Villas of Oyster Pond
HISTORY
In December of 1965 Earl Clayton (Bud) Bodine, with the participation of his wife Midge, began to develop their vision of a community for sailors. It was intended to be a residential vacation villa and yacht club community. In fact the Oyster Pond Hotel was built to be the club house for the Yacht Club. Midge was an owner, designer and manager of the club. The hotel became and important gathering place for celebrities and developers during the 60's and 70's.
One of the earliest residents and fierce defender of this vision was the late Gordon Bent, owner the now lost Boktop. He had the true courage or perhaps audacity to build in 1971 not only the first villa but on perhaps the most precarious site. He did all of this before there were even dirt roads in our community.
Sadly Bud Bodine passed away May 30, 1982, before his vision was completely realized. He was survived by his first wife Midge and five children. Bud had married a second timer, after 1976 to Marilyn.
Until her death June 26, 2005 Midge was the managing director of the Oyster Pond Development Corporation, the original subdivider. After her passing their sons, Paul and Christopher, with the assistance of their step-mother Marilyn, took the reins of that corporation.
On March 27, 1982, the authority for the community passed to the Dawn Beach Club Association members as per the reservations. Over 80% of the lots had been sold.
The first meeting of the Dawn Beach Steering committee was November 23, 1973, headed by Gordie Bent. The objective was to expedite the matter of legal organization. The goal was to foster a good faith relationship between the owners and the corporation. Their intent was to establish and manage roads, power lines, beaches, services and lot sales. "All of us through the purchase agreements and deeds have agreed to various restrictive covenants and obligations. The corporation also has legal commitments and obligations, both to the lot owners and the association. It is to the interest of the corporation and the lot owners to have all the commitments kept in good faith and it is important that misunderstandings do not occur. The Steering Committee will do its best to foster this good faith and to encourage the co-operation needed for the success of the subdivision venture." This intent and premise is reflected in each individual deed of our members. Our Restrictive Convenants, which is an addendum to all of our deeds, further details the vision of Earl and Midge Bodine.
members had been meeting together to
Tennis courts were built behind Dawn Beach. In fact Bud Bodine named the beach himself, after his daughter Dawn.
