How did the "Great Camps" lodges of the Adirondacks Mountains area in New York State get started? What's the History of the "Great Camps"?
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Adirondack Mountains over Raquette Lake
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Far away from the big city, in the corner of New York state stands the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. In those stately mountains William West Durant owned 6,000 acres of land virtually untouched by advances of the modern world. He had a vision of drawing the economically over-privileged to build their own wilderness estates on his land. During the Gilded Age of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, he brought his idea to life, as the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and even an American president were drawn to the Adirondacks on a quest for a closer connection with nature and the American landscape.
Camp Pine Knot, Raquette Lake, NY
Durant began building the very first Adirondack Great Camp, Camp Pine Knot, in 1876, and so began the artistic vision behind the "camping" trend. Inspired by the rustic buildings in the area, Durant carried the rustic theme into his camp, using bark-covered beams, uncut stone and delicate twig furniture. Camp Pine Knot with its rustic Swiss chalet, a stunning recreation hall and Durant's private cabin set the tone for Great Camps to come, blending nature with the comforts of home.
Pine Knot Recreation Hall
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The Recreation Hall's 18-foot ceilings give it an open feel that provides a perfect communal space for game playing and relaxing.
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Camp Sagamore, Raquette Lake, NY
As more Great Camps were built in the Adirondacks, William West Durant wanted to build one for himself. He picked a spot overlooking Sagamore Lake, and built Camp Sagamore.
In 1901 he was forced for financial reasons to sell his camp, and it was bought by Alfred G. Vanderbilt. Under the guidance of Vanderbilt's wife Margaret, this camp became the model for high-society "camping" After a grueling journey to the Adirondacks, guests could relax in the warm, beamed chalet or refresh themselves in individual cabins. No luxury was spared, as Margaret was a marvelous hostess.
Multi-course, black tie dinners were an every night occurrence in the dining hall, complete with a bay-window view of the Sagamore Lake. Camp Sagamore seamlessly combined the luxury of the Gilded Age with the glory of the Adirondacks.
Camp Sagamore was built overlooking Sagamore Lake.
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Durant built his own chalet to anchor Camp Sagamore.
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The guest cottages at Camp Sagamore are on the lake, designed in a rustic style and equipped with indoor plumbing and electricity.
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Although fishing, hunting, hiking and canoeing were important activities at Sagamore, some city games, like bowling, were brought to the country as well.
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Artisans—Raquette Lake, NY
The unsung heroes of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks are the artisans. These workers and artists were independent and inventive. They not only built but also maintained the day-to-day working order of the camps. Living in the wilderness of the Adirondacks required the natives to be inventive in their problem-solving, which awakened much artistic nature. With Durant's guidance, these artisans helped created the "rustic style" in building construction and in the furniture, using the materials that surrounded them—stones, logs, twigs and roots.
Rustic-style architecture dominated the design of the Great Camps.
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Masons used native rocks and stones to build intricate fireplaces.
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What looked so homespun and simple was actually very difficult to make.
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The lasting symbols of their artistry is in the furniture.
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White Pine Camp—Paul Smiths, NY
White Pine Camp was built by Archibald White in 1910. Its architecture differed from other rustic camps with its asymmetrical, pre-modern buildings with soaring rooflines and rough-milled siding that became known in the Adirondacks as "brainstorm siding." There was a flurry of activity at White Pine Camp in the summer of 1926, when President Calvin Coolidge came to stay for two months. By hosting the "summer White House," the peaceful, remote Adirondacks were suddenly on the map.
The inside of the main cabin, where President Coolidge spent the summer of 1926, had a modern 1920s feel with hand-hewn ceiling beams adding a rustic touch.
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Japanese tea room with a curved Asian-style bridge at White Pine Camp.
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Camp Topridge—Paul Smiths, NY
Camp Topridge was built as the spectacular Adirondack retreat of Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the Post cereal fortune. Constructed in 1923 by local builder, Ben Muncil, the exquisitely designed and massively proportioned main lodge elevated great camp architecture to magnificent new heights. Another masterpiece of Adirondack architecture, also built by Muncil, was the boathouse, which is noted for its extraordinary detailing of tree limbs and roots. From the boathouse, guests were transported up hill to the main lodge on a funicular, or small cable car, one of Topridge's most innovative and luxurious features.
The grand lodge at Topridge was constructed of huge pine logs and locally quarried rocks.
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The grand lodge's living room features fireplaces large enough to stand in, as well as an expanse of 65 feet and 25-foot ceilings supported only by massive ceiling beams and iron plates.
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Camp Topridge was built on the bank above Upper St. Regis Lake.
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The boathouse, designed by Ben Muncil, is notable for its extraordinary detailing of tree limbs and roots.
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Camp Wonundra—Saranac Lake, NY
Camp Wonundra was the sanctuary of William A. Rockefeller, the great nephew of legendary oil tycoon, John D. Rockefeller. Originally designed to be the architect, William Distin's personal camp, Wonundra became William Rockefeller camp when he provided the capitol to build it. Constructed from 1930 to 1933, the nine-building complex was designed on a smaller, more intimate scale, a trademark of Distin's work. Camp Wonundra was one of the last Great Camps to be built in the Adirondacks, closing out the era of Great Camp architecture. It is now called The Point.
Camp Wonundra is one of the smaller camps and was built by white pine shipped from Canada.
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The octagon-shaped main entrance to the one-story main house distinguished its style.
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Rustic Decorating Hints and Tips
