Neighborhoods: Indian Lake Estates
This is the second in a continuing series exploring neighborhoods all across the area, from the important historical clusters where local family groups originally settled to the newer named subdivisions of more recent development.
From its perch ½ mile above sea level, the neighborhood of Indian Lake Estates looks out on some of the greenest and most serene views to be found in Historic Toxaway.
“That might be our biggest draw: The peace and quiet,” according to Hedgie Bartol, current president of the property owners association.
“Even though we’re a bit off the main highway, we aren’t completely removed from civilization, although it can feel that way. And since no motorized watercraft are allowed on our lakes, it’s perfect for slow recreation like swimming and canoe or kayak rides.”
So how did Indian Lake Estates come to be? It’s an interesting story.
As a part of his investment in the redevelopment of Lake Toxaway in the early 1960s, Reg Heinitsh Sr. of the Lake Toxaway Company purchased a large swath of land NE of the lake, including the property that today encompasses Indian Lake Estates.
It’s likely that members of the Owen family were the original settlers of much of that land, as a nearby peak, Little Panthertail Mountain, was originally family-owned.
Heinitsh in turn sold the ILE parcel a decade later, and the neighborhood began as a development dream for its purchaser, Ed Castle.
In an interview previously published in a 2011 issue of the neighborhood newsletter, Castle explained: “I bought approximately 200 acres from Reg Heinitsh, who owned Lake Toxaway Estates, with the idea of putting in a honeymoon retreat. But it was going to cost a minimum of a million dollars to get it going, and I couldn’t find financing for it at that time.”
“So that’s when I started to develop it as Indian Lake Estates, in 1973. I built the first nine homes on spec. We put roads in, [though] I had no intention of ever paving the roads because even Slick Fisher Road was not paved at that time.”
Of course that changed, as did much else. In addition to eventually paving all the roads with tar and gravel, Ed had to address several complex and expensive water-related issues.
“The first was when the water system froze because the lines were not buried as deep as required – 3 feet. In some places, they were put in about 18 inches. We had to redo the entire water system. It cost a lot to put in and maintain.”
In the initial development, engineers had prepared plans for the large dam on the 12-acre Indian Lake, while the Federal Conservation Department was enlisted to engineer the smaller dam on Rainbow Lake.
According to Castle, both projects were approved by the state. No matter, since, “[When] the spillway broke – I think it was ’77, after 16 inches of rain fell in 16 hours—it turned out to be a very poor engineering job, never should have been approved… I went to my attorney for advice, he said the statute of limitations had run out and advised that I drop the whole development. I said I just can’t do that…[Instead] we rebuilt the spillway five times bigger than before, on solid rock.”
One other project planned but not brought to fruition was a Clubhouse, originally built as two buildings connected by a breezeway in 1973. That property was sold some ten years later and converted into a residence.
But with a community this tight-knit—some 60 homes nestled among 140+ lots along a gently meandering road—there’s a spirit of camaraderie here that mostly precludes the need for a clubhouse.
Instead, Waterfront Park on Indian Lake is a perennial favorite for resident gatherings, with potluck dinners hosted weekly and on holidays in the summer.
