Explore the remarkably intact resort community of Loon Lake in the Town of Franklin originally developed during the late 19th century by Fred and Mary Chase. Their resort, the Loon Lake House, was a destination for wealthy families, including several presidents, for vacations and getaways. Our tour will take us to several buildings and…
Opened by the Ogdensburg’s Sisters of Mercy as a Tuberculosis curing facility in 1897, the Camp Gabriels complex carries a deep web of interconnected stories through various operations at the site for over a century. Gabriels stood as the second major curing sanitorium of its time after the pioneering efforts of Saranac Lake’s Dr. Edward…
Big Wolf Lake is a large, pristine waterbody near Tupper Lake, the centerpiece of a 4,000-acre private preserve. Among the 30 or more camps standing along its shoreline are five designed by noted Adirondack architect William Distin, as well as other historic and architecturally interesting lodges, camps, and structures. Originally a mystery tour back in…
Two of the Adirondacks’ most storied canoe carries sit in the Upper Saranac Lake watershed and both exhibit distinct historical legacies. In 1854, Virgil Bartlett established an inn for 50 guests and a horse-drawn wagon service for transporting boats along the portage between Upper Saranac and Middle Saranac Lakes. Legendary for its trout fishing and…
The world of power tools can seem intimidating for women – but it shouldn’t be! AARCH believes strongly in empowering women to safely and confidently build and wield personal and professional DIY skills. We are teaming up with regional contractor and construction firm owner Leisa Almekinder to explore the importance and uses of power tools…
Tupper Lake’s major industrial, institutional, and community buildings help to highlight an expansive, multi-layered history and their preservation offers the community a canvas for a vibrant future. On this outing, we’ll explore several defining places, structures, and facilities that bring Tupper Lake’s past into clearer view, including our first stop to today’s Sunmount Developmental Center….
Inventor and entrepreneur Abbot Augustus (A.A.) Low (1844-1912) had a dream of creating a vast and profitable wilderness empire in the Adirondacks. By the late 1890s, Low attained wealth through his father’s shipping and importing business and had acquired over 46,000 acres of land in the Bog River watershed. Here, he organized the construction of…
In a region rife with logs and clapboard, a cinder-block castle is something of an anomaly. Retired probation officer Ed Leary began the work on the castle in 1993, completing much of the work himself with the help of a local stone mason. Sadly, Leary never saw his dream become a reality, having passed away…
As a gateway community to the Adirondack region, the city of Malone prospered during the late nineteenth century. People came to the area for the affordable land and made their fortunes growing hops and harvesting lumber, and because this city was an important railroad hub. This wealth led to the construction of hundreds of buildings,…
At Bartlett Carry, the Saranac River drops 30 feet in two tenths of a mile between Upper Saranac Lake and Middle Saranac Lake, making a portage in both directions necessary. This stretch of river was also legendary for its trout fishing. It was here, in 1854, that Virgil Bartlett established an inn for 50 guests…
