Flip Flach’s Canvas of Greenville, Part V

Notes and Program by Flip Flach

Article by Town of Greenville Historian Don Teator

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In a July 2025 Greenville Local History Group program, Flip Flach provided another memory-filled trip, details of which others confirmed, and some of which scratched the edges of our memory recall.

The program idea started several years ago. Eventually, it crystalized to:

An Extended Village Canvas: a presentation of memories of "ex-buildings, ex-businesses, ex-entrepreneurs" that graced and inhabited the roadways a half-mile or more from the Four Corners of Greenville.

Links to past posts:

Rt 81: Norton Hill to Catholic Church

Rt 81: Church to Four Corners

Rt 32: Albany County line to shopping plaza

Rt 32: Shopping plaza to Four Corners

The range has certainly changed, with three of the five programs so far revealing memories from beyond that half-mile range. It has been an enjoyable expansion of idea, though. Also noted is that although this is officially Flip’s program, he has been gracious enough to allow any of us to add memories or to add sites and people to the discussion.

Another note, perhaps a disclaimer, is that many of the buildings and people noted could be turned into a program on their own. Failure to include a site along Flip’s memory or to show a range of local history should not diminish the value of any omitted items.

One more disclaimer: The names listed in connection to houses are specific to Flip (unless otherwise noted). It is what he remembers, even if other families lived there. Another person might well call the same house by a different name.

And so we started Flip Flach’s Part V of the Canvas series. After two programs for the west entrance to Greenville and two more from the north, this time we start in the east, using CR 26 and SR 81 as our measuring sticks.

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The Start of Flip’s Trip

Starting on Rt 26 at the junction of Willowbrook Drive, we first noted the scenic cemetery on top of the ridge of the long field. Although we have commonly called it the Rundell cemetery, most of the online sources identify it as the Palmer Cemetery.

Driving back a couple hundred yards, we encountered the Rundell Compound, as Flip called it. It is a collection of the main house, a sizable tenant house, and several barns. This farm used to be a quite prosperous farm. The descendants still live there. Most notable is the worn siding of the main house.

About ten newer houses fill the next quarter mile, evading Flip’s memory.

Spring Brook Farm, as listed on the Greene County Register, is Bob Capone's residence. Before Bob, his parents, Pearl and Joe Capone, lived there. Pearl was an active volunteer in Greenville for many years. Well-kept grounds and a perfect barn for the background draw attention.

Around the next bend of the road is the Heidelberg Farm. It is a scenic white colonial backdropped by a few red barns. Newly straightened stone walls and scenic, open fields accompany. Flip remembers the name Butler and Burgess, and I have learned that a relative of the Thompson family, with a Stevens connection, has recently purchased it.

The next stop to be noted is the intersection with Spring Valley Road. A little further along the way is the Frank and Althea Kummer residence. Some in the audience had gone to school with the children. Etched into our minds is the tragic story of Frank not returning home one day from tending to the beehives. He was stung and had an allergic reaction that treatment today could easily have handled. A tragic story.

Next comes the intersection with Willowbrook Road and 100 yards past that is a small clean white house fronting a pond and a dozen cabins along a pathway. Called Lake Wiltwyck, the sign that was missing on my scouting trip is now returned, freshly re-painted. Flip recounted the Wiltsie family living there.

We climbed partway up the hill towards Cedar Lane on whose corner was the Art & Elli Werking house.

Halfway up the hill is a small brushy-covered house that looks like it could have been a schoolhouse. In fact, it was the Brandy Hill Schoolhouse which served East Greenville. Flip recalled it was the residence of a GCS teacher Norman Shaw and his sons.  

Cresting the rest of that hill, we approach Scutt Road, inducing Flip to take a detour. We drove down Scutt Road, noticed the 30 houses, turned around and identified the one single house that was the only house on the road in Flip’s memory. Guess what the name of the person living there was? If you said Leonard Scutt, you got it right.  The barn in the back is gone; the Scutt house is identifiable by a little pink shed by the roadside.

We returned to Route 26 and just as we started, we noticed a long driveway with the house hidden behind some trees. That was a Rundell house, with a Rundle cemetery in the back (crossover of spelling of Rundell-Rundle surname is noted). No one seemed to know much about this secretive property. Flip remembered the Arnold name from his early days.

Another 200 yards onward, we climb the small little hill that climbs the Pine Lake Manor plateau. Several shots of empty or brushy woodland filled the presentation screen. We identified it as Brandy Hill and as the Butler Cemetery. Any buildings from the area are now long gone including Haight’s Dance Hall. And there would have been several businesses on the crest of that hill.

