About Camp Santanoni
Camp Santanoni is a National Historic Landmark, located in the Adirondack Forest Preserve and in the Essex County town of Newcomb. AARCH manages Camp Santanoni in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and with significant support from the Town of Newcomb. These positions are a partnership between AARCH and the Town of Newcomb.
Camp Santanoni is located within the 12,900-acre Santanoni Preserve and consists of: a Main Camp complex, a collection of rustic buildings situated on secluded Newcomb Lake; a Gate Lodge complex at the entrance to the preserve; and an early 20th century model farm. Building of this great camp began in 1892 for Robert and Anna Pruyn of Albany. In its time Camp Santanoni was the largest of the Adirondack Great Camps and hosted Theodore Roosevelt, among other prominent guests. After New York State acquired the site in 1972 and added it to the Adirondack Forest Preserve, Santanoni sat vacant and neglected for more than 20 years with an uncertain fate. Adirondack Architectural Heritage was founded, in part, to preserve and protect Camp Santanoni and has supported its preservation through education, action, and advocacy since 1990. AARCH has hosted summer interns working at the great camp for over 20 years, interpreting Camp Santanoni for the public and completing hands-on preservation projects.
In 2000, New York State created the Camp Santanoni Historic Area, committing to use the site for public educational and recreational purposes. Since then, more than $2 million in conservation work has been completed and the site welcomes over 10,000 visitors annually.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Great Camp Santanoni, please check out the video below (courtesy of the Preservation League of New York State) featuring a brief virtual tour of the Main Camp with AARCH’s former and founding executive director Steven Engelhart!