Candlewood Knolls, CT

Candlewood Knolls is a census-designated place in New Fairfield on the western shore of Candlewood Lake, a private lake community developed in 1929 after the lake was created for pumped-storage power generation. The developers acquired the former Camp Arden property, and the clubhouse and farmhouse still carry that earlier use. The 2020 census counted 255 residents.

Candlewood Knolls Community, Inc. owns or manages common property and utilities, while a tax district operates within the Town of New Fairfield. Residents elect the community board, and the shared map includes beaches, swimming areas, boat docks, a boat launch, tennis court, ball field, playgrounds, and clubhouse. Private access rules govern those spaces. For residents, the lake is not an incidental backdrop; it is the reason the roads, utilities, and shared rules fit together. The history is visible in both the landscape and the rules: a 1920s lake development with cottages and cabins, a community water system, and elected internal management on the Candlewood Lake shore.