History

A Brief History of Butterfield Lake

The area was originally known as Grand Lake, with nearby lakes previously called Crown’s Lake (now Clear Lake) and Edmond’s Lake (Mud Lake).
In 1833, John S. Foster chose the stream connecting Mud Lake to Butterfield Lake to harness water power. He established a glass factory here, and his village—initially called Jamesville—was promptly renamed Redwood to mirror his former workplace in Redford.
At its peak, the glassworks employed around 30 workers and produced $40,000 worth of product annually by 1854.

The lake was renamed Butterfield Lake after William W. Butterfield, who bought the glass factory in 1859 and owned it until its closure in 1881.
Around 1886, Butterfield, along with Anson Harder, began parceling out land for summer cottages. They transferred Round Island to Dr. Richardson with a stipulation to build a camp there—one that remains nearly unchanged today.
Additional early camps went up: Harder built one on Pat’s Island, and Robert Hoffman, a glassblower and Civil War veteran, built Camp Happy Hours near what’s now Rogers Beach.

Butterfield Lake, now one of the largest lakes in the Indian River Lakes system, spans over 1,000 acres with roughly 10–13 miles of shoreline, and depths averaging 14 feet with a max around 49–50 feet.
Common fish include largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, walleye, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, and even bowfin or gar.
The lake supports public access via a DEC boat launch and is a Class B lake: ideal for boating, swimming, fishing, and aesthetic enjoyment.

The Indian River Lakes Conservancy (IRLC) traces its roots to Butterfield Lake. In 1999, summer resident Henry Carse donated land to launch what became the conservancy, starting with Osprey Marsh and later the Grand Lake Reserve, which now totals over 1,100 acres across multiple preserves indianriverlakes.org.
These preserves now include public trails—such as the Butterfield Lake Landing and Eagle Marsh Trail—featuring scenic vistas, a historic lead mine used during the War of 1812, and diverse hardwood forests.