DCL Lakefront Real Estate History Explored
Interested in lakefront property for $500?
No problem – you just need to time travel back to 1925.
Local Realtor Karen Myers explored the history of Deep Creek Lake waterfront lots – including average cost through the years – last Thursday night in a lecture at the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College in front of a packed conference center audience. Myers served as the fourth and final presenter in a month-long lecture series celebrating Deep Creek Lake’s 100th anniversary.
While Myers said you could indeed buy lakefront property for $500 in 1925-35, she also sought to put that in context.
“In 1925, $5,425 was the average income for people with a high enough income to submit a tax return,” said Myers, noting “$5,425 in 1925 had the same buying power as $99,000 in 2024.”
One reason the initial cost of lakefront property was so affordable was the lake’s somewhat murky reputation. Myers said many people simply weren’t impressed with the man-made body of water: “ ‘It’s an artificial lake . . . it’ll never amount to anything,’ ” was a fairly common point of view, according to Myers.
Lakefront prices actually declined over Deep Creek Lake’s first few years in existence. That phenomenon had a clear cause – the Great Depression that started in 1929. Myers highlighted a five-lot parcel that sold for $500 in the 1930s – three of which she and her brother purchased in 2003 for $675,000.
While lots remained relatively affordable for decades – they could still be had for $20,000 to $35,000 in the mid-1970s – Myers said wily developers could still make money with the right deal.
“Eastern Land Corporation sold 1600 acres of land in two tracts for $38,000 in 1938. The buyers re-sold the 400 acres in the second tract that same day for $50,000 – but ‘with no title or interest in the artificial lake or pond,’ ” said Myers, noting both transactions had payment terms over a number of years.
Myers noted that the early lakefront owners lacked a lot of things that 21st-century people would consider basic necessities.
“In the ’30s, the Deep Creek Lake Association reported there were 139 private cottages and 80 cottages for rent. There were also 81 sanitary privies – outhouses – and 52 unsanitary privies,” said Myers, who then asked the question everyone was thinking. “What in the world is an unsanitary privy?”
Some of the biggest changes around the lake have taken place during its second 50 years. Those changes have included the implementation of zoning ordinances and more stringent regulations for onsite septic systems.
“Homesites had to be pre-perked before they could be sold,” Myers said of one significant change.
In the 1980s, under Sanitary Commission Administrator Wendell Beitzel, a sanitary system was created that dealt with a potentially serious problem. Myers said it would have been “a huge black mark if we had septic-contaminated water,” which had become a distinct possibility. The first phases of the Deep Creek Lake sewer system were completed in 1984-86.
Meanwhile, the 26-year project to create Interstate Route 68 transformed Deep Creek Lake into a highly attractive tourist destination.
“In 1990, on the old Route 40, it was normal to take 5½ to six hours to get to Baltimore or Washington. Once 68 opened, that time was cut to about three hours,” said Myers, noting that positioned Deep Creek Lake as a prime vacation option.
“Studies have shown that most people want their vacation destination to be between two and four hours from their home,” Myers said. “After Route 68 opened, we had five of the wealthiest counties in the country less than four hours away.”
Myers summarized the history of lakefront lots in the Deep Creek area, showing the highest lot sale price rising to $1.75 million in 2024 – an increase of nearly 3500 percent in a century.
Talk about a great return on investment!
Notes: Chris Nichols, chair of the Deep Creek Lake 100 Committee, summarized the list of upcoming DCL 100 events. Those events include a day of free admission to Deep Creek Lake State Park and a boat parade on the lake (both June 21); a sailboat regatta (July 5); the DCL 100 Bash festival at the Garrett County Fairgrounds (July 19); and the Deep Creek Lake Centennial Gala at the Wisp Resort with a “Roaring ’20s” theme (August 23). For more information on DCL 100 events, go to https://dcl100.com/events.
Posted on 04/04/2025 in Uncategorized # deep creek, garrett county, maryland, news, western maryland
