In the years after World War II, the decline of the resort hotels that had been the economic engines of Eagles Mere posed a serious threat to the community. New community organizations were formed to acquire the Country Club and Eagles Mere Lake, to conserve important properties, and to continue the youth and cultural activities that had flourished in the hotel era, while the old Victorian downtown area followed its own course. Much of this part of the town, including the Village Green, was acquired by a corporation led by Joseph C. Wilkinson, Jr., a Philadelphia businessman committed to historic preservation. Because of his vision, the downtown buildings survived essentially unchanged. Today, most of this area is owned by community organizations, with the Green owned by the Eagles Mere Conservancy and the principal buildings, now rehabilitated or repaired, owned by Eagles Mere Historic Village, Inc.