Mount McGregor is a mountain in

Saratoga County, New York Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popu ...

in the towns of Wilton, Moreau, and

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...

. It is one of the principal peaks of the Palmertown Range. There are two lakes on the mountain, Lake Bonita and Lake Anna, which were previously used for fishing.

History

The mountain was originally called ''Palmertown Mountain'', named by a band of Native Americans who moved to the area from Massachusetts escaping from the aftermath of

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...

. It was renamed after Duncan McGregor purchased it for back taxes and built a hotel called the ''Mountain House'' in 1876. Hotel Balmoral, Wilton NY

In 1881 McGregor sold the mountain to the Saratoga, Mount McGregor and Lake George Railroad, owned by Joseph William Drexel. Drexel constructed a

narrow-gauge railroad A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structur ...

from

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

and built the ''Hotel Balmoral'' at the summit with accommodation for 300 guests. In 1897 the hotel burned to the ground. In 1885 Drexel loaned his friend, seriously ill former president

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

, the use of his personal cottage on the mountain. Here Grant spent the last six weeks of his life struggling to finish his memoirs before he died. The cottage, preserved exactly as it was at his death, is now the Grant Cottage State Historic Site and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company purchased the 1,200 acres of Mt. McGregor to build a

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

sanitarium for up to 350 patients, eventually comprising 30 buildings costing around $3 million. The sanitarium opened in 1914. In 1945 New York State purchased the facility from Metropolitan for convalescing veterans of World War II. With the decline in the need for veterans' services the facility was converted for use of the developmentally disabled, and in 1976 converted again to a prison, the ''

Mount McGregor Correctional Facility Mount McGregor Correctional Facility was a medium security prison for male inmates in the Town of Moreau, Saratoga County, New York, United States. It was served by the Wilton, New York post office and included 100 structures on over 1,000 acres ...

''. In 2013 Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...

announced plans to close the prison. The Mount McGregor Correctional Facility officially closed in July 2014. Grant Cottage State Historic Site continues to operate, but access to the area is restricted to Historic Site visitors during operating hours only. Over 700 acres of former corrections property was transferred to

Moreau Lake State Park Moreau Lake State Park is a state park in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The park is located in the southwest part of the town of Moreau on US 9 off Interstate 87. It features over of hiking trails. Winter activities include s ...

and there are new trails that access the new Lake Bonita parcel. The 325 acre former Correctional Facility property is open to redevelopment proposals.

References

External links

Report for an Adaptive Re-Use Plan Mount McGregor Correctional Facility
New York State Department of Economic Development

McGregor McGregor may refer to: People * McGregor (surname) * Clan MacGregor, a Scottish highland clan * McGregor W. Scott (born 1962), U.S. attorney Characters * Mr. McGregor, a fictional character from Peter Rabbit Places in Canada: * McGregor Lake ...

Tourist attractions in Saratoga County, New York

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