Coolfont Resort was founded in 1961 by Sam Ashelman and his partner, Al Capen.  The resort, which offered boating, swimming, hiking, health and wellness classes and entertainment at the Treetops Lodge, was popular with thousands of visitors each year.  Among the guests were Vice President Al Gore, Federal agency cabinet secretaries, and numerous associations and groups who used the meeting facilities of the resort.

The Coolfont Mountainside Association was independent of the resort and self-governed from the mid-1970’s.

In 2004, the Freeman companies purchased the resort property with plans to build homes on undeveloped land, but economic challenges have put those plans on hold.