Santanoni Great Camp

The development of the Great Camps of the Adirondacks began in the mid-to-late 19th century. Many wealthy families in the U.S. were attracted to the idea of having a summer home away from the city and closer to natural surroundings (mountains, lakes, etc.).

The first Great Camp was built by William West Durant - Camp Pine Knot in Raquette Lake. Camp Pine Knot featured many qualities that would appear in later camps, such as huge structures built out of logs and decorated with ornate designs. Everything was on a much grander scale, which is what made it a Great Camp.


In the late 19th century, a new Great Camp would be developed in the Adirondacks - Camp Santanoni. The first owners were the Pruyn family, which included prominent Albany banker and businessman Robert C. Pruyn (1847-1934) and his wife Anna Pruyn (1853-1939). After purchasing about 12,500 acres of land in Newcomb, the family hired architect Robert H. Robertson to design and build an Adirondack camp.


Interestingly, Camp Santanoni didn't turn out to be a traditional Great Camp. Although it does share similar structures as other camps, the overall design was inspired by Japanese culture. When Robert Pruyn was young, he lived with his father for a few years in Japan; his father was America's first foreign ambassador to Japan.

During Pruyn's time in Japan, he grew to admire Japanese design and culture. When Robertson started to build Camp Santanoni, he did so with input from Pruyn. For Santanoni, Pruyn envisioned a camp that existed in harmony with its natural surroundings. Instead of a large group of buildings, the camp's structures were positioned throughout the property's landscape. The shape of the Main Lodge became that of a phoenix in flight, symbolizing transition.


The Main Complex

Located around the southern shore of Newcomb Lake, the Main Complex featured the Main Lodge and several other buildings. The Main Lodge had a living and dining building with two bedrooms, four sleeping cabins, and a kitchen and service building for staff; all of these buildings shared a connecting roof and porch. Other buildings in the Main Complex included the boathouse, artist's studio, ice house and later a generator house.


The Gatehouse Complex

Located 4.7 miles south of the Main Complex, the Gatehouse Complex was built at Lake Harris. Along with the Gate Lodge, which had a large stone arch and staff bedrooms, the Gatehouse Complex featured a caretaker's home, barns, wagon sheds, other buildings, and the trailhead to the Farm Complex and Main Complex.



The Farm Complex

Located just north of the Gatehouse Complex, the Farm Complex was the camp's main source of food and produce. The complex included large barns (with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and more), four farmhouses, kennels, a stone creamery, smoke house and other buildings.