Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) is the nonprofit historic preservation organization for New York State’s Adirondack region. AARCH was formed in 1990 with a mission to promote public understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of the Adirondacks’ unique and diverse architectural heritage.

 

Camp Santanoni is a National Historic Landmark, located in the Adirondack Forest Preserve and in the Essex County town of Newcomb. AARCH manages Camp Santanoni in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and with significant support from the Town of Newcomb.

 

Camp Santanoni is located within the 12,900-acre Santanoni Preserve and consists of: a Main Camp complex, a collection of rustic buildings situated on secluded Newcomb Lake; a Gate Lodge complex at the entrance to the preserve; and an early 20th century model farm. Construction of the Great Camp began in 1892 for Robert and Anna Pruyn of Albany. In its time Camp Santanoni was the largest of the Adirondack Great Camps. Robert and Anna Pruyn hosted close friends and family every spring and summer, as well as influential businessmen and politicians, such as Theodore Roosevelt and his family.

 

New York State acquired the Santanoni property in 1972 and added it to the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Santanoni sat without investment for almost 20 years with an uncertain fate. Adirondack Architectural Heritage was founded, in part, to preserve and protect Camp Santanoni and has supported its preservation through education, action, and advocacy ever since.

 

Visitors to Santanoni today will find the historic areas of this retreat much as the Pruyns experienced, a place for outdoor recreation and leisure.

 

Do you have a story about visiting Great Camp Santanoni that you want to share? Adirondack Architectural Heritage has teamed up with Our Story Bridge to collect and share your stories and personal history with Great Camp Santanoni. We invite you to share yours!