Lakewood is a village in the northern part of the Town of Busti on Chautauqua Lake. Lakewood began as a summer resort. In 1870 John Cowing built a hotel, the Cowing House, on that part of his farm which bordered on the lake. The Cowing House became The Lakeview House in 1873 and the small settlement, known as Lakeview, became Lakewood in 1879. In 1893 the small settlement was incorporated as the Village of Lakewood.