Camp Pine Knot

Infobox nrhp
name = Camp Pine Knot
nrhp_type = nhl
locmapin = New York Adirondack Park


caption = William West Durant at Camp Pine Knot, 1890, Seneca Ray Stoddard
location = Raquette Lake, NY
nearest_city =
lat_degrees = 43 | lat_minutes = 49 | lat_seconds = 16.77 | lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 74 | long_minutes = 37 | long_seconds = 34.31 | long_direction = W
area =
built = 1877
architect = William West Durant
architecture = Adirondack Great Camp
designated = August 18, 2004 cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-1736652883&ResourceType=
title=Camp Pine Knot|date=2007-09-11|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = November 07, 1986 cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
mpsub=Great Camps of the Adirondacks TR
refnum=86002934
governing_body = New York State

Camp Pine Knot, also known as Huntington Memorial Camp, on Raquette Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, was built by William West Durant. Begun in 1877, it was the first of the "Adirondack Great Camps" and epitomizes the "Great Camp" architectural style. Elements of that style include log and native stonework construction, decorative rustic items of branches and twigs, and layout as a compound of separated structures. It is located on the southwest tip of Long Point, a two mile long point extending into Raquette Lake, in the Town of Long Lake in Hamilton County, New York.

The camp consists of some two dozen buildings, including a seven-room "Swiss Cottage", four "Log Cottages" of one to three rooms, two frame cottages of three and five rooms, a "Glass Dining Room", and a five-stall horse barn and wagon shed. Covered walkways connect many of the buildings. There was also the "Barque", a 20 by 60 foot four-room bark cabin built on a log raft, used to escape from the dreaded black fly in the spring; it was fully equipped, with a kitchen, bath, and running water.

History

Pine Knot was started by Durant's father, railroad developer Thomas C. Durant, as a showplace to draw investors to Durant's holdings, but it was William West Durant that would develop it into the remarkable model for Adirondack Great Camps to follow. In 1890 West sold the camp to wealthy industrialist, Collis P. Huntington.

The camp went unused from the start of the 20th century until 1949, when it was given to the State University of New York at Cortland, as their Outdoor Education center. Due to the soundness of its construction, despite its long disuse, the buildings required little repair. The "Barque" is being rebuilt.

The camp was included in a multiple property submission for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986,citation|title=PDFlink| [http://www.nr.nps.gov/multiples/64000555.pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Great Camps of the Adirondacks Thematic Resources] |2.75 MB|date=July, 1986 |first=Larry E. |last=Gobrecht |publisher=National Park Service] was in fact listed in 1986, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2004.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/86002934.pdf National Historic Landmark Nomination: Camp Pine Knot / Huntington Memorial Camp] |447 KB|author=William E. Krattinger|date=October 2002|publisher=National Park Service] cite web|last=Smith|first=Raymond W.|coauthor=Richard C. Younken|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Camp Pine Knot |url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=3621 |date=1986 (assumed date)|accessdate=2008-01-09 and [http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=3620 "Accompanying 5 photos, undated"] ]

ee also

*Camp Uncas
*Sagamore Camp

References

ources

* Gilborn, Craig. "Durant: Fortunes and Woodland Camps of a Family in the Adirondacks". Utica, NY: North Country Books, 1981.
* Kaiser, Harvey. "Great Camps of the Adirondacks." Boston: David R. Godine, 1982.

External links

* [http://www.cortland.edu/outdoor/article.html SUNY Cortland Outdoor Education, "Cortland's Raquette Lake Camp Becomes First National Historic Landmark in SUNY", by Peter D. Koryzno, Winter 2004]
* [http://www.cortland.edu/outdoor/raquette/ch_history.html SUNY Cortland Outdoor Education - History of Camp Huntington (Pine Knot)]
* [http://www.greatcamps.com/tour.htm Camp Pine Knot - The Origin of the Adirondack Great Camp]
* [http://www.sthubertsisle.com/page169.html St. Hubert's Isle - Adirondack Great Camps - Pine Knot, Uncas & Sagamore - Photos]