Gordon and Pauline “Peg” Bennett purchased what was then known as “Hollywood Beach”, a 25 acre parcel of land on the shores of Half Moon Lake, in Alton, New Hampshire, in December of 1936.   They were so pleased with their purchase, they hung the deed on their Christmas tree, as a present to themselves and their daughters, Martha and Barbara.

Hollywood Beach was formerly owned by Bill Grady, Casting Director (then) of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.  He was the person who chose the name “Hollywood Beach”.  Bill Grady was not the only connection the Bennetts had to Hollywood, CA.  Gordon grew up with Bea Champion, Gower Champion’s mother.  Bea and Gordon were life long friends.  One time Bea visited Hollywood Beach with her son, Gower, and Jean Tyler.  Bea and Gordon had a grand time reliving shared memories while Gower and Jean enjoyed the beach and lake. 

Bill Grady returned for a visit, bring along a close friend, Spencer Tracy.  Gordon reported they returned again, a few years later “when Mr. Tracy presented the Catholic church in Alton with a new alter in appreciation of the friendliness and consideration of the people of the community.”

When Gordon and Peg took over the property, it was functioning as a “public” beach, managed by a local man.  The entrance fee was ten cents a person, with children under four admitted free!  Coming out of the Great Depression, Gordon and Peg, living in Massachusetts, thought this thriving little enterprise would be a great way to give themselves financial security.  Little did they know the adventures that lay ahead of them, and their “New Hampshire Gold Mine” would bring more dividends to their family then just cash.

When Gordon and Peg first purchased the property, there were no cottages on the property, just an ice house, a “store” and some other outbuildings (you can imagine what those were for…).  After much discussion, the Bennetts decided the most economical thing to do, was convert the existing ice house into living quarters and build a new ice house.  Work was expected to be completed on their renovated cabin by spring of 1937. 

When the Bennetts arrived on Memorial Weekend in the spring of 1937, their cabin was not quite as ready  for occupancy as they expected.  In fact, there were no windows, doors, electricity or running water!  Gordon wrote in his memoir, “We ate our supper by the light of a couple of kerosene lanterns hung from the rafters at a table made of sawhorses and a couple of boards.  Nail kegs served as seats, but despite the makeshift furniture, it was a grand celebration of our first night in our own cabin.  Exhausted from the long day, were were glad to crawl between blankets spread on mattresses on the floor and soon all were fast asleep.”

Despite this inauspicious beginning, learning the ropes of being “business owners”, surviving the Hurricanes of 1938 and 1954, and other events that threatened the future of Hollywood Beach, the Bennetts developed a life-long love affair with the land they had purchased to help give them financial security.

Over the first twenty years, Gordon and Peg transitioned their business from a public beach to a summer resort.  To relieve their own crowded cottage, often filled with visiting friends and family, the Bennetts built a guest cottage.  Soon friends were requesting to rent a week in the guest cottage.  As demand grew, more guest cottages were added (Built with the harvested lumber from the property, and milled nearby.) In the end, twelve cottages and guest quarters in the backside of the workshop, dubbed the “Adam’s Annex” had been created.

Martha and Barbara (Babs) were full participants in the running of Hollywood Beach.  They willingly assisted their parents where needed, from collecting entrance fees from patrons of the public beach to helping create the first driveable path to the waterfront area of the property.  The hurricane of 1938 provided them with plenty of material to construct a “corduroy road” from logs layed side to side, over a base of branches and leaves, and then covered with gravel.   Those corduroy roads have served well, and still form the base of some of the existing roads around the cottage colony.

As Gordon and Peg aged, Martha and Babs took over the running of the summer resort and cottage rentals.   In the 1960′s, Martha and her husband, Richard Headley purchased the property from the Bennetts.  In addition, purchasing many acres across Hollywood Beach Road.  It was at this time the name of the property was changed from Hollywood Beach to Fernhill.

To be continued…( a work in progress)