Join us for four days and nights as we tour private and public Adirondack camps, led by experts in the field of architectural history and preservation, as well as local historians. This is a unique, behind-the-scenes look at this distinctive piece of America’s architectural geography. Accommodations will be at the Mirror Lake Inn, Lake Placid.
The Adirondack Park, a six million acre mixture of public and private lands and the largest park in the continental United States, was established in 1894. It includes vast forests, hundreds of mountains, thousands of lakes and ponds, and miles of wild and scenic rivers. Since 1885, the millions of acres of public land in the region have been protected as “forever wild” by the New York State constitution. During the late 19th century, sportsmen and others came to the Adirondacks seeking recreation and revitalization, eventually building camps, hotels, and other amenities. Resident builders and professional architects developed a rustic style of architecture that is defined by the use of a variety of local, natural materials so as to be in harmony with the rugged Adirondack landscape. Though best represented by a series of building complexes known as Great Camps, this building tradition has come to encompass an array of structures, from cottages, to commercial buildings to religious institutions.
Some of the places we will visit will include:
- Camp Pine Knot –Travel by boat to Long Point on Raquette Lake to this great camp once owned by Collis P. Huntington, one of the leading railroad men of the nineteenth century. You will have a guided tour of this National Historic Landmark owned by the State University of New York College at Cortland, Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education since 1949.
- W.W. Durant cruise on Raquette Lake – After visiting Pine Knot enjoy an afternoon lunch and narrated two hour cruise on Raquette Lake.
- Great Camp Sagamore - Enjoy a guided tour of Sagamore by the staff of this National Historic Landmark that is comprised of twenty-seven buildings, including an outdoor bowling alley. It was once the summer residence of the Vanderbilt family
- Big Moose Lake – Explore the distinctive vertical half-log constructed architecture on Big Moose Lake, exemplified in private homes, churches, and businesses.
For further information regarding rates and to obtain a complete schedule, please call Susan Arena, AARCH Program Director at (518) 834-9328, or send an email to susan@aarch.org or visit our website at www.aarch.org.
What others have said about this tour:
“Great/excellent tour...was very interesting and informative...overall great experience”
“Thanks you so much for a great tour! The tour surpassed my expectations.”
“I really appreciate the ability to view so many wonderful homes and buildings. The owners and/or caretakers were uniformly friendly, engaging, knowledgeable and very pleased and proud to show off their places. Congratulations to AARCH for fostering these relationships and for all their good work in the Adirondacks. Steven, Susan and Ellen are excellent!”
Adirondack Architectural Heritage AARCH is the non-profit, historic preservation organization for the Adirondack Park. We offer wonderful day-long guided tours to the most intriguing places in the region, including its Great Camps, industrial and military sites, diverse communities and institutions. AARCH received funding for this program from the Cultural Tourism Initiative, a project of the Arts and Business Council of New York, and the New York State Council on the Arts.