A New and Improved Ghost Town By Justin Levine, Adirondack Council Communications and Outreach Assistant I first visited the Adirondack ghost town of Adirondack sometime in the early 1990s. My dad loaded me, my older brother, my uncle, and my mom’s cousin into our car for the trek. We drove up Route 30 through Speculator and Long Lake before making our way through Newcomb and out to the Tahawus area. I remember driving slowly to the trailhead, looking out the windows at the decrepit buildings that were falling in on themselves and which seemed to be right on the side of the road. I didn’t know it at the time, but that visit would eventually turn into a life-long love of Tahawus, Adirondac, and all the history packed into this abandoned town. My mom’s family is from this area, with my great grandfather, grandfather, several great uncles and an uncle all working in the mines. It’s rumored that my great grandmother was Valedictorian of her graduating class at the Newcomb School, though it’s also said that she was the sole graduate that year - I have no idea if it’s true, but it’s a good story. The Tahawus area was home to mining and lumbering operations for well over a century, and also served as a luxury resort for the mine higher-ups and their well-to-do friends. Also known as Adirondac, the town only exists in memory now, though some pieces of history have been restored and preserved.
Furnace: Open Space Institute has preserved much of the Tahawus area, including historic hiking trails and signs.
Needless to say, I was excited to take a recent trip down to Tahawus to check out the improvements made this summer by the Open Space Institute (OSI), which purchased the area from Houston-based National Lead Industries in 2003. This property included landmarks like the massive furnace, Lake Henderson, the ghost town, 6
Henderson Lake: Henderson Lake is a secluded lake in the High Peaks, and is the unofficial beginning of the Hudson River.
and the McNaughton Cottage, where Teddy Roosevelt was staying when he lit out on his midnight ride to the presidency in 1901. After buying the land from the mining company, OSI sold the bulk of the land to the state to be added to the Forest Preserve. However, OSI held on to the area along the road, including the still-standing structures. This is a great case study in how public/private partnerships can benefit the Adirondacks, protecting the
Road: The road from the new parking area to the old one at Upper Works has been leveled and graveled, increasing accessibility and opportunities to enjoy the area.
resource while also improving access. The Adirondack Council is proud to support these kinds of projects, and until the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Adirondack Park Agency get increased budgets and more employees, private stewardship of some resources is essential.
EMBARK ~ Get Up, Get Out
Fall 2021
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