Lake Toxaway’s Rebirth

David and Bertha Cosby began buying acreage around Lake Toxaway in 1955, with the intention of starting a Christian choral camp using the old Inman home as its clubhouse, but the plans never materialized. In 1960, they sold the property to Lake Toxaway Estates, Inc.

R.D. Heinitsh Sr. from Columbia, SC, and a group of investors had formed Lake Toxaway Estates, Inc. (later renamed the Lake Toxaway Company) with the idea of restoring the area to its turn-of-the-century appeal. They bought 9,000 acres of property around the old lakebed at an average price of $50 per acre.

The Lake Toxaway Company cleared the area where the lake had once existed, rebuilt the dam, and restored the lake to its original level. Lake Toxaway was designed solely as a recreational lake and is not used as a reservoir or to generate hydroelectric power. Therefore, it maintains a constant water level of 3,010 feet above sea level.

Also in 1960, the Lake Toxaway Company began selling parcels of land around the lake as private home sites complete with exclusive private access to the lake. Over the next 43 years, the Company would build miles of paved private roads within Lake Toxaway Estates, providing access from NC Hwy. 64 and U.S. Hwy. 281.

Reg Heinitsh Jr. had been serving as the chief lending officer for a financial institution for 15 years when he was asked to take over the Lake Toxaway Company. In 1985, Heinitsh Jr. purchased a majority of the Lake Toxaway Company stock from his father and continued the careful and controlled development of Lake Toxaway Estates, maintaining the tradition of exclusivity and seclusion for which the community is known. Under Heinitsh Jr., the Company maintained its goal of high-quality, low-density development, giving special consideration to deed restrictions and architectural review to protect the harmony of the community.

After completing the development of Lake Toxaway Estates, Heinitsh Jr. began working with the board of the Lake Toxaway Community Association to transfer ownership and maintenance of the lake, roads, and common areas. Under the stewardship of the Lake Toxaway Community Association since 2003, Lake Toxaway has continued to flourish.

Today, Lake Toxaway is a thriving community with approximately 1,100 home sites. Families share 5,000 acres where Mother Nature displays some of her best work year-round. Lake Toxaway Estates is surrounded by Hawk Mountain, Panthertail Mountain, Cold Mountain, and Mt. Toxaway, along with several wilderness areas totaling more than 10,000 acres.

The romance that was once enjoyed by the elite of yesterday has been recaptured. Lake Toxaway, with its breathtaking 14-mile shoreline of serene mountain beauty, graces a land that was destined for this exclusive, tranquil mountain community. The Lake Toxaway Community Association excels as the community’s trusted manager, preserving the beauty of this area for property owners to enjoy now and generations yet to come.