Our next stop was a map of East Greenville, and the fair sized hamlet that existed there two centuries ago. Sylvia had done a program for us about the Rundle and Butler feud. Her presentation included this map and the buildings identified on the map. Of note is the Episcopal Church that got its start here before the building of the current structure on North Street.

Next, as one might expect, comes Pine Lake Manor with familiar names like Baumann and Schermer. A couple programs about PLM have already been presented. As stated earlier, I think each place that we have encountered on this trip deserves a program. As for PLM, we have had the good fortune of having good informants about the resort.

Across the street is the office of Pine Lake Manor. But at one time it was a separate resort - 12 Maples, and a starting point for Pine Lake Manor. Omar Zeh was the resort owner.

A couple hundred yards onward is the junction with Newry Road, prompting a reaching out to imagination, to a site no one has seen. A book about Greenville history talks about toll house #2 on the Coxsackie turnpike. The book states the toll house was at the road that led to Newry. We have not been able to identify where it was or might have been. And we have never seen a picture either. We cannot verify it was even at this spot.

Near the junction with Newry Road was the site of Maplewood on the Lake. It was a resort owned by the Welter family and Bette has talked about it many times. A more recent owner renovated one building and made it into Santa's Restaurant, and then that burned. All that stands now are two or three small buildings, one recently renovated, and a filled-in swimming pool behind which lie a large lake.

Skipping several houses, we arrive at the junction with Highland Road. A stately brick house sits behind stately locust trees. Flip remembered it was the Barkman family and then the Koch family who ran a resort called Koch’s Locust Manor.  Newer occupants included Jonas Havens, Louise Havens, and then a recent owner remembered by Margaret Donohue.

We took a quick detour to Highland Road to the end and came back. Much like Scutt Road, there was one and only one farmhouse on the road in Flip’s early memory. The Sanacore family resided at the one farm, in Flip’s memory.

Returning to Route 26, we encountered a white house on the left with a barn that's since been renovated, sitting across from the former first hole of the former Rainbow Lodge. Flip remembered Berkhofer.

Our next memory stop was the house before Woodhouse Lodge. Don had included the photo but neither Flip nor the audience knew much about the building other than a recent renovation.

Next was Rainbow Lodge and for so many years associated with the Birmann family. This southside is now Woodhouse Lodge - a nice pizzeria and a ten unit lodging site. The north side has changed its name to Island Green Resort. No more Rainbow Lodge.

The most unique story came as we approached Turon Rd. Flip recalled that Hugo’s (of rental horses acclaim on Main Street) would take their ride. On the way back, when encountering the intersection of Newry Lane and CR 26, the path “home” led directly across the street onto a dirt path that lay between today’s Turon Rd (not invented back then) and Birmann’s airstrip. A Google Map search should help recognize it. Riders took this way on their way back to the stables on Main Street.

After skipping about ten houses, we arrived at the Turon Farm, just past the intersection with 26A. I am sure the Turon family could speak better or more fully than we did this evening. We did recall that the Turon family, along with the Flack family, endured the consequences of eminent domain for the Alcove Reservoir.

Our next to last stop on County Route 26 Was the small, old house of the Stevens family. It was the original until the much bigger farmhouse could be built. The Atwater name is also associated with this and Orrin would have gone on for a while if he were in attendance.

We decided to end our County Route 26 journey at the Orrin Stevens farm. Orrin has told us many tales and history about the homestead and the historical marker notes the many generations who lived here, and beyond. It was the office site of the Pioneer Insurance Company before it moved to South Street. Today you can find online the current owner’s goal to establish it as an event place and museum although it is now for sale with a neighboring two properties we just visited for over two million dollars. Good gossip!

A short turn took us to Route 26A, the short road that connects 26 and 81 with a highway department and recycling center on it. The houses on the north side we knew very little about but pictured them anyway. Also included but little was said about the recycling center.

Right next to that, of course, is the highway department. A 2026 calendar page will feature its founding in 1955. Some of us remembered attending Town Board meetings there.

Lastly, we noted the medical building operated by Doctor Hubicki. This building was the topic of a program several years ago by Shelly Dobski. And I have been told has celebrated his twentieth year there. Congratulations, Walter!

We are done with County Route 26 for now. The section from the Stevens’ house to the bottom of the hill into Greenville will be covered in a future article.

So, we mentally hopped into the car and drove out to almost the town line on Route 81, stopping at the intersection with Willowbrook Road.

On the corner of Willowbrook is a renovated house worthy to be in our calendar several years ago. The Blenis family has owned it for 100 years. Before that it was the Boyd family and was a resort called Locust Manor.

