Things to do / Travel Guide
While northern New York is encompassed primarily by, and most known for, its natural elements of beauty, there are many man-made highlights to be seen as well. As the area was a vacation spot for the wealthy early in the 20th century, usually as a summer getaway from New York City, many fantastic homes, hotels and other facilities were commissioned. Additionally, northern New York is home to Adirondack architecture, distinct in its combined use of rustic twig work and indigenous materials, as well as elements of the classic Swiss chalet. Brown and red in color, warm in tone, Adirondack architecture is a distinct home-grown architectural style.
Architecture in the Central Adirondacks
Located at the intersection of State Roads 30 and 28, in the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake, the Adirondack Museum has been nicknamed “the Smithsonian of the Adirondacks,” as it provides a thorough picture of the region, highlighting Adirondack architecture in particular. On the grounds, visitors will find detailed history of the region's architecture, an original 1876 log house, as well as other representative structures imported from other parts of Adirondack Park. These include a 1907 schoolhouse, an early-20th century trolley turned into a diner, and a few cottages. The Sunset Cottage is a great example of rustic twig work, and is covered entirely by split spruce branches arranged in sunburst and diamond patterns. Gustav Wiegand's Studio was built on-site and houses a simple twig-work bed. Bull Cottage, set atop Merwin Hill, showcases a number of bark furniture pieces built by Ernest Stowe.
Great Camp Sagamore was built in 1897 by William West Durant and is considered the classic “great camp” of the Adirondacks. It was sold to Alfred G. Vanderbilt in 1901 and was enjoyed by the Vanderbilt family for more than 50 years following. Situated on about 19 acres, Great Camp Sagamore is a self-contained rustic village, its main lodge built from huge dark logs. Durant paired twig ornamentation, notched logs and natural bark of Adirondack architecture with the gables, bay windows, large chimneys, and expansive roof overhangs of Swiss chalets. Look for the red window trim in the three-and-a-half-story main lodge, a typical Durant design touch. Other rustic buildings on site including a dining hall, boathouse, ice house, horse barn, guest cottages, and bowling alley. Great Camp Sagamore is a National Historic Site now owned by the Sagamore Institution, which is continuously renovating the camp. Day-, weekend- and week-long tours are available from June-Labor Day. Though the price tag's somewhat high, visitors can actually stay at Great Camp Sagamore from mid-May-October.
Architecture around Saranac Lake
White Pine Camp, located on White Pine Road, served as President Calvin Coolidge's summer White House in 1926. It was built in 1907 and is open to the public, though it is in the process of being restored. Overlooking Osgood Pond, White Pine Camp contains around 20 symmetrical buildings that feature unique angles, towering rooflines, and skylights. The main cabin of the camp hosts rotating exhibits detailing the history and architecture of White Pine Camp. Also on site are a Japanese teahouse, a tennis house, and bowling alleys. Tours are given in July and August.
Architecture in Saratoga Springs
With around 900 of the buildings in Saratoga Springs listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the city is an excellent place to find buildings of architectural interest.
Along the main road of Broadway, formerly lined with grand hotels featuring expansive balconies, visitors can find only two of the smaller hotels remaining: the Rip Van Dam was built in the Federal-style in 1840 while the Victorian-style Adelphi has a romantic period lobby and charming garden in the back. If you choose to stay at the Adelphi during your vacation, you'll be greeted by rooms that are furnished with period antiques and vintage photos of Saratoga. Also on Broadway is the Adirondack Trust, built in 1916 and decorated with Adirondack symbols as well as Tiffany doors. Next door is the 1910 Beaux-Arts post office. Across from the post office, on Lake Avenue, is the 1871 Italian palazzo city hall, which happens to be the birthplace of both the American Banking Association and the American Bar Association.
Union Avenue is a wide boulevard in downtown Saratoga, heading towards the Saratoga Race Course and lined with some of the grandest Victorian architecture Saratoga Springs. Many of these buildings now function as expensive bed and breakfasts, while the rest are offices and homes.
The East Side Historic District of Saratoga Springs is home to over 400 historic residences, many built in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. These homes span a variety of architectural styles, including Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, and bungalow, and range from small to mansion-size. A highlight of this district is the Batcheller Mansion Inn on Circular Drive, built in 1873 in the French Renaissance Style.
Architecture in the Champlain Valley
The Champlain Memorial and Lighthouse, located across from Crown Point in the Champlain Valley, was completed in 1912. The unique architecture of the lighthouse was designed by the architects Dillon, McClellan, and Beadle, and features a round granite tower surrounded by eight Doric columns. Atop sits a stepped copper roof. Stunning panoramic views await visitors who climb to the top of the 62-step spiral staircase.
The former port town of Essex, known as “the jewel of Lake Champlain's western shore,” is home to varied and preserved architecture from the 18th and 19th centuries. Founded in 1765, the entire village of Essex, which includes a historic downtown shopping district, and where examples of Victorian, Federal, and Greek Revival architecture are plentiful, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Architecture in the Thousand Islands
The Augustus Sacket House, located on Main Street in Sackets Harbor, is a small Palladian-style house built in 1802 by August Sacket, the founder of the village. The elegant building served as a hospital and officers' quarters in wartime and now houses the area's visitor center.
The 1876 Victorian-style Paddock Mansion, located in Watertown, is now home to the Jefferson County Historical Society. The house was trimmed in the Swiss chalet style, and the downstairs parlors have been restored to their high Victorian appearance, complete with furnishings and knickknacks. The backyard of Paddock Mansion has many Victorian plants and flowers, while the barn holds a 1910 Babcock automobile as well as old carriages that were manufactured in Watertown. The Beaux-Arts Library, built in 1904, sits across the street, featuring classic elements of the Beaux-Arts style.
The construction of Boldt Castle, located on Heart Island, began in 1900 by George Boldt as a gift for his wife Louise. When she died in 1904 construction ceased, the castle about 80% complete. Since 1977 the unfinished Medieval-style residence, which was never actually occupied, as well as other buildings on the island, have been under extensive restoration thanks to the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority. Highlights include an oval stained-glass window in the foyer ceiling, a formal dining room, and the billiards room. Visitors are welcome in these buildings, as well as in the yacht house across the channel, a Shingle-style structure boasting huge doors and towering ceilings, which has been quite nicely restored.
Singer Castle is located on Dark Island in the St. Lawrence Seaway and is only accessible by water. This four-story, 28-room castle, including a four-story tower, was built from the same granite stone as Boldt Castle by self-made millionaire Frederick Gilbert Bourne as a retreat for himself and his family. It's an impressive creation, with plenty of room allotted for his boats, as well as unique features like underground passageways and dungeons. Singer Castle is open to visitors from late-May to early-October, and it offers tours highlighting Bourne's secret passageways and peepholes used to spy on guests.
Thousand Islands Park, located south of Wellesley Island State Park, on the tip of Wellesley Island, is filled with hundreds of wooden Victorian homes, ornately carved and painted in pastel colors. The park used to be a private club for wealthy members, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
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