“I Want to Live on Water”

A person who was listing a house in Mount Bethel, Pa. described her primary requirement in their next home: Like every local home she’d lived in, it has to be on water. Our area is rural and suburban; elsewhere, that phrase usually refers to coastal or island living.

Water as an essential feature of the property is not unusual for homes in Upper and Lower Mount Bethel, Washington Township and Plainfield Townships. Because the region has its roots in farming, many larger properties feature ponds dug to retain natural springs. Scores of other homes border the scenic Delaware River along River Road, Sandy Shore, Island Road and other roads that parallel the Delaware River.

Inland, other properties are crossed by the many creeks and streams that carry water to the Delaware from higher locations. The Slate Belt is home to two well-known lakes: Lake Minsi and Echo Lake. Both are located in Upper Mount Bethel Township, north of Route 512 and west of Route 611. Minsi is operated by the county; Echo Lake is a private development.

Our home has a pond, as does my sister and the same with my brother. They’re relatively easy to maintain; the sound of water splashing into the pond from a waterfall is relaxing, especially in the early morning or late evening.

Most ponds in the greater Mount Bethel area cover one acre or less but there are exceptions. Farmers use the water and the pond builders were careful about how they dug the basin so the pond was easy to access. The pond couldn’t be lake-sized or it would cut into the productive areas of the farm.

Many of the ponds reach eight to 10 feet deep at their deepest, although some owners report the middle areas of their ponds can reach 12 to 18 feet. Many are swimmable, but some don’t get enough circulation to control the vegetation and promote visibility. Owners of ponds like to build docks, floating platforms and island gazebos. We’ve even seen a zip line.

Some owners stock their ponds with swans, who live in pairs and don’t like to share their pond with other swans. The natural enemy of the swan is the snapping turtle; the enemy of the snapping turtle is the fisherman looking to capture one of these to sell to a restaurant that serves them as a delicacy.

Call anytime to get the latest on water availability. No need to travel to the coast.

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Mount Bethel, Home to Well-Known Performers and Artists

Upper and Lower Mt. Bethel Townships have always been known as peaceful, relaxing areas along the Delaware River, but did you know they have been the home of some well known musical and performing artists?

Several well known performers and creators live in or have called the greater Mount Bethel area their home, including:

Famous orchestral arranger Arthur Harris enjoyed a six acre studio a short ride from the Delaware River. Harris created many of the best-known arrangements performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under conductor Eugene Ormandy, along with many other world-class performance pieces. He and his wife lived in an expanded stone home with a second-story music studio overlooking a field and eventually a swimming pool. We sold his home but the music lives on.

Some of the great music from the animated Disney cartoons of the late 1980s was created on a 26-acre farmette where the songwriting team of Ashman and Menken sometimes worked from a loft studio. The pair were responsible for many all-time classics, including "Aladdin," "Beauty and the Beast" and the "Little Mermaid." The farmette is in a secluded location a short distance from the Delaware River. Another location we sold but one in which you can still hear faint echoes of amazing music.

Much of the music from the "Schoolhouse Rock" television series was created by long-time resident Bob Dorough. Perhaps you recognize these titles: "Three Is a Magic Number", "Figure Eight", "Conjunction Junction", "Preamble" and "I'm Just a Bill". Dorough is a regular on the jazz performance circuit and a star  performer at the annual Delaware Celebration of the Arts jazz festival in Delaware Water Gap.

Actor Peter Coyote, who has appeared in more than 130 film and television movies, spent part of his youth on a farm not far from where the Appalachian Trail crosses the northern part of Northampton County in Upper Mount Bethel Township. Coyote had featured roles in classics such as "E.T., The Extra Terrestrial," "A Walk to Remember," and "Patch Adams." He's still busy making great movies.

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