Rock Lodge Club is a

naturist club A naturist resort or nudist resort is an establishment that provides accommodation (or at least camping space) and other amenities for guests in a context where they are invited to practise naturism – that is, a lifestyle of non-sexual socia ...

located on of privately owned land located in the

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

area of the

Hardyston Township, New Jersey Hardyston Township is a township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 8,125, a decrease of 88 (-1.1%) from the 2010 census count of 8,213, which in turn reflected an in ...

, which is situated on the

New Jersey Highlands New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

North Jersey North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrativ ...

, about from

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Rock Lodge Club and

Sky Farm Sky Farm is America's first permanent naturist community opened on 15 May 1932, in Somerset County, New Jersey by Kurt Barthel Kurt Barthel (1884–1969) is the father of the modern United States nudist movement. Introduction He began ...

, also based in New Jersey, were founded in 1932 as the first permanent nudist communities in the United States. Both clubs are active today.

History

The eponymous Rock Lodge Stone House was built as a model fireproof farm house by engineer A. L. A. Himmelwright in 1907, and presently used as a residence and overnight rental facility at Rock Lodge Club. In the late nineteenth century, A. L. A. Himmelwright, an engineer at the Roebling Construction Company, bought the land that today is used by Rock Lodge nudist club. Prior to this, the property in the

, was used for timber and agriculture. There is also evidence of iron prospecting, possibly connected to a

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...

mine works located nearby. In 1904–1905, Himmelwright used oxen to dredge a swamp, and built a dam to create a lake fed by a stream located near the lake, as well as by 17 underwater springs. This main spring is mentioned in deeds and early leases as a water supply for surrounding neighbors as well as for Rock Lodge. In 1907, Himmelwright erected a "model fireproof farmhouse", now known as the Stone House, which features a poured concrete roof, stained glass, a basement with coal furnace, and a state-of-the-art (in its day) water supply system which pumped water from the spring to a holding tank on the third floor. In 2007, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Stone House, the original plans for the construction of the building were reproduced. Other historic buildings that are maintained and in use today included a stable (now known as the Hacienda that houses the Club's office), an ice house, where, prior to the availability of refrigeration, ice harvested from the lake in the winter was stored for use through the summer. Around 1919, Himmelwright built a bungalow (clubhouse), when the property was being used as a training camp for boxers—during the

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...

the property was a training camp for

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. ...

, boxers and wrestlers.

Ben Roller Benjamin Franklin Roller (July 1, 1876 – April 19, 1933) was an American physician, a professional wrestler and a football player. Biography Early life Roller was born in Newman, Illinois. where he grew up on his family's farm. As a boy on th ...

, a physician and world class professional wrestler, ran the Rock Lodge Health Farm as per display advertisement in the NY Times 1921. Display ads also ran in the Magazine of Wall Street in 1922. Amenities included an indoor world class handball court and coal heat, with a fireplace and living room. Two historic cabins from the 1940s build from kits produced by the E. F. Hodgson Company are on the grounds and used as residences. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, Herman Shoshinsky leased the property as the proprietor of the

American Gymnosophical Association The American Gymnosophical Association (AGA) was organized circa 1930 by Herman and Katherine Soshinski. It was one of 3 spin-off groups from the League for Physical Culture that had been organized by Kurt Barthel in 1929. Dr. Maurice Parmelee, Pr ...

(A.G.A.), and nudism came to Rock Lodge. In 1938 or 1939, the property was bought by Francis E. dePaolo, a

chiropractor Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscie ...

who lived across Rock Lodge Road near the spring. In 1942, Dr. dePaolo and Shoshinsky had a falling out, and the A.G.A. moved to

Newfoundland, New Jersey Newfoundland () is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP), geographically spanning both West Milford Township in Passaic County, and Jefferson Township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is locate ...

. Rock Lodge as a cooperative nudist club began that year with a one-year lease. In 1946, a 10-year lease was negotiated with dePaolo, and summer cabins began to appear, though some may have been built in the 1930s. In 1957, a 40-year lease was signed, and a building boom occurred. Along with summer cabins, much of the club infrastructure was built in the late 1950s and 1960s. By the late 1980s, the end of a 40-year lease was in the near future, and several attempts were made to organize a purchase by members. In 1990, Rock Properties Inc. was formed as a non-profit organization, and money was raised by members for the purchase of . Another land purchase was made in 1995, bringing the total present club to . Rock Lodge Club is a member of the

American Association for Nude Recreation The American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR) is a naturist organization based in the United States. The AANR is the largest, longest-established organization of its kind in North America. It was founded in 1931 and went under its previou ...

References

External links

*
''The Hidden Gem of Rock Lodge.'' A review by The History Girl Blog (accessed 09/15/2017)Young Naturists review of a visit to Rock Lodge Club
* {{coord, 41.07287, -74.53361, type:landmark_source:enwiki-googlemaplink, display=title, format=dms Buildings and structures in Sussex County, New Jersey Hardyston Township, New Jersey Naturism in the United States Naturist resorts