Camp Santanoni (Newcomb)
Camp Santanoni is an excellent example of the large, rustic wilderness estates, known as "Great Camps," built during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for the urban elite of America's "Gilded Age." The camp's construction began in 1892 for Robert C. Pruyn, an Albany banker, and it eventually consisted of more than three dozen buildings on 12,900 acres. The camp consists of three principle groups of buildings: the main camp on Newcomb Lake, a 200-acre gentleman's farm, and a Gatelodge complex. The main camp, a villa of six log buildings connected by an extensive roof and porch system, was designed by the prominent architect Robert H. Robertson and is the first known Adirondack camp to be designed by a professional architect. The Gatelodge was designed in 1904 by William Delano of Delano and Aldrich. Edward Burnett, the pre-eminent farm designer of the day, was involved in creating the 200-acre farm.
When New York State acquired the Santanoni Preserve in 1971, it became part of the Adirondack Forest Preserve. For more than twenty years the camp remained vacant and deteriorated. Although the state has since made a commitment to preserve Camp Santanoni, greater public attention and financial resources are needed to preserve this landmark. Despite the great efforts of Adirondack Architectural Heritage, the Friends of Camp Santanoni, and the Town of Newcomb, the buildings of Camp Santanoni continue to deteriorate from lack of financial and staff resources from the state. The restoration of this landmark would be a real asset to the region and local community.
Contact: Steven Engelhart, Executive Director, Adirondack Architectural Heritage, 518-834-9328