This jog in the bay’s shoreline became known as Harrison Point when Hannah and Henry Harrison purchase the Octagon House farm from the estate of Samuel Wells in 1878.
In 1893, when Ontario Park, on the east side of the bay, was sold, twin brothers Fred and Bert Rich were told that their cottage there would have to be moved. This prompted them to invite their friends and relatives to invest in a joint venture with them on the west shore.
Made up of mostly lawyers and judges, they incorporated an association with their stated purpose being “the mutual benefit and social intercourse of its members.” They named their group “The Imperial Club” and asked the Harrisons if they might purchase five acres of their 99 acre farm. Each member would have an equal share in the entire property and each would build their own summer cottage. This acreage was referred to as the The Imperial Club Grounds or just The Imperial Grounds.
Fred and Bert Rich had horses pull their cottage from Ontario Park across the frozen bay to its new site on The Imperial Grounds. This is the green cottage on the end in the above photo. This later belonged to Eleanore and Sam Colvin who eventually replaced it with a new structure.
This survey map shows the five acre layout for the Imperial Club Grounds. Nellis Avenue was a foot path connecting the lots on the property with the well and water tower at the south end.
The “Government Right of way” on the left was needed to reach the lightkeeper’s house on the bluff to the north. This became West Bay Road.
The Colvin Cottage
George W. Nellis, Cayuga County District Attorney, and Edgar Crowninsheild (brother-in-law of Adelbert P. Rich) were original members of the Imperial Club. Eventually, they sold their cottages to George H. Leonard and Oscar Tryon. On September 2, 1902, the cottages burned and they replaced them with new structures.
The three open bays on the first floor of this building served as a boathouse when it originally sat at the water’s edge on The Imperial Grounds. The second floor served as their dining hall and clubhouse. Easily reachable by boat from all points around the bay, it was well known for the parties held there. In the evening, paper lanterns were lit along the dock and music could be heard over the water, signaling that the usual suspects were invited.
On March 13, 1907, the Imperial Club offered their clubhouse building for sale at auction. Will Grant wanted to make sure he would continue to carry fare paying passengers aboard his steamer, the Dewey, to and from evening events. He was the highest bidder and promptly moved the building to the West Barrier Bar and named it the Lake Breeze as seen on the postcard above. He hired a band and offered free entertainment. What wasn’t free was passage aboard his steamer, The Dewey, to and from the West Bar.