Fellow Friends of Camp Santanoni -
The Santanoni team has been busy! We’ve continued to advocate for the needs of the site, move major projects forward, and are working to improve communications and expand our programming. This year, we’re excited to celebrate Santanoni’s artistic history with events across the site, to spotlight the historic contributions of staff, and launch a new oral history project. We hope you join us for an event, a volunteer day, or just a simple weekday walk to the farm to appreciate the beauty of the Santanoni Preserve.
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Santanoni Fire Protection |
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The Friends of Camp Santanoni was delighted that the NYS Legislature and Governor Hochul included funds for Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) in the Environmental Protection Fund to support Camp Santanoni. Previous allocations allowed AARCH to hire a historic site manager, the first full-time staff person devoted exclusively to the historic site. It also supported development of a fire protection study for the Gate Lodge and Main Camp. Fire is an existential threat to the buildings at Santanoni and their remoteness makes the creative adaptation of more traditional fire prevention strategies essential. This additional round of funding will enable AARCH to execute a state-of-the-art fire protection system for Camp Santanoni, continue to support staffing, and make progress on other necessary work at the historic site.
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Santanoni Access and Wagon Service |
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The question of accessibility at Santanoni has been in the news this winter, and the Friends of Camp Santanoni have been watching the situation closely. You can find the most recent update here. All of the Santanoni Partners believe strongly in making the historic site accessible to visitors of all abilities while retaining the historic character that makes Santanoni special. DEC is continuing to work on a solution to meet its obligation to provide reasonable access for this season. Once this has been resolved, we will share this information on our website and social media.
On May 15th, the DEC confirmed that Newcombe Farms and Larry Newcombe are authorized to operate the wagon this season. Please contact Larry at 518-480-1743 if you would like to inquire about a wagon reservation for 2024. |
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This summer, we're happy to welcome two new staff members to Santanoni: Aidan Kyle and Luke Dillon. Luke is from Sparta, New Jersey, and is studying for a Parks and Conservation Management degree at Paul Smiths College. Aidan grew up in Deerfield, Massachusetts, and is studying Historic Preservation at the University of Vermont. They will arrive at Santanoni in early June, and host tours by the end of the month. Be sure to say hi when you visit! Jennifer Betsworth is continuing to serve as the Santanoni Interpretive Coordinator, and is excited to work with the staff and offer new programs this year. Wilkes Jordan is continuing in her second season at Santanoni as Historic Site Manager, and is looking forward to sharing more about this summer's projects and programs on Santanoni's social media pages. Thank you to the Town of Newcomb for their ongoing funding for our Camp Santanoni Summer Staff and Interpretive Coordinator!
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Our StoryBridge Oral History Project |
Throughout this winter, AARCH has collaborated with Our Story Bridge, a nonprofit dedicated to helping communities document and share stories. AARCH will be publishing a website where the community can record and share Santanoni stories ranging from experiences prior to state ownership, preservation across the historic complexes, to personal anecdotes about visiting the Great Camp. Keep an eye out for a launch announcement on Great Camp Santanoni and AARCH social media to learn more about this project and how you can participate and share your own story.
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Did you know that you can get a free tour at Santanoni every day during the summer? From July 1-August 10, the Santanoni staff will offer tours of the Main Camp at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. In addition, tours will be available Thursday-Sunday for the last three weeks in August (August 15-18, August 22-25, and August 29-September 1) and Saturdays from September 7 to October 12.
Ever been curious about the history and buildings at the Santanoni farm? Join the Santanoni staff at the farm for a free Saturday tour this summer to learn more about the staff, the quackless ducks, and the big idea behind creating this remote, Adirondack farm. Join the Santanoni staff on Saturdays at 2 pm from July 8-August 10 for a free farm tour.
While you’re in town, we recommend you stop by the Newcomb Historical Museum to check out this year’s exhibit on Newcomb Guideboat Builders. The Queen Anne, Anna Pruyn’s guideboat, is the star!
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Friends volunteers play a critical role in maintaining the work of decades at Santanoni and moving the site forward. Can’t make it to one of our scheduled volunteer days but have an idea for a volunteer day we should hold, or have a group that would love to come volunteer? Please reach out to wilkes@aarch.org or santanoni@aarch.org– we’d love to work with you! Opening Camp Volunteer Day
The Friends of Camp Santanoni will hold this annual workday on June 14 to spruce up the buildings at the Farm and Camp. We’ll spend the day opening buildings, sweeping, mopping, and getting camp set up for the season. Relish the breeze off of Newcomb Lake, share your time and skills, enjoy a tasty treat or two, and meet this summer’s new staff and other Friends. 9:30 am to 3 pm. Please rsvp to santanoni@aarch.org. Farm Landscape Work Days
Santanoni Historic Site Manager Wilkes Jordan will be holding farm landscape work days on Thursdays July 11, August 8, and September 12. The group will work on various landscape tasks at the farm to help maintain the open, farm landscape. Be sure to bring hand tools, work clothes, and a lunch. 9:30 am to 3 pm. Please rsvp to wilkes@aarch.org.