Just up the street was a modest looking two-story residence that in the 1980s was still the Surprise Post Office and Blenis General Store. Nearby was an old sawmill that was powered by the nearby falls. An old picture showed men standing in front of the mill before it burned in the early 1900s.

Don had inserted photos of three houses before we got to Surprise Result Road. They are distinctive, 1800s style that look like they have a history. One of them on an old postcard was called Woodside Cottage. In the 1980s there was a sign in front that advertised Twin Lakes Farm Boarding and Training Facility. Some remembered Princess Boonya. We questioned whether Boonya was a woman or an elephant. No kidding!

On the corner with Surprise Result Road stood a small shed-like building that George Kaiser and his son Fred utilized as a tin shop. The building was demolished in 1965 to make way for a widened Route 81.

Nearing Scutt Road, with no houses standing around it, there appears to be a steep rock slope on either side of Rt 81. This was created in the 1960s when 81 was widened. Before that, cars had to drive around it and that old road curve can be seen today if one takes time to see it.

A little further up the road, between Scutt Road and King Hill road, lies an older looking farmhouse. Some of us knew it as the Cameron house. Flip remembers it as Hicket, others remember Hickok.

And then comes an interesting stretch of road, with very little physical evidence to show. Near the King Hill Road intersection is a slow moving stream that would have had a bridge over and still does although it's a big covert. This was the site of an attempted murder of a peddler. This story was told by Sylvia Hasenkopf in one of her programs.

Further up the road at the West Road intersection is a building identified as a state building. It has been there for years, and used little for years, leading all of us to question what it was ever used for and why it is still there.

And then just past there, on the other side of the road was the King Hill / Murder Bridge airplane spotter Tower used for World War II. A photo in the calendar shows Fred Kaiser posing beside the tower as chief.

Amongst the next ten houses, we identified two of them. One of them was Kathy Williams’ house, where son Terry lives now. Many of us remembered Kathy fondly. And somewhere along the way Jerry and Kathy Smith live, although we did not take a picture for the program. A little further on is this quirky old farmhouse, once with a sign that said Garden of Isis but it is more famous today for all of the skeletons roaming in the front yards. It is quite bizarre, and a quick poll of the audience told me to not use it for a calendar page for next year. Ha

Our next stop is the rambling house, a former resort, on the corner with Highland Road, known as Horton Corners. Flip knew of the name of Gough. Further on is the Lampman house for which we knew few details.

Approaching the final wide bend into that straightaway into Greenville is a modest house where the Van Zandts lived. When Route 81 was widened, the house had to be moved and a family couldn't afford much. The community stepped up and built this family a new house – a real feel-good story. Many people still remember Mose Van Zandt.

Just after that is the Judge Werker house, known for the few years that he lived in the community in the 1960s with some people remembering his children Jane and Henry. Another house or two further is a long green house owned most recently by Plattner and Evola, before that possibly Messina and would have been a resort called Pops Wishing Well.

At the start of the long straight away into town lies the Stevens Farm. We showed a good looking aerial, and another one that Deb photographed from the plane with the bigger new house on it. Also included were two pictures taken thirty years ago when a driver-by could see the house and the barn from the road. Today that is not possible during the foliage season.

The next house was shown both as an aerial shot and as a ground shot thirty years ago. This was the residence and barns of Town Clerk Jeanne Bear and her husband Orlie

Next came Dr. Bott's House which today has a big fence in front of it, blocking a good view of the house.

Next to it sits a sturdy-structured house on the corner of 81 and 26A. We thought the right person could make a program.

This where the program stopped, with the entry into Greenville the topic of the next segment.

A round of applause was given to Flip for pulling together so many memories that many of us might have forgotten.

Additional information:

The three digit number is the number of the newsletter that told more of the story. Go to https://www.dteator.com/glhg/glhg.htm and click on the link that bears that number.

A date and a year (93-11 is November 1993) will indicate a calendar photo. Go to https://vedderresearchlibrary.org/greenville-resources and find the range of years you are looking for and scroll till you find the photo, and caption.

Programs: in order of road trip

283 – East Greenville

328 – Pine Lake Manor

235 – Pine Lake Manor

276 – Medical Center

Calendar Pages: in order of Flip’s road trip

93-11 – Haight’s – East Greenville

18-13 – Baumann recognition

24-06 – Pine Lake Manor

15-07 – Maplewood on the Lake

00-07 – Rainbow Lodge

12-02 – Snowmobile Races – Rainbow

19-10 – Turon

15-10 – Stevens Price List

18-09 – Blenis

92-04 – Surprise store, post office

03-04 – Surprise Saw Mill

95-04 – Spotter Tower – Kaiser

01-11 – Kaiser Tin

12-01 – J. Bear

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