about 2400 feet above sea level. Due to the elevation of the town it has a reputation for an abundance of snow and year round air conditioning. The town is also well known for two lakes, Summit and Bear Gulch/Gulf, that are utilized for a variety of recreational activities: swimming, boating, fishing and ice fishing.
Pretty much any high point in Summit will offer a great view.
Schools – In 1839, Summit peaked at 21 one-room schoolhouse districts that were spaced out about two or three miles from each other. The most commonly heard of schools that were operating into the early 1900’s were Summit Village, Eminence, Dugway, Sawyer Hollow, Enid, Wharton Hollow, Beards Hollow, Lutheranville, Baptist Church, Oliver and Charlotteville.
Of these schools the first three are gone, the next six were transformed into residences, and the last two are restored to their original beauty. Oliver is at the Old Stone Fort Museum Complex and Charlotteville, the last operating one-room (actually it is a two-roomer) in Summit 1894-1951, is in its original setting and used as a community building.
There was also a NY Methodist Conference Seminary (college) established in Charlotteville in 1850 with as many as 1000+ students. The first Seminary burned in 1854, another one burned 1867. The school continued operating in a hotel on a smaller scale until closing in 1875.
Children living in Summit now attend Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School and Charlotteville area children living beyond the four-way-stop intersection attend Charlotte Valley Central School.
Hotels– During the mid 1800’s through the early 1900’s Summit was a mecca for summer travelers and boarders. Robinson’s Hotel, also known as Summit House/Hotel, was built in 1853 and was intended for travelers on the Charlotteville-Albany Plank Rd.(Rte 10). It was last used as a boarding house in the 1940’s then torn down in 1984.
Ryders or Summit Rest Hotel was built in 1853 and burned down in 1965. The barn on the Summit Rest Hotel property became a bar and grill, The Red Barn, following the fire (Red Barn burned 2012). Both Robinson and Ryder were on the corners of Charlotteville/Charlotte Valley Rd. and Rte. 10.
The Crowes Nest opened 1880 and took in summer boarders (as many as 150) until about the late 1940’s then it burned in 1959.
The first Lakeview House started taking summer boarders in 1881 first known as the Ferguson House until it burned in 1904. They re-built in 1905 and continued operating as a boarding house or restaurant/bar until about 2009. It also burned down in 2019.
The Charlotteville/Baldwin Hotel, built in the 1840’s, still stands as a residence. The Crowes Nest was right across the street from Lakeview on Sawyer Hollow Rd. A late comer to the Summit resort scene, Johnsons Motel & Restaurant, thrived from 1962 until it burned down in 1989.
Churches– 1st Baptist of Summit situated in Charlotteville was built 1830-32; Methodist of Summit first church built 1837 and the second and current church built 1870; Dutch Reformed/Methodist/ Presbyterian church of Eminence built 1833; Methodist of Eminence built 1854 (really in Blenheim); Methodist Episcopal of Charlotteville built 1830-32 now a museum; 2nd Baptist of Summit built 1839 and closed 1878 was situated in Summit; Christian Church at the Dugway organized 1819, falling apart by 1913 and sold 1915; Evangelical Lutheran in Lutheranville built 1836 and demolished 1908; Lutheran (shared with Baptists at times) of Beards Hollow built 1865 (weekly services ended 1928 but services in August started up shortly afterwards); Free Methodist Church of Charlotteville organized 1878 and St. Anna’s Catholic 1948-2009 now Seventh Day Adventists. The Summit Methodist, 1st Baptist Churches and Seventh Day Adventists currently hold services year round.
Cemeteries – There are 24 cemeteries, some big and some tiny. The bigger ones are Charlotteville opened 1864 (active) on Baptist Church Rd., Snook, Eminence, Lutheranville, Beards Hollow, Dugway, Old Summit and New Summit (active) opened in 1905 on Rte. 10.
Organizations– The Cobleskill Masonic Lodge #394 was born in Summit in 1856.
Charlotteville, Eminence and Summit had bands. Summits was organized in 1887. The Summit and Charlotteville Nine teams were playing baseball from as early as 1866 until about the 1950’s. A home field for the Summit nine was in the stone quarry also known as Mt. Wharton (approximately across from Beards Hollow Rd.) and the Charlotteville team played at“Buck’s Hole”.
Summit Grange #1536 organized August 17, 1934 with 29 charter members and closed June 2005.
Charlotteville Fire Department began in 1947, Summit Fire Department in 1948, and Summit Rescue Squad in 1972.
Telephone-Summit Telephone Company incorporated in 1909. It was the smallest and the last magneto switchboard telephone company in NYS when it concluded operations in 1972. They serviced 155 telephones at the time of their merger with the Middleburgh Telephone Co. As a Summit customer, in 1972, the monthly bill was $1.45, under Middleburgh Tel. the bill was $2.05. Charlotte Valley Telephone Company (main office in Richmondville) incorporated August 22, 1902 and sold to Otsego and Delaware Telephone Company in 1923.
Post Offices– Summit and Charlotteville post offices have moved around to different houses all through the years but they are now in operation in their own buildings. The Lutheranville PO, thought to be the smallest in NYS (and some say the U.S.), was in operation 1853-1949, Eminence 1849-1938, Beards Hollow 1888-1905, and Proper 1900-1909 (near the corner of Yankee & Eminence Streets).
Author’s Note:
The “Schoharie Alps” has a rich history, unique in comparison to the rest of the county.
One of my favorite newspaper clippings from The (Richmondville) Phoenix on March 22, 1905:
“The warm weather of
last week caused some of that three year
old snow up in Summit to melt and the
Westkill Creek was on quite a bender.”
Useful Information:
Historian – Cuccinello, Karen – PO Box 2, Summit 12175, 518-287-1945, karenc@midtel.net
Charlotteville 2-Room Schoolhouse – Charlotte Valley Rd., holds breakfasts the 3rd Sunday of the month 8-11AM May through October. Their library is open during breakfast Sundays. Also used for community gatherings. Joe Dahms is the president of the Schoolhouse Committee, 607-397-9180.
The Museum of the History of Charlotteville & Library and the Anonymous Arts Museum, -606 Charlotte Valley Rd. is open Fathers Day through mid August, every Sunday from Noon to 3PM. For further information call Marilyn Karp at (607) 397-8606 or 607-397-8276 or email Marilynn.karp@nyu.edu