SUMMER STAFF POSITIONS IN THE ADIRONDACKS
at Great Camp Santanoni
Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is the regional non-profit, historic preservation organization for New York State’s Adirondack Park. With a mission to promote better public understanding, appreciation and stewardship of the region’s built environment and with a very active staff, board, and membership of 1,200, AARCH fulfills its educational mission by annually sponsoring tours, workshops and slide presentations, by providing technical assistance, and through advocacy efforts. In cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), AARCH also manages Camp Santanoni, a National Historic Landmark, Adirondack Great Camp in Newcomb, New York. In 2020, there are three summer staff positions available at Camp Santanoni.
Camp Santanoni is located within the 12,900 acre Santanoni Preserve and consists of: a Main Camp complex, a collection of fine, rustic buildings situated on secluded Newcomb Lake (Main Lodge, left); a Gate Lodge complex at the entrance to the preserve; and an early 20th century, model farm. Built, beginning in 1892, for Robert and Anna Pruyn of Albany, Camp Santanoni was the largest of the Adirondack “Great Camps” and was host to Theodore Roosevelt and other prominent guests. After being acquired by New York State in 1972 and added to the Adirondack Forest Preserve, Santanoni sat vacant and neglected for more than twenty years with an uncertain fate. In 2000, New York State fully committed itself to preserve Camp Santanoni and use it for public educational and recreational purposes. Since then, more than $1.9 million in conservation work has been completed and Santanoni is visited by thousands of people each year.
Three staff positions are available this summer (2020) at Camp Santanoni and typically the three staff share the responsibilities described below:
At Santanoni’s Main Camp staff will be primarily responsible for meeting and greeting the hiking public who visit Santanoni, interpreting the camp to visitors, and participating in the ongoing restoration work there. In 2019, the primary project is the ongoing restoration of the exterior of the Main Lodge and several farm buildings and will include staining and painting, reglazing windows, and undertaking other discrete conservation projects. The staff will also be responsible for greeting the public at the Gate Lodge, interpreting the Gate Lodge and farm to visitors, helping to oversee volunteer work, operating the Gate Lodge as a small visitor’s center, and developing future programs and exhibits and support for Camp Santanoni through the Friends of Camp Santanoni. Other special projects for the summer may include training and supervising small groups of volunteers.
The Main Camp at Santanoni is a 4.9-mile hike/bike from Santanoni’s Gate Lodge near the hamlet of Newcomb. Staff should be in good physical condition in order to be able to routinely travel between the Gate Lodge and Main Camp on foot or by bicycle and to handle the physical work required at the site. Applicants should also have some outdoor experience and be comfortable, if not delighted, working in this wilderness setting. Although there will be support from AARCH staff, local townspeople, and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation staff, considerable self-sufficiency is required. All staff will reside at the Gate Lodge, which is located near the hamlet and has all the modern conveniences.
Employment dates are June 5-September 7, 2020, though we have some flexibility on these dates. The Camp Santanoni staff will be expected to work approximately 40 hours per week over a six-day workweek. A $3000 stipend and housing will be provided. Applicants should be in an historic preservation, history, environmental studies or related field, enjoy and be very comfortable in the outdoors, be motivated and independent and work well with the public. Additional information about what to expect over a typical summer can be found by reading the Past Reports by staff and more information about Camp Santanoni and AARCH is available at aarch.org/santanoni
To apply: Write to Steven Engelhart, Executive Director, Adirondack Architectural Heritage, at 1745 Main Street, Keeseville, NY 12944 or by calling (518) 834-9328 or by emailing Steven Engelhart. Submit a resume, cover letter, and sample of your work. Explain why you’re interested in the positions, describe your educational background and work history, and discuss your qualifications for these internships. Final application deadline is March 1, 2020 but some positions may be filled as good applicants come forward prior to that, so apply ASAP. If you wish to apply after that date, call to inquire if the position is still available. Feel free to write or call for additional information, too. We want you to be part of our extraordinary team at Santanoni!
