Lake Hayward Pavilion Through the Years

The pavilion at Lake Hayward was consumed by fire on Saturday, September 22. Residents are now sharing their thoughts, reflecting on the pavilion's past and planning for the future.

Charlyn Houston-Montie is not only the owner/broker of Lake Hayward Properties, but also a resident since birth, at least seasonally. She has been a year-round resident since the early 80's and is the go-to person for everything Lake Hayward. 

According to Houston-Montie, a clubhouse with a porch and large room with a great stone fireplace stood on the site at least as far back as 1929. Over the years, she explains, “the clubhouse was used as a meeting house for association members’ dances and other functions. In the 60's it was extremely crowded, showing its age and very hot. People used to play cards, bingo, ping-pong and there were benches that lifted for storage of equipment such as tennis rackets and archery equipment.”

She adds, “old age finally made its way into the structure, the kitchen was shut down, bathrooms were no longer in use and the association made the decision in the early 90's to replace with a ground structure on a cement pad called a pavilion.” 

“As years went on, the one shed attached became two and then three and Porta Potties found a spot behind the pavilion. The shed housed many things for the enjoyment of the lakes -- swim accessories for the swim instructors, a place for life jackets, lifesaver rings, a refrigerator for functions, all the table and chairs for association functions and meetings, Halloween decorations, our famous Lake Hayward Day games, lights and, most recently, a security system.  Plans for Wi-Fi were in the works.” 

Picnic tables, she said, “made days at the beach enjoyable and the pavilion offered a meeting place in the open air and provided shade for all to enjoy. It was a wonderful structure that you came to see when pulling into the first beach area of Lake Hayward. During the summer months, dances, potlucks, chowder cookoffs, bingo, arts and crafts, setback tournaments, birthday parties, family outings and fun at Lake Hayward Days all were enjoyed at the pavilion.” 

Houston-Montie added, “It will surely be missed but thankfully only buildings are gone and no lives were lost. Buildings can be rebuilt."

Joan Soboleski has lived at Lake Hayward for 39 years, but her grandfather purchased one of the first cottages years before; that was 1937, and Joan started summering at the lake at age 11. 

The pavilion "was a building full of memories, that’s what it was,” Soboleski said.

"A perfect example is my son who was here for Lake Hayward Days talking with a friend. He said those beach games – they were all here when we were here."

She adds, "There’s been wedding receptions and birthday parties and graduation parties. When we passed the Millennium there was a huge brunch there. Every family has had some kind of ceremony or party there."

Lake Hayward, she says, "is one of those places people keep coming back to. I sit on the beach with the same people I sat on the beach with when I had kids, only we all have grandchildren now."

While some say the pavilion was built in the 80's, others say the 90's. After the fire, she said, "We were trying to figure out how many years the pavilion has been there and we really couldn’t come up with the exact date that they took the clubhouse down and put the pavilion up. I’m thinking it was before the 80's."

According to Soboleski, "It was one of those things where we knew it happened, but even when you knew what happened, it just made you sick to see it. So many years of so many memories. There’s not a family here that hasn’t used the pavilion for something."

Property Owners’ Association President Gail Grzegorczak said that about 20 percent of the 470 property owners live on the lake year-round, “while others are seasonal residents and spend only vacations and weekends at their cottages during the months May through October.”

Many of the cottages, she adds, “have been in families for decades, so traditions run deep.”

“Seeing the aftermath of the fire leaves everyone with an ache in their heart and the strong need to rebuild as soon as possible,” Grzegorczak said adding, “Today’s leaders, volunteers, and many residents, have grown up at the lake and hold many memories. These are memories that we want to relive and continue to pass on to generations to come. This passion will drive our community to build a new and better pavilion in readiness for next year’s season and our traditional “Lake Hayward Days Week”!”