Excitement builds ahead of Round Valley documentary premiere

READINGTON – Mystery surrounds Round Valley Reservoir.

It's gotten the nickname of "New Jersey's Bermuda Triangle" because of the number of people who have disappeared in its clear blue waters and never have been recovered, though in 2012 a fisherman snagged the foot from a human skeleton.

But the reservoir's most intriguing secret lies 180 feet below the surface.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s when the reservoir was constructed in the natural geologic circle of what's called either Round Mountain or Cushetunk Mountain, the 55 billion gallons of water drowned a unique piece of Central Jersey history.

That's the subject of a 30-minute documentary, "The Town That Disappeared Overnight," which will have its hometown premiere at 7:30 p.m. March 7 at the Polish-American Citizens Club, 29 Kline Blvd. in the Whitehouse Station section of the township.

The documentary is the creation of Readington natives Dave Kuznicki and Eric Althoff who, though they have pursued careers outside of New Jersey, still have a deep and lasting connection to their hometown.

Helping the duo make the documentary was John Anastasio, the television instructor at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, who was the director of photography. Althoff and Kuznicki became friends when they met in Anastasio's class in 1995.

Kuznicki now is an award-winning producer at a Toledo, Ohio television station while Althoff works on the universal desk at the Washington Times in the District of Columbia.

For Althoff, the documentary is about more than just a history of a New Jersey reservoir.

"You'll be surprised at the number of people who don't know the history of Round Valley," Althoff said. "There used to be a town down there."

The documentary details what happened to what Althoff called a "self-sufficient" farming community that existed in the circular valley that gave the reservoir its name.

"They grew everything they needed," he said.

Centuries ago the valley was home to Lenni Lenape tribes and was a haven for patriots during the American Revolution.

The community, which had about 30 farms, was isolated from the rest of Central Jersey. Many of the farms had been in the same family for generations.

"They didn't have electricity until the 1940s," Althoff said.

When the decision was made to build the reservoir to help supply water for growing Central Jersey through the nearby South Branch of the Raritan River, the state bought all of the land and the community vanished.

It's a prime example of how the demands of infrastructure transformed the physical and cultural landscape of 20th century America, Althoff said.

All of the structures in the community were demolished, Althoff said, debunking the urban legend that farmhouses still were at the bottom of the lake and boaters could see a church steeple in the depths.

A highlight of the documentary is an interview with Emma Haver, a "survivor" from the community. Also appearing is Hunterdon County historian Stephanie Stevens who wrote "Beneath These Waters," a book about the history of the reservoir.

The documentary was filmed from October 2013 through September 2014. The editing and soundtrack were completed in December 2014. Both Althoff and Kuznicki commuted to New Jersey on weekends for the production.

Kuznicki connected with a drone operator from New York who waived the fee for use of the drone to capture aerial footage of the reservoir, because he was so excited by the project, Althoff said

Althoff said he hopes "The Town That Disappeared Overnight" will receive a wider viewership, possibly on PBS. He also hopes the documentary will receive showings at regional film festivals.

Both Stevens and Haver will be at the premiere. The filmmakers are set to answer questions after the screening.

Tickets are $5 per person. Beverages and snacks will be available for purchase. For more information, call 626-676-4850.

Staff Writer Mike Deak: 908-243-6607; mdeak@mycentraljersey.com