Great Camp Sagamore is one of several historic
Great Camps
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The Great Camps of the Adirondack Mountains refers to the grandiose family compounds of cabins that were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century on lakes in the Adirondacks such as Spitfire Lake and Rainbow Lake. The camp ...
located in the
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...
of northern
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
.
History
Great Camp Sagamore was constructed by
William West Durant
William West Durant (1850–1934) was a designer and developer of camps in the Adirondack Great Camp style, including Camp Uncas, Camp Pine Knot and Great Camp Sagamore which are National Historic Landmarks. He was the son of Thomas C. Dura ...
on
Sagamore Lake
Sagamore Lake is a lake located south of Raquette Lake, New York. Sagamore Lake was known as Shedd Lake before being renamed "Sagamore Lake" by Alfred G. Vanderbilt after he purchased Great Camp Sagamore in 1901. South Inlet is the outlet creek, ...
between 1895-1897. Prior to Sagamore, William Durant had constructed
Camp Pine Knot
Camp Pine Knot, also known as Huntington Memorial Camp, on Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, was built by William West Durant. Begun in 1877, it was the first of the "Adirondack Great Camps" and epitomizes the "Great Camp ...
(purchased by
Collis P. Huntington
Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested ...
and now the Huntington Memorial Outdoor Education Center ) on nearby
Raquette Lake
Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the t ...
and
Camp Uncas
Camp Uncas is an Adirondack Great Camp, the second built by William West Durant for his own use. It lies on the shore of Lake Mohegan, near Great Camp Sagamore, and was completed in two years.
Previously Durant had built Camp Pine Knot, wh ...
(once owned by
J. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age. As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known ...
) on Lake Mohegan. All three camps are still in use today.
The camp is arranged in two complexes a half-mile apart, the Upper, or worker's complex, and the Lower, or guest complex. The guests would not have frequented the worker's complex, as the buildings at the Upper complex are much more utilitarian than those in the Guest complex, and without the embellishment of the buildings designed for entertaining. Sagamore served as a sylvan setting in which the richest families in America could relax, party, and get a feeling of returning to nature. All of this, however, was accomplished without leaving the comforts of civilization behind.
In 1901 Durant was forced to sell Sagamore because a lawsuit by his sister over his mismanagement of their mother's estate had pushed him to the edge of bankruptcy. It was purchased by
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Sr. (October 20, 1877 – May 7, 1915) was a wealthy American businessman, and a member of the Vanderbilt family. A sportsman, he participated in and pioneered a number of related endeavors. He died in the sinking of ...
, who expanded and improved the property to include flush toilets, a sewer system and hot and cold running water. He later added a hydroelectric plant and an outdoor bowling alley with an ingenious system for retrieving the balls. Other amenities included a tennis court, a croquet lawn, a 100,000 gallon reservoir, and a working farm. Vanderbilt died in 1915, a victim of the
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and
a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...
sinking, leaving Sagamore to his widow Margaret Emerson, an avid sportswoman who continued to occupy the camp seasonally for many years.
Mrs. Emerson transferred the property to
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
, which operated a conference center at the site until the
State of New York
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...
offered to buy it. Acquisition by the State as part of the
Forest Preserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
would have required demolition of the historic buildings, because of the "
Forever Wild" provision of the
New York State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constituti ...
. To avert this, the
Preservation League of New York State The Preservation League of New York State (Preserve NYS) is a nonprofit organization which works to preserve historic structures in New York. Established in 1974, Preserve NYS supports preservation efforts through information on best practices, pr ...
arranged with the State to take title, transferring the property with deed restrictions to a not-for-profit institution that would provide suitable occupancy. Great Camp Sagamore has continued to function as an education institution dedicated to the preservation of the National Historic Landmark.
A portion of Sagamore was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. A boundary increase for additional area was included in a multiple property submission for listing in 1986.
The camp was designated as a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
on 16 May 2000.
The historic camp is now run by Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks, Inc
and is open to the public by guided tour, as well as offering accommodations and educational programming May through October.
See also
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List of National Historic Landmarks in New York
This is a list of National Historic Landmarks and comparable other historic sites designated by the U.S. government in the U.S. state of New York. The United States National Historic Landmark (NHL) program operates under the auspices of the Nat ...
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References
Further reading
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External links
Sagamore's official site Haynes, Wesley. Adirondack Great Camp Theme Study*
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{{National Register of Historic Places in New York
National Historic Landmarks in New York (state)
Adirondack Great Camps
Museums in Hamilton County, New York
History museums in New York (state)
1897 establishments in New York (state)
Buildings and structures in Hamilton County, New York
National Register of Historic Places in Hamilton County, New York
Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)