The Adirondack Architecture Guide, Southern-Central Region

By Janet A. Null

Subjects: New York/regional, Architectural History/architecture
Series: Excelsior Editions
Imprint: Excelsior Editions
Paperback : 9781438466668, 360 pages, July 2017

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Table of contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
How to Use the Guide
Essays
Settlement in the Adirondacks

What Is an Adirondack “Camp”?

Rocks and Trees: Adirondack Building Materials

Adirondack Tanneries

William West Durant: Adirondack Developer and Designer
by Jeffrey Flagg, Ph. D.

Adirondack Railroads: When, Where, and Why
by Jane Mackintosh

Adirondack Fire Observation Stations

Adirondack Children’s Camps
by Hallie Bond

Cabin Colonies in the Adirondacks: A Home Away from Home

From Pattern Books to Catalog Houses

Crossings: Bridges of the Adirondacks
by David Biggs
TOURS
Tour A Warrensburg to Long Lake
Tour A-1 Hamlet of Warrensburg
Tour B Chestertown to Long Lake
Tour B-1 Hamlet of Chestertown
Tour B-2 Long Lake
Tour C Woodgate to Blue Mountain Lake
Tour C-1 Thendara–Old Forge
Tour C-2 Big Moose
Tour C-3 Raquette Lake
Tour D Rockwood to Speculator
Tour E Mayfield to Indian Lake
Tour E-1 Village of Northville
Tour F Broadalbin to Warrensburg
Tour G South Corinth to Lake George

Architects and Designers in the Southern-Central Adirondacks
Glossary of Architectural Styles and Terms

Explores the architectural treasures of the Southern-Central region of New York's Adirondack Park and places them in the context of Adirondack history and culture.

Description

Finalist for the 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in the Regional category

The Adirondack Architecture Guide, Southern-Central Region provides a professional and insightful survey of the built environment of a unique area within New York's Adirondack Park. This book is the first field guide to the architecture of the Park, revealing the ordinary and the extraordinary, the remarkable buildings by prominent designers, as well as the hidden, unexpected gems few know exist.

Based on more than seven thousand miles of fieldwork and years of research, the guide comprises more than seven hundred sites traversing the geographic range, socioeconomic strata, and historical span of the region from the late 1700s to the present. Organized according to clearly marked travel routes and fourteen tours on the ground and on the water, it features detailed maps and coordinates for each site, along with many beautiful photographs. Also included are eleven companion essays drawing on the expertise of professionals, local historians, and Adirondack residents that delve into the what, where, and why people built in the Adirondacks.

Janet A. Null is an award-winning architect and President of Argus Architecture & Preservation, P. C. She lives in upstate New York and has practiced throughout the Adirondack region for more than twenty-five years.

Reviews

"What sets this guide apart from the outsized body of published work on Adirondack resort rustic is its fresh treatment of the vernacular and civic buildings and structures that the region's permanent residents built for themselves … The author is a preservation architect with deep experience in the Adirondacks and a trustworthy guide who invested extraordinary drive and passion into this project. And it was worth the effort, for the guide succeeds as exemplary in presenting a difficult region's built diversity accurately and with substance and authority. " — APT International Bulletin

"…[provides] enjoyable readings on the history of settlements in the South-Central Region … While I would strongly recommend this for inclusion in the small rural public libraries in and surrounding the region, and especially for the various two- and four-year colleges in the Adirondacks, Capital District, and Central New York, universities providing historical architecture classes in their Schools of Architecture would also find this Guide an invaluable addition to their collection. Grabbing a copy for your own use isn't such a bad idea either!" — Fred Stoss, Pathways

"…a required acquisition for all New York State history collections, and it also would add measurably to libraries collecting works on regional architecture … Highly recommended. " — CHOICE

"…an impressive work. " — Times Union

"The Adirondack Architecture Guide, Southern-Central Region is a comprehensive collection of architectural and historical content about the area. " — Syracuse Post-Standard

"In The Adirondack Architecture Guide, beloved landmarks share the pages with little-known architectural gems through a series of curated tours. Each one tracks the history and development of the Southern-Central Adirondacks through its fascinating buildings, bridges, and byways. From first-time visitors to longtime residents, readers will find it packed with information designed to make the most of a side trip lasting a few hours or a weekend of exploring. This is a must-have source to guide your travels in one of the most beautiful and historic parts of New York, the Adirondack Park. " — Jay A. DiLorenzo, President, Preservation League of New York State

"This remarkable book presents architecture, broadly defined to include all man-made structures, as the key to understanding the history and culture of a vast National Historic Landmark. We are introduced to the sublime Chestertown Church of the Good Shepherd, the delightful Custard's Last Stand, the earnest Wakely Mountain Fire Tower, and the grand aspirations of the Mary Persons House. A detailed picture of two hundred years in a region of romantic wilderness, industry, tourism, and everyday life emerges to offer a compelling vision of a unique place. This guide is not only for architecture buffs and explorers. It is a model of historical research that presents an unbiased picture of the rich diversity of a fascinating region. " — Frances Halsband, Kliment Halsband Architects