“The ABCs of Newtown” is a series tying each letter of the alphabet to something in Newtown. This week we continue with a look at the town-owned property on Old Bridge Road.

Eichler’s Cove is a town-owned property in eastern Newtown that offers a recreation area with freshwater swimming and access for boaters to Lake Zoar.

Prior to the property’s purchase, the town’s one boat launch provided access only to Lake Lillinonah, above Shepaug Dam. The purchase of the property also returned Newtown’s public swimming locations to two, after about five years with just the pool at Treadwell Park offering some hot weather relief.

The park is located at 11 Old Bridge Road, itself a hard right turn immediately off Great Quarter Road after turning onto Great Quarter from Berkshire Road/State Route 34.

Its approximately 1,000 feet of frontage on Lake Zoar beach faces a nearly uninterrupted tree line in Oxford. When Eichler’s Cove was opened to the public 15-plus years ago, there were no homes across the water from the beach area. Now there are two.

The easternmost end of Halfway River runs into the eastern side of the cove, near the boat slips on the property.

The Eichler Cove swimming season generally runs from late May to mid September. Operating hours are generally 8 am to sundown, although those are reduced during the first few weeks and toward the end of each season.

The boat launch is open early May through mid-October.

The town purchased the privately-owned 11-acre parcel — which included a house, beach, marina, and five cottages — from the Marchetti family in 2005 for $1.425 million. The town added another acre in 2006 from an adjoining property at a cost of $250,000.

Carol Marchetti continued to live on and manage the property until the close of the 2010 boating season.

Management and maintenance were fully taken over by the town the following year.

The location offered a much-needed swimming area following the closure of Dickinson Park’s pond/pool in 2006. With the closure of Dickinson as a swimming location, the town was left with only the Treadwell Park pool mentioned earlier.

The Old Bridge Road property served as a marina for decades. The parcel had been in the Marchetti family since 1963.

At least one mention of the marina, then called Johnny Saad’s Eichler’s Cove Marina, appeared in the August 25, 1967, issue of The Newtown Bee. Residents had accessed Lake Zoar from that location to help spread 8½ tons of copper sulphate over the lake’s green waters earlier that month.

Its beach was originally “the size of a postage stamp,” former Parks & Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian told The Newtown Bee in 2006. Crews needed to renovate and expand that part of the property, including new two retaining walls bordering the water and aluminum boat slips replacing wooden slips. New picnic tables were also installed.

After the house where the Marchettis lived was vacated, local first responders used it for training purposes. It was then demolished.

The beach area now includes a lifeguard chair, a lifeguard shed, a roped-off swimming area, and approximately 325 feet of beach.

A collection of picnic tables and a small lawn area are southeast of the beach. An additional picnic table and one steel bench occupy a shaded area to the west of that. The bench is dedicated to Jesse Lewis, one of the children killed on 12/14. It is one of many similar banches gifted to residents by Columbus, Ohio resident Mark Sigrist after he and countless others raised $29,000 to purchase and install around town similar seating spots following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

In its first years of town operation, access to Eichler’s required its own pass. Residents now purchase one membership that provides access to Eichler’s Cove and Treadwell Park for swimming. Boaters may also purchase one pass that provides access to the launches at Eichler’s Cove and Lake Lillinonah.

Like the pool at Treadwell Park, Eichler’s Cove has an audible lightning protection system that signals if lightning is within ten miles.

A 960-square-foot storage shed was installed near the parking lot in 2010.

A level, paved parking area and roadway to enter and exit the facility were installed in 2017. The site work, which included LRM Inc grading soil, clearing land, cutting a drainage line, and installing retaining walls, was part of a Parks & Recreation capitol improvement plan project with a $350,000 budget. Prior to that, access was over a narrow roadway with one way in and one way out of the parking area.

Dry storage racks that can accommodate 36 canoes and kayaks have also been installed at the property.

An aluminum Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant walkway/ramp and railing were installed in 2019 to provide better access to boat slips.

As with all town parks, liquor is not allowed at the facility. Tobacco and glass containers are also prohibited.

There is no overnight parking, camping, or campfires. Pets are not allowed (service animals only).

Heavy rains challenge the town, which is forced to close the cove any time water tests return high bacteria counts.

For a few years, Newtown Senior Center held summer luncheon events for its members at Eichler’s Cove.

The facility’s beach and picnic areas are available for rental by residents and non-residents alike through Newtown Parks & Recreation.

Newtown Underwater Search And Rescue uses the easy access to the water for training several times each year. Earlier this year, members of Newtown Police Department ran into the frigid lake waters as part of their annual Special Olympics Connecticut fundraising efforts.

Leaps Of Faith Ski Club (LOF) used the beach and access to Lake Zoar to host multiple water sport events for children, adults, and veterans with disabilities and special needs. LOF additionally offered at least one free day of water sports for Newtown children at the beach.

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Associate Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.