You Can Have Your Own Rustic, Luxurious “Great Camp”
Far from the bright lights, skyscrapers, and noise of New York City is one of the most spectacular natural attractions in New York State. The Adirondacks –
You Can Have Your Own Rustic, Luxurious “Great Camp”
Far from the bright lights, skyscrapers, and noise of New York City is one of the most spectacular natural attractions in New York State. The Adirondacks – located in the northeastern part of the state – is a picturesque forest preserve of breathtaking mountains, lakes, valleys, steep cliffs, and hiking trails.
Within the magnificent Adirondack Park – comprising more than six million acres of public and private lands – are 100 towns and villages rich in history, culture, and unique architectural styles. Among the treasures in the Adirondacks are buildings, sites, and homes constructed from every era of American architecture. There are many examples of Greek, Roman, Italian, Georgian, Federal, Gothic, Japanese, and French architecture in the area.
There is, however, also an interesting style developed by the region's local designers and architects. With its forest lands, wilderness parks, mountains, deep bays, and lakes, the Adirondacks paved the way for the creation of a unique rustic architectural style that reflects the area’s history and geography and has greatly influenced the design of famous National Parks throughout the country: Adirondack style.
Let’s learn more about the origins and characteristics of this rugged style, which dates back to the late 19th century.
Among the earliest examples of what would be become known as "Adirondack style," Echo Lake is a summer retreat compound that was built in the Adironcacks for Connecticut governor Phineas C. Lounsbury in 1883. The estate is listed in the National Register of Historic Places; this photo was taken in 1916 (photo credit:Public Domain).
Modern-day log cabins carry on the log construction heritage of Echo Lake. Top and Middle: This log cabin, with double wrap-around covered porch and Salt Box style roof with wide overhangs, looks as though it could be part of an Adirondack estate. It has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in a modest 1053 sq. ft. (Plan #163-1000). Bottom: This 1.5-story vacation home with wide overhangs and Adirondack-style gable decoration has 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and 1 half bath (Plan #132-1199).
What is Adirondack Style?
Imagine an architectural style that blends rustic Log Cabin and Cottage styles in a luxuriously glamorous interpretation but on a massive scale, and you have a good idea of Adirondack style. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, wealthy businessmen purchased vast tracts of wilderness in the Adirondacks and wanted to build summer retreats – estates, really – for their families, but rather than a Newport, Rhode Island, style mansion, it was a large rustic home with associated outbuildings that complemented the surrounding wilderness in their rusticity … highly fashionable at the time. Thus began the "Great Camps" of the Adirondacks, sefl-contained settlements – rustic villages almost – for the enjoyment of extended family consisting of a dining hall, guest quarters, servants' quarters, lounges, library, game rooms, boathouses, blacksmith shop, carriage houses, and even barns and farms. Think of it as an outsized 19th century version of "glamping."
The architectural style of the buildings melded building and design styles that were popular in the mid-1800s:
• Swiss chalet stye, which was popular in the U.S. during the mid 1800s
• Craftsman / Arts & Crafts movement in England
• Cottage style, a natural result of British and Eurpopean infulence
The influence of the British, in both Cottage and Craftsman styles, is evident in the main lodge at Pine Tree Point, a Great Camp on Upper St. Regis Lake, NY, owned by Frederick William Vanderbilt (photo credit: Main Lodge, Pine Tree Point, by Mwanner under license CC BY-SA 3.0).
• Log construction
• Japanese architectur