Our Approach
Basics
Atchison Cove is a community located on the northern point of beautiful Candlewood lake in the town of Sherman Connecticut. It's residents enjoy the benefits of many amenities, such as a sand beach, club house, dock space and magnificent lake vistas. Atchison cove has 55 homes in it with a mix of full time and part time residents. The Cove is officially a tax district in the town of Sherman Connecticut and under code #105 of the Connecticut State Statute. The budget is voted upon each April at the annual meeting. Upon accepting this budget for the beach property, roads, and projects a mill rate is set and taxed according to the town assessment rate for each property.
Our Story
Our Approach
The Community
Summer is an active season for Atchison Cove Community members. The season officially begins with the Annual meeting in April followed soon after by a volunteer workday to get the beach house and area ready for the season. It is important for community members to all join in "as many hand make light work"... and it is a good way to get to know your neighbors. (Our volunteer hours also help to keep our operating costs down.) The summer season officially begins and ends with an opening/closing party at the beach house.
Our Story
Our Approach
Benefits
Because Atchison Cove has access to the north side of Candlewood lake, the district created an area for residents to enjoy. This area includes a clubhouse available for events, a community beach area and boat slips. Most of the homes in Atchison cove have leases to a boat slip located in this community area.
Our Story
History
The Atchison family, mother, father, four sons and a daughter arrived from Ireland, as green as the shamrocks they had left behind. They purchased an abandoned farmhouse on Hubbell Mountain that dated back to the Revolution. The 500 acres, once owned by the Thomas Northrop family extended west and through Sherman Center, before Candlewood Lake. The west and center portions were divided and sold long before the Atchison’s, who acquired more property on the hill to still hold 500 acres.
They dug a well by hand that gravity fed the farm, picked stone to form the base of the new road and piped water out of a bog to make usable farm land. Here they built barns, one coming up from Leach Hollow, when it was cleared for Candlewood Lake, and began a self-sustaining farm operation. Two brothers and the sister never married and remained on the farm establishing a large cattle business with annual cattle auctions. People came from around the country to buy their stock, which was driven down to the railroad, across the old bridge and shipped to the new owners.
The Atchisons felt that they were just keepers of the land and all that they did was for the glory of God. They were members of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, which had a Sunday morning program, which (we imagine) the family listened faithfully. They willed the farm to the Institute, who in turn sold it to a group of “fly boys” who were interested in developing the land down by the lake, where the cows had a trail for water. The farm was subsequently sold to Dan Lufkin, then to Sayles & O’Neil as owners. Later O’Neil was the principal and after the majority of lots Ralph Dunn assumed ownership.
The first homeowners association was formed in 1969 with Dennis Hergert, President. At that time Marjorie Harrison was the real estate broker and manager of The Cove, for Hank O’Neil. In 1986 the homeowners formed Atchison Cove Tax District to legally manage assets of “The Cove.” These assets being: roads, beach, Beach House, marina and common properties.
The AC Tax District Board of Directors is elected each year at an annual meeting held in the Beach House. Being involved with the “workings” of AC is a tribute to the volunteers who have managed our common grounds and kept a sense of “community” over the years. As people move on and new owners move in to this “extended family” we hope for the same, bring your talents and “rakes” to honor our history as we live in this beautiful lake community.
Gloria Thorne
