The Walker Farm was the largest of all the properties the Kettlers bought. It was 412 acres and now is Walkers Choice, Cider Mill, Horizon Run, Christopher Court, Dockside, Nathan’s Hill, Millrace, the library, the day care center, the Off-price Centers, Bayberry, the Verandahs, Grover’s Forge, Lake Whetstone, South Valley Park and part of Lakeforest Mall. On Feb. 28, 1966, the Kettler brothers broke ground for the first house in Montgomery Village. They began moving fully grown trees into Montgomery Village so that it would look like the trees were here the entire time. Remember that the land was mostly farm land, which means there probably weren’t very many trees. Instead of buying little trees, they had ten thousand full grown pin-oak trees planted in Whetstone along Montgomery Village Avenue in Stedwick. October 17, 1966 , the Montgomery Village Foundation, Inc. Articles of Incorporation were officially filed and recorded with a mission statement setting forth its purpose to promote the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the community of Montgomery Village . In 1970, the Foundation received its 501(c)(4) nonprofit designation from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The Articles of Incorporation set forth the activities in which the Foundation can be involved on behalf of all residents, essentially mirroring what is provided by a city government township. Additional powers are granted to the Foundation through Declarations of Covenants that are included as part of the deed to all residential property within Montgomery Village and associated with either one of the 10 homes corporations, 10 condominium associations or 4 apartment rental complexes. This additional authority includes collection of assessments to meet the costs of preserving and maintaining the 320 acres of land and facilities owned by the Foundation as well as a wide range of services offered through seven fully functioning departments. Lake Whetstone was created by a dam, and the island in the middle was created by digging the bottom of the lake deeper when there was no water in it. Clarence was so particular about the lake that he wanted to make sure the water wasn’t deep along the shores in case a child slipped in. He even had it drained two times to make sure it was just right. Each time it was drained, the bulldozers and other equipment were called back in. Lake Whetstone is about 19 feet deep at its deepest point. Lake Whetstone opened for boating and fishing in September 1967. Clarence Kettler knew Lake Whetstone was going to be so beautiful. He wanted to make sure that people driving along Montgomery Avenue could see the lake. Because of this, the lanes that go from Montgomery Village toward Route 355 are higher than those going into Montgomery Village. Pictured left is Montgomery Village Avenue in the 1960s. The first model homes were opened in Lakeside in August 1967. In September, more opened in the Clusters of Stedwick. The golf course also opened in September of that year, but no residents lived in the Village yet. The first residents of Montgomery Village moved in on September 25, 1967 in Goshenside. They were the Bartik family. Also on the same day, the Crosby family moved into a home on Whetstone Drive. That’s nearly 40 years ago. The water and sewer system was not quite ready, so the Crosby family had a water tank truck in their back yard for a week until the water was okay to drink.

In 1968, the Whetstone Community Center opened as well as the Whetstone Elementary and Montgomery Village Junior High schools. The Watkins Mill High School didn’t come until much later, opening in September, 1989. In 1970, The Village Mall opened, which is now the Village Shopping Center on Montgomery Village Avenue. At one time, it was completely closed up like a regular shopping mall. Then in 1971, the Holiday Inn opened. In 1973, bus service to Washington, DC, began, which Kettler Brothers arranged. The station where you boarded the bus served coffee and donuts in the mornings. The building that was once the station was moved and became the North Creek Nature Center, which is located at North Creek Lake.

Today, Montgomery Village has more than 40,000 residents and will celebrate its 40th Anniversary in 2006. The Montgomery Village Foundation, Inc. has nurtured and sustained the growth of the village as well as expanded its ownership of public land for the benefit of all residents which is expected to total more than 330 acres by the end of 2006.

The Foundation functions through seven full service departments with slight variation year to year of employment levels but generally 70 full-time and more than 200 temporary, part-time.

The Foundation owns and operates 7 pools, 22 tennis courts, 4 community centers, 18 recreation and park areas, a natural amphitheater and nature center. Year round, the Recreation and Parks department offers a variety of programs for all ages and during the summer sponsors a community wide 4th of July parade and celebration and concerts at the amphitheater.

A bi-weekly source of information about the Village today and all the activities is the Montgomery Village News newsletter published by the Communications Department and widely distributed both in and around Montgomery Village .

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