The Sagamore
Encyclopedia
The Sagamore is a Victorian era resort hotel
located on Lake George
in Bolton Landing, New York
. The name Sagamore is taken from the title for the chief of a Native American tribe. The Sagamore of the Mohicans was a featured character in James Fenimore Cooper
's The Last of the Mohicans
, many scenes of which were set in the Lake George region. Several of Lake George's nearby islands also bear the names of characters from Cooper's book.
The resort occupies a private island (Green Island) on Lake George.
The main feature of The Sagamore is the historic hotel, which overlooks the lake. In addition, a number of more modern buildings have been constructed on the island containing hotel rooms and suites and condominiums, as well as a conference center.
The Sagamore opened in 1883, financed by a number of prominent summer residents. It succeeded in attracting a wealthy clientele.
Twice damaged by fire, in 1893 and 1914, The Sagamore was rebuilt in the early 1920's by local prominent architect Robert Rheinlander
. It was then fully reconstructed in 1930 through the efforts of Dr. William G. Beckers of New York City, one of the hotel's early stockholders, and William H. Bixby, a St. Louis industrialist. Together they financed the cost in spite of the bleak economic climate of the period.
Throughout its history, The Sagamore has been a social center for wealthy tourists and residents of Millionaires Row, the stately mansions along Lake George's western shore.
The hotel eventually fell into disrepair before closing its doors in 1981. In 1983, one hundred years after construction of the first Sagamore, builder and real estate developer Norman Wolgin, of Philadelphia, purchased the hotel and restored it. The resort is currently managed by Delray Beach, Florida
based company Ocean Properties, Ltd. The Sagamore is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In January 2009, the Sagamore announced that it would close for the winter months for the first time ever in its operation, due to the economic recession.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located on Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
in Bolton Landing, New York
Bolton Landing, New York
Bolton Landing is a hamlet in the town of Bolton in Warren County, New York, United States. It is located on Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains. It is a common tourist destination and the closest town to the State Park lands and islands of the Lake George Narrows...
. The name Sagamore is taken from the title for the chief of a Native American tribe. The Sagamore of the Mohicans was a featured character in James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
's The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 is a historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in February 1826. It is the second book of the Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy and the best known...
, many scenes of which were set in the Lake George region. Several of Lake George's nearby islands also bear the names of characters from Cooper's book.
The resort occupies a private island (Green Island) on Lake George.
The main feature of The Sagamore is the historic hotel, which overlooks the lake. In addition, a number of more modern buildings have been constructed on the island containing hotel rooms and suites and condominiums, as well as a conference center.
History of the Sagamore
Twice damaged by fire, in 1893 and 1914, The Sagamore was rebuilt in the early 1920's by local prominent architect Robert Rheinlander
Robert Rheinlander
Robert H. Rheinlander was an American architect, contractor and structural engineer from Glens Falls, New York.CareerRobert Rheinlander was based in Glens Falls, New York and designed and or built many well known and large buildings in the northern New York State area...
. It was then fully reconstructed in 1930 through the efforts of Dr. William G. Beckers of New York City, one of the hotel's early stockholders, and William H. Bixby, a St. Louis industrialist. Together they financed the cost in spite of the bleak economic climate of the period.
Throughout its history, The Sagamore has been a social center for wealthy tourists and residents of Millionaires Row, the stately mansions along Lake George's western shore.
The hotel eventually fell into disrepair before closing its doors in 1981. In 1983, one hundred years after construction of the first Sagamore, builder and real estate developer Norman Wolgin, of Philadelphia, purchased the hotel and restored it. The resort is currently managed by Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
based company Ocean Properties, Ltd. The Sagamore is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In January 2009, the Sagamore announced that it would close for the winter months for the first time ever in its operation, due to the economic recession.
External links
- The Sagamore - Official website
- http://www.sagamore.org - Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks, Inc.