Sunset Lake
&
Camp Sunset
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Sunset Lake relates peripherally to the Esopus Project, in that it
is the origin of Black Creek, which begins there in Plattekill and
meanders past New Paltz northward through some other lakes
and waterfalls, and eventually cascades into the Hudson River
just north of the Marist Brothers property
The lake is related another way because the Marist Brothers
acquired an old campsite at Sunset Lake in the late 1940s.
Previously the camp was known as Camp Saint Agnes, and was
operated by the parish of St. Agnes Church on 43rd between
Lexington and Third Avenue in New York City. (The Marist
Brothers taught at St. Agnes High School and often served as
camp counselors at the camp.) When the cost of renovations
and operations became too burdensome for the parish, it was
transferred to the Brothers for private use as an alternate
recreation and vacation site for Juniors from Esopus, but also
for the Student Brothers from Poughkeepsie.
Student Brothers were expected to complete the four year
program in three years and three summers. They were granted
family leave only after the summer session of their second year.
Brother Paul Ambrose, the Dean/President/Master of Scholastics
employed a lot of creativity in getting the student to break the
monotony of their Poughkeepsie environment. Camp Sunset
became a site for two week vacations after the summer session
was completed and before the Fall Semester began. The young
brothers combined a relaxed atmosphere with some work in
rehabilitating the buildings.
The site was also used for outings of the lay students at Marist
until the camp was sold to others in the mid 1960s.






As of June 2011, I was unable to locate the transfer deeds for
acquisition or disposition of the camp in the county clerk's office
in Kingston
The lake in winter
2004 ===>
Sunset Lake is shallow. The
campers could swim off the dock
,
but kept close to the dock to avoid
meeting grass on the lake floor.
Canoeing and fishing were favorite
pastimes.
<== Chapel
Administration
building ==>
<<=== Chapel
Chapel ruins in
February
2004==>>




Ruins of Rec Hall
and Kitchen in
February 2004
=>>
<<===
campers
lodgings
kitchen helper
==>>
Painters at work
<<===
Martin Lang
reading near the
lake
<<===
garage
Photos taken in 1949-1055 were in Kodachrome format. They were converted to jpeg
form in 2001, but deteriation of the slides was evident. Simple attempts to enhance







the photos made in 2010 and May 2011.
2004 photos taken 8 February 2004 by Brother Stephen Kappes
most recent revision: 3 April 2009
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