A Mountain Community with Deep Roots
Today, Lake Naomi is known for its clear water, wooded roads, private beaches, sailing, tennis, golf, and four-season recreation. But long before the neighborhood became one of the Poconos’ best-known residential communities, this was a quiet, forested valley shaped by streams, lumbering, farming, and the vision of one local family.
Lake Naomi lies in the Pocono Pines area of Tobyhanna Township, near Pocono Lake and the broader Pocono Lake region. Its history is closely tied to the Miller family, whose efforts helped transform a remote mountain landscape into a summer destination and, eventually, a year-round residential community.
In the mid-1800s, the area was associated with Tompkinsville, a small settlement connected to sawmills and the timber industry. Upper Tunkhannock Creek flowed through the valley, providing both natural beauty and practical value. As the forests of the Pocono Plateau were cleared for lumber, local residents increasingly recognized the area’s potential as a retreat from the cities.
How Lake Naomi Got Its Name
The name “Naomi” reaches back to Thomas Thompson Miller, an Easton-area businessman who acquired land in the Pocono region during the late nineteenth century. Miller was drawn to the quiet pine forests and sought to preserve their peaceful character for his family.
The name is generally associated with the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, a story connected with loyalty, comfort, and renewal. That meaning suited the landscape Miller hoped to protect: a place of fresh air, still water, tall pines, and refuge from the bustle of urban life.
The name also became part of the Miller family itself. Franklin Comfort Miller, Thomas Miller’s son, had a daughter named Irene Emma Naomi Miller in 1891. In this way, “Naomi” carried both a spiritual meaning and a personal family connection.
Before the lake and neighborhood took their modern form, the surrounding area was often called Naomi Pines. The name appeared in local resorts, businesses, and promotional materials, helping establish the identity that would eventually become Lake Naomi and Pocono Pines. ([mrlocalhistory.org](https://mrlocalhistory.org/lake-naomi-logan-steele-era-1963/?utm_source=openai))
The Creation of Lake Naomi
A major turning point came in 1895, when Frank Miller and his brother, Reverend Rufus W. Miller, helped organize the Pocono Spring Water Ice Company. The company constructed a dam across Upper Tunkhannock Creek, creating the lake now known as Lake Naomi.
The original dam was approximately 14 feet high. At the time, the lake served practical purposes, including ice harvesting, but it quickly became more important as a recreational destination. The company’s charter included boating, fishing, skating, and other uses of the water, making Lake Naomi one of the region’s early planned recreation centers.
The new lake was a natural attraction. Visitors came from New York, Philadelphia, and other cities to enjoy the mountain air and the cool water. By the early 1900s, bathing beaches had been established, lots were being subdivided for seasonal cottages, and sailing and summer camps were appearing along the shoreline.
Lakeview Avenue became one of the community’s recognizable routes, connecting residents and visitors with the water. State Avenue and the roads leading toward Pocono Pines also helped tie the developing resort area together. Today, routes such as Pennsylvania 423 and Warnertown Road provide familiar approaches around the lake and through the surrounding community.
Resorts, Summer Schools, and Early Landmarks
The earliest decades of Lake Naomi’s history were marked by hotels, assemblies, camps, and religious retreats. Franklin Miller operated the Naomi Pines House, an important early resort that welcomed summer visitors. The building became one of the area’s best-known landmarks before it was destroyed by fire in January 1948.
Reverend Rufus Miller was also instrumental in developing the Naomi Pines Assembly and Summer Schools. Inspired by the Chautauqua movement, the assembly offered lectures, cultural programs, religious discussions, music, and educational activities. The Pocono Pines Inn, Blakeslee Hall, and an auditorium overlooking the lake were among the facilities associated with this period.
On the southern side of the lake, Lutherland served as a Lutheran retreat. Elsewhere along the shore, visitors enjoyed swimming, fishing, sailing, skating, and simple picnics beneath the pines. These early uses established a tradition that remains central to Lake Naomi today: the lake is not merely scenery, but the heart of community life.
The old boathouse and beach area also occupy an important place in local memory. A clubhouse structure dating to approximately 1921 stood near the site of today’s Lake Naomi Clubhouse. That location has remained a gathering place for generations of members and guests. ([mrlocalhistory.org](https://mrlocalhistory.org/pocono-lake-vs-lake-naomi/?utm_source=openai))
A Landmark Water-Rights History
As more parcels around Lake Naomi were sold, questions naturally arose about who controlled the lake and its water. Those questions eventually led to a notable Pennsylvania Supreme Court case in 1938 involving water rights.
The dispute reflected a larger transition taking place around the lake. What had once been managed by a small number of landowners was becoming a more complicated community with cottages, private interests, resorts, and recreational users. The case remains part of Lake Naomi’s legal and civic heritage because it helped define the rights connected with the lake and surrounding properties.
For longtime residents, this chapter is a reminder that Lake Naomi’s history is not only about scenic views and summer memories. It also includes the practical work of governing shared resources and balancing private ownership with community traditions.
The Birth of the Modern Lake Naomi Club
The next major transformation came in 1963, when the Logan Steele family acquired approximately 2,600 acres surrounding the lake. The purchase created the foundation for the modern Lake Naomi Club.
Steele’s vision was broader than a seasonal collection of cottages. He imagined a planned recreational community with homes, beaches, roads, sports facilities, and amenities that could serve families throughout the year. Over time, the community expanded beyond the original lakefront cottages into neighborhoods connected by wooded streets and winding lanes.
The club’s growth brought new facilities and organized activities. Tennis became a major part of the community’s identity, while sailing, swimming, golf, boating, ice skating, and winter recreation helped make Lake Naomi a four-season destination. The clubhouse evolved into a central social and recreational institution, offering dining, events, and views across the water.
The Lake Naomi Tennis Club, beaches, marinas, golf facilities, and recreation areas reflect the community’s evolution from a rustic summer retreat into a substantial private residential resort. Yet the essential character of the place remained familiar: families gathering by the lake, children learning to sail, neighbors meeting on the courts, and residents following the shoreline roads home at sunset. ([mrlocalhistory.org](https://mrlocalhistory.org/lake-naomi-logan-steele-era-1963/?utm_source=openai))
Lake Naomi Today
Modern Lake Naomi includes approximately 1,400 families and centers on the 277-acre lake. The community has grown considerably since the days of the Naomi Pines House and the first bathing beach, but many of its most meaningful traditions remain tied to the original landscape.
- The lake continues to support sailing, swimming, fishing, skating, and non-motorized boating.
- The clubhouse remains a focal point for dining, celebrations, and community gatherings.
- Tree-lined roads and streets around Lakeview Avenue and the surrounding neighborhoods preserve the feeling of a mountain retreat.
- Nearby Pocono Pines institutions, local businesses, historic sites, and Tobyhanna Township landmarks connect Lake Naomi to the wider heritage of the Pocono Plateau.
What makes Lake Naomi special is the way its history remains visible in everyday life. The shoreline still shapes the community. The old resort traditions survive in modern recreation. The names of the roads, lakes, buildings, and neighborhoods echo the people who came before.
For longtime residents, Lake Naomi is more than a private community or vacation destination. It is a living continuation of a story that began with pine forests, a family’s love of the mountains, and a dam built across a mountain stream. Each generation has added something new, but the spirit of Naomi Pines—the promise of peace, renewal, and shared enjoyment—still defines Lake Naomi today.