Our Lady of the Lake Church was a mission of Immaculate Conception Parish in Franklin for many years until 1949 when it became a parish in its own right. Rev. George A. Brown became its first pastor. The parish school was completed in 1954, the first Catholic School in Sussex County. On July 1, 1954, just three months before the school opened, Father Brown died. At the suggestion of Bishop McNulty, the bishop of the Paterson Diocese at that time, the school was named the Reverend George A. Brown Memorial School.

The school opened on September 20, 1954. Over 200 children, not only from Our Lady of the Lake, but also from the neighboring parishes of Franklin, Sussex, Ogdensburg, Newton, Branchville, and Milton were registered for their first year of Catholic education under the care and guidance of four Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict. The Benedictine charisma, spirit, and tradition continue to be a part of our school today. This is due to the dedication of Monsignor Charles C. Cassidy, our pastor for over twenty years, and Monsignor Paul F. Knauer, our present pastor, that Rev. Brown School of Our Lady of the Lake Parish continues to thrive and be a center of Catholic education.

Rev. Brown School has grown in size over the years. The original school building, including offices for a principal and a secretary, consisted of what is today the primary unit, grades 1-4. In 1958 McKenna Hall, and what is today the junior high and the school offices, were built. The K-5 corridor was added in 1982. The library and science lab were completed in January of 1992.  The addition of the conference room and the conversion of a classroom into the computer lab were accomplished in 1998.