50th Anniversary Celebration
The 2019 Annual Meeting took place on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at the Skotzko Cabin located at 119 Park View Road in Skyline Lakes. This year was special, marking the 50th anniversary of Skyline Lakes. We celebrated with cake and memorabilia, including the original advertising flyer and a storyboard featuring nostalgic photos dating back to 1970.
Orv Lee, with assistance from Bill Haycraft, delivered an engaging and insightful history of the Association’s first 50 years. Orv was a dynamic speaker. Despite presenting for over an hour, he maintained energy and kept the audience engaged. Bill provided additional details about the people and events Orv highlighted. About 30 attendees learned something new about the rich history of our community.
The event concluded with a social gathering that included delicious fried chicken from the local gas station, a variety of side dishes, and a large anniversary cake. The weather was perfect, and people enjoyed themselves and left the event in good spirits.
Left to right: Delmer Breeden, Clifford Opper, Mary K. Skotzko, Opper campsite, original flyer, 1969.
Former President, Gene Skotzko, addressing the community at the Annual Meeting.
A Summary of Skyline Lakes’ First 50 Years
As told by Orv Lee and Bill Haycraft at the 2019 Annual Meeting and Anniversary Celebration
Orv Lee (left) and Bill Haycraft (right) recited Skyline Lakes community history.
Orv Lee shared that 1969—the year the Association was founded—was a remarkable one. It was the year of Hurricane Camille, Woodstock, and the moon landing.
He went on to describe the history of the land where the development began, based on a long conversation he had with Lennis Adkins. The Long family, who came from Germany in the 1700s, originally owned three tracts of land in what’s now part of the Naked Creek watershed. Each spring, they brought their cattle up to the property, often turning the occasion into a picnic with family and friends. In the fall, they would drive the cattle and their calves back down to the valley railways.
In later years, the family tried raising dairy cattle, but it wasn’t successful. They eventually put the land up for sale through an ad in The Washington Post. Martin Price purchased the property in 1968 and promoted it as a great place to camp. Many Pentagon officers bought land here, believing it would be a safe refuge during the tense years following the Cuban Missile Crisis. Mary Russell, Treasurer in 2019, created a poster of that original advertisement and brought it to the annual meeting anniversary celebration for everyone to see.
Bill Haycraft shared that the first meeting of the Skyline Lakes Board took place in 1971. Over time, the Association had to take legal action against Price for several unfulfilled promises made in his advertisements. Bill also mentioned that the old log cabin by Twin Creeks is over 100 years old and was the birthplace of all of Delmer Breeden’s siblings—Delmer being one of the community’s early and well-known property owners. Some members added their own stories about Delmer.
Dr. Glick played a key role in getting Tanners Ridge Road paved by the county, and Bill described the many versions of the community gate that have existed over the years. He also read a detailed list of all the past presidents of the Association.
Orv concluded by explaining how the Association’s governance was restructured in 1994, when Virginia passed the Property Owners’ Association Act. This law brought associations across the state into compliance, officially making property owners members and establishing lot assessments. Skyline Lakes still operates under the bylaws created during that transition.