Things to do / Travel Guide
From war monuments to restored forts to former homes of well-known artists and aristocrats, northern New York is rich with sites of historical importance. Numerous battles of both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution took place along its shores and valleys, with many artifacts remaining. Historical figures like the Vanderbilt family and Dr. Livingston Trudeau, as well as former Presidents of the United States (Teddy Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant), visited or made homes in northern New York, drawing many scholars and admirers to these hideaways in the years since.
Historical Sites in the Central Adirondacks
Great Camp Sagamore, near the town of Raquette Lake, harks back to the days when the Adirondack Mountains were the retreat of wealthy industrialists, in this case, the Vanderbilt family. The site is well preserved and can be visited and welcomes overnight guests
At the North Creek Depot Museum , a tablet marks the spot where Teddy (he hated being called that) Roosevelt was handed the message that President McKinley had died, effectively making him President. He had been hiking on Mt. Marcy and was heading to be with McKinley in Buffalo where the news arrived.
Historical Sites around Saranac Lake
The Adirondack area, famed for the clean mountain air, was a destination for ill city dwellers. Saranac Lake was a popular destination for treatment of and Robert Louis Stevenson, became one of the more famous patients of Dr. Livingston Trudeau. The Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Cottage, houses memorabilia, and is open to visitors.
Within New York State, the Adirondacks are certainly not known as an area with a large Jewish population, however, the Beth Joseph Synagogue testifies to the fact that there was a thriving community in the early 1900's. The historic site, near Tupper Lake, is well preserved and of interest to Jews and non-Jews alike.
Historical Sites around Saratoga Springs
With around 900 of the buildings in Saratoga Springs listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is nearly impossible not to find something of historical value and interest in this part of northern New York. 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, and spanning a variety of architectural styles, and ranging from small to mansion-sized.
Saratoga National Historic Park, spread around several locations east of downtown Saratoga, has three main parts. The Saratoga Battlefield, near Stillwater, played a significant role in the Revolutionary War. Schuyler House, in nearby Schuylerville, was rebuilt after its destruction in the Revolutionary War is a good place to see how life in the area was 200 years ago. The third part of Saratoga National Historic Park, just west of the Schuyler House is the Saratoga Monument. The monument is a recently-restored gray obelisk sitting on a hill, honoring the leaders of the Battle of Saratoga, open from Memorial Day-Labor Day.
Continuing the theme of famous people heading to Northern New York to recover (or not), ex-President Ulysses S. Grant spent the last few weeks of his life at Grant Cottage in Wilton, New York.
Historical Sites around Lake George
A reconstruction of Fort William Henry on the location of the original, at the south end of Lake George is a good place to view artifacts from, and learn the history of the French and Indian War.
Lake George Battlefield Park is a small, hilly park located behind Fort William Henry, which includes mostly unexcavated ruins of the original fort. Plaques detailing the battle at Fort William Henry in 1757 are on display. Lake George Battlefield Park is open from May-Columbus Day.
Along the bottom of Lake George lie sunken bateaux (flat-bottomed boats). A fleet of approximately 260 ships was deliberately sunk by the British and the American Colonists in 1758, during the French and Indian War. When Lake George froze in the winter, the ships could no longer be used, and so they were sunk to prevent the French and Native Americans from destroying them. In 1759, the British returned to Lake George and pulled out close to 200 of them. In 1960, two teenage scuba divers discovered the remaining bateaux, which no one realized still existed. That year, three of the boats were raised, with one put on display at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. Seven sunken boats near the southern end of Lake George were surveyed by a team of divers in the 1980s and have subsequently been deemed a Shipwreck Preserve and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Another ship, the 52-foot “Land Tortoise,” was discovered in 1990 and was designated by the Smithsonian Institution as North America's oldest intact warship. The Land Tortoise” is off-limits to divers, but the Shipwreck Preserve is open to divers from Memorial Day-September.
Historical Sites in the Champlain Valley
One of the areas top attractions, built by the French, Fort Ticonderoga saw action in both the Revolutionary War and the French and Indian War. Visitors will enjoy the views, the weapons display and the cannon firings. Fort Ticonderoga sits at the southern edge of Lake Champlain near the northern edge of Lake George.
Further north, Crown Point State Historic Site is the site of the ruins of a French-built and later, a British-built fort. Visit the forts and enjoy the strategic and scenic views of Lake Champlain. Another great viewpoint is from the top of the nearby Champlain Memorial and Lighthouse.
Historical Sites around the Thousand Islands
Greenbelt Riverfront Park, located in Ogdensburg, runs along the St. Lawrence River, and includes many historical plaques commemorating the Battle of Ogdensburg, a small yet critical battle during the War of 1812. Also of note in Ogdensburg is the U.S. Customs House.
Historical Sites in Lake Placid, Lake George, Saratoga Springs, Adirondacks and Northern New York
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