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| Santanoni Art and Music Day, July 27
From evening songs around the campfire, Ned’s plein-air paintings, and Anna’s photographs and nature terrariums, art and music played a central role at Camp Santanoni. During this event, we will offer programs, activities, and opportunities to make and watch art across the historic site. Special guest artists will be painting near the Gate Lodge from 10am to 3pm. We invite you to ask them about their work, and bring your own art supplies to join in. At the end of the day, stop by for a musical performance! Continue to the Farm for a 2 pm Farm tour. At the Main Camp, join us for a special Art and Music Tours at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. All three sites will feature art and activity tables with coloring pages, paper, and simple art supplies so everyone can join in on the fun.
All skill levels are welcome as we celebrate the interconnection of art, music, history, and nature in the Adirondacks. We hope to see you for this first-of-its-kind event! |
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Gate Lodge Tours
On Saturday, July 6th and September 7th, join us for special tours of the Santanoni Gate Lodge. Since 1905, the Gate Lodge has welcomed visitors to Santanoni Preserve. We will explore its landscape and architecture, learn about the staff, Pruyns, and Melvins who called it home, its early state ownership, and take a peek inside the building, all while enjoying a serenade from Fishing Brook! Tours meet at the stone arch at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. $10 donation suggested per person. Six-person tour maximum; advance reservations requested. Contact Santanoni@aarch.org to reserve a spot on this limited opportunity. |
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| Gate Lodge Complex Tours
On Saturday, August 3 and October 5, join us for NEW special tours of the entire Gate Lodge Complex. If you’ve ever peeked in the windows of the West Cottage or Gate Lodge, this program is for you. We’ll discuss the layers of history at this gateway to Santanoni and explore its landscape and architecture. After learning more about the Santanoni road’s early history, Art Tummins, who worked at Santanoni for over fifty years, and peeking down the Gate Lodge hallways, you’ll never see this area as a simple trailhead again!
Tours meet in the Santanoni Parking lot at 9 am and 1 pm. $15 donation suggested per person. Eight-person tour maximum; advance reservations requested. The tour will require some walking around the landscape and stair climbing within the buildings. Contact Santanoni@aarch.org to reserve a spot on this limited opportunity.
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“The Works” Santanoni Bike Excursion
The Santanoni Road has always been a popular mountain bike ride – and now you can pair that ride with a full guided experience of all three of Santanoni’s historic complexes. On Saturday, August 17, meet an interpretive guide at the trailhead for a brief orientation to Camp Santanoni, the only publicly owned Adirondack Great Camp and one of the region’s jewels. The group will explore the Gate Lodge, West Cottage, and surrounding landscape before setting off on the road. We will stop at a few points of interest on the 4.8-mile road, including a full tour of the farm, which historically featured 200 acres of cleared land and was home to several families and a remarkable array of animals. The day will culminate with an extended tour of the Main Camp, with an additional focus on the experience of the Santanoni staff. After the camp tour, visitors can take a short guided walk to the historic bath house for a remarkable view of Newcomb Lake and the mountains beyond. This experience will offer something for new and seasoned visitors to Santanoni!
This special excursion will meet at the parking lot at 9 am. Plan to bring your own bike and a lunch to eat during our stop at the Santanoni Farm. The program will end at the Main Camp in the afternoon (approximately 3 pm) and attendees can return at their leisure. $30 donation suggested per person. Ten-person tour maximum. NOTE: This program currently has a waitlist. If there is enough interest, we will offer an additional date! |
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Santanoni Winter Weekends 2024 |
We love winter at Santanoni, and so do you! We counted 390 visitors to the Artists Studio over the three weekends (120 in January, 220 in February, and 50 in March). Conditions were great in January and February for skiing and snowshoeing, but even our hikers in March arrived with smiles on their faces. We look forward to seeing you again in 2025! |
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Jennifer Betsworth Santanoni Interpretive Coordinator |
| Erin Tobin, Executive Director Adirondack Architectural Heritage
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| Wilkes Jordan Santanoni Historic Site Manager |
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The Friends of Camp Santanoni, a project of Adirondack Architectural Heritage with support from the Town of Newcomb and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, aims to provide long-term financial and volunteer support for the Camp. |
| Founded in 1990 to save Santanoni, Adirondack Architectural Heritage, the nonprofit historic preservation organization for New York's Adirondack region, seeks to preserve architecture and communities through education, action, and advocacy. |
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