33 SUNSET LAKE RD (Robbins Nest - Formerly Dart In)

Essay by Sylvia Robbins, Summer 2008:

Dwight and Pauline Dart bought 75 feet of the lake front in 1926 from Mrs. Herlihy next door for $300.00!!!  The Dart family lived at 57 Grove Street, Peterborough, and had three children: Bob, Marilyn, and Dick.  Sylvia was born two years later.

For years the family drove the eight miles to use the property.  Food was made at home and put out on a table by the tree out front by the lake.

In the early 1930s a platform was built and a tent was used to dress in.

Ernest White had the cottage next door, built in the early 1920s.  He owned the first garage in Peterborough on the corner of River Street and Elm Street.

The Rice Caldwells owned the Brownie next to the Whites, and Sylvia spent lots of time at Sunset Lake with Betty Caldwell and her mom, who ran the candy shop at the public beach each day, taking a boat to get there! 

Sometime around 1936 Dwight bought a prefab camp from MARIARDEN Summer Theater Camp for girls off Summer Street in Peterborough and brought it to the lake.  It was put on the platform and was only one room big enough for two beds, a refrigerator, and a stove and sink.  An outhouse was across the street.  A porch was built, too.

All four children were brought up here with other children on the lake and Nashua Fresh Air Camp across from us.

In 1957 Sylvia and husband Roy Robbins bought the camp and Roy and Marilyn’s husband, String Stromgren, did a lot of work on the building.  They enclosed the porch, added a sun deck, two bedrooms with a toilet inside, and a kitchen.  

The Robbins had two sons at that time, Steve (4 years) and Christopher (2 years) and lived on Concord Street in Peterborough.  Roy worked at Derby’s store and was part owner of Derby’s of Keene and Derby’s of Newport, New Hampshire.

The boys grew up on the lake in the summer with all their friends in camps up and down the lake.  The lake was busy all the time with children swimming, rowing, water skiing, and having fun always.  (Our boys, when teenagers, spent a lot of time across the lake with girl counselors!!!)

For years every Friday night in the summer, “Dart In” - “Robbins Nest” was open to Sunset Lake people who came to the camps for the weekend.  Roy served drinks and Sylvia served help-yourself Lake desserts on the counter.  Lots of friends, lots of talk, and again, great memories!!!

In 2002 the land was bought across the road from Hilda and Charles Parrott.  

In 2005 Stephen and Christopher took the camp over, but Sylvia stays there all summer with her dog AURORA.  Roy Robbins died in 2006.

After eighty years this lake and memories of friends and fun are real special to Sylvia.

Two sons and wives.

Three grandchildren.

Two great grandchildren.

Essay by Dick Dart, Summer 2008

Some of my recollections about DART IN

My first memory is of the huge outcropping of ledge that now sits under the cottage.  I loved to crawl around on it.  I would guess that sometime in the early ‘30s Dad put in a deck and we had a large tent to at least change clothes in.  Sometime later he added a wharf.  He also built a large table down near the wharf and we used to go over some evenings and a lot of Sundays to swim and eat.  I remember washing the dishes in the lake!!  At first we went up to the public beach to swim, but later the muck was cleared away and we had a good sandy bottom swimming area.  I also remember the large rocks that were a short distance out in the lake that we could stand up on.  I recently found a report that I had written in the sixth grade (1937) about the class having a swimming outing and supper there.  As Sylvia has said, the “shack” that Dad got from Mariarden was the turning point in our use of the area.  We were able to actually stay overnight sometimes.  She has mentioned the additional building done by Roy Robbins and String Stromgren and I want to add my wartime buddy, Bob Eaton, as helping.  I think it was at this time that a float was also added.  This certainly was one of the best investments that Dad ever made and I am ever so glad that Sylvia was able to buy it and keep it in the family.