in the early 1900s the island acquired enough of a population to have two school buildings built, a lower school house (which is now a private home) by the cross-island bridge and an upper school house, which is now the grindstone island cultural center which gives out a scholarship once a year. the island also has a methodist church founded in 1899 (with services on sundays) with a community center (dodge hall) across the street (with dances on saturday nights in the summer) and a no longer functioning creamery and cheese factory. the island also has one of the few natural beaches in the thousand island region open to the public, potter's beach.