FULL: The Durant Legacy: Raquette Lake’s Long Point
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Raquette Lake’s Long Point boasts marvelous rustic architecture thanks, in part, to the designs of architect William West Durant. On this outing, we will explore these sites by boat and on foot. Originally operated as a hotel and cottage resort, the Antlers — our first stop — was designed in 1886 by a friend of Durant’s, Saratoga Springs architect R. Newton Brezee. Next, we will tour Durant’s first camp, Pine Knot. Started in the 1870s, Pine Knot established the features that are synonymous with Adirondack Rustic style architecture. Durant was also responsible for organizing the construction of St. William’s in 1890 to provide a church for his Catholic employees. The Shingle-style church has been lovingly restored by St. William’s on Long Point, a nonprofit organization that hosts retreats and special events at the site. Lastly, Echo Camp, designed between 1882 and 1883 for banker and Connecticut Governor Phineas Chapman Lounsbury (and later a girl’s camp), is perched on the end of the peninsula. The camp’s main building has been carefully reconstructed, and the historic Echo Camp complex is currently undergoing renovation and rehabilitation, to which AARCH has been granted special access.
This tour is led by SUNY Cortland Outdoor Education Director Rhonda Pitoniak, St. Williams on Long Point’s Sue Norris, and our friends at Echo Camp. The tour begins at 9:30 AM and ends at 3:30 PM.
The fee is $80 for AARCH members and $95 for non-members.
Please note that this trip includes a short boat ride and a one mile-long walk along a dirt road.