After being told to leave their Florham Park apartment years ago, Helen English and her husband abruptly found themselves searching for a starter home. After touring houses across North Jersey, English and her family were drawn to the Indian Lake community in Denville.
“We saw a bunch of cool houses, none of which we could afford,” English said. “But we did see that little house on the lake.”
They first moved into their small lake cottage in 1984. It had no bedrooms other than a makeshift attic space. When they began to outgrow the home, they decided to renovate the property to stay in Indian Lake. Upgrades included a second floor and a second bathroom, among other things.
“We felt so lucky to find a place where we could feel at home and enjoy everything the lake had to offer,” English said. “And we just never moved.”
On Sept. 17, English’s home will be one of six open to visitors in the picturesque Morris County community.
“People ‘ooh and aah’ over what they see neighbors do to their homes, but they’re dying to know what’s behind the front door, and unless they happen to know them personally, they never get in,” said Linda Lash, a member of the Women’s Club of Indian Lake, which organizes the tour. “But here’s an opportunity.”
Homes of different styles, periods
The homes will be displayed as part of the biannual Indian Lake House Tour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will give the public a peek inside different styles of homes in the historic lake community.
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“My goal is to try to