Environment DEC
From the October 2005 issue
Governor Announces $500,000 Grant for Historic Adirondack Site
Governor George E. Pataki announced a $500,000 grant to the Open Space Institute (OSI) to help restore historical elements of the Tahawus tract in the Town of Newcomb, Essex County. The property consists of approximately 10,000 acres in the heart of the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains, including the headwaters of the Hudson River and the historic site of the abandoned Village of Adirondac and the former Tahawus Club.
"The history of the Tahawus parcel helps to tell the story of the Adirondacks, and we are pleased to continue our efforts to restore and preserve this valuable property," Governor Pataki said. "Through this grant and our partnership with OSI, we will be able to enhance historic elements of the area, and create new opportunities for visitors to explore New York's rich heritage and the beauty of the Adirondacks."
OSI/State Cooperation
Three-thousand acres of
the tract will remain forest
OSI purchased the Tahawus property in 2003 and is working with the state to add nearly 7,000 acres on the northern portion of the property, immediately adjacent to the High Peaks Wilderness Area, to the state forest preserve. Approximately 3,000 acres will remain a working forest and several hundred acres comprising the abandoned Village of Adirondac and the original Tahawus Club property will be managed as a historic site. Conservation easements to be purchased by the state will protect the forest management area and other portions of the property.
The grant announced today will be used to stabilize McNaughton Cottage, the lone surviving frame structure from the original settlement of Adirondac. Funds will be used to stabilize and weatherize the building, and to develop and implement a long-term management and interpretive plan for the entire historic area, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Conservation Investment
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Acting Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan said, "Through this investment, we can enhance public use and enjoyment of this incredible property. Under Governor Pataki's leadership, the state is demonstrating how open space conservation can be used to help improve opportunities for tourism and the regional economy. We look forward to our continuing partnership with OSI to manage this outstanding historic and environmental resource."
Steven Engelhart, Executive Director of the Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH), said, "The proposed stabilization of the McIntyre Furnace and the restoration of McNaughton Cottage is great news for historic preservationists and everyone interested in the region's cultural heritage. These structures are extremely important to our understanding of mid-19th century regional history and, in particular, the importance of iron mining and manufacturing to the development of the eastern Adirondacks. AARCH has been concerned about the fate of these deteriorating structures for many years and has gone so far as to place them on our 'Endangered Properties List.' With this funding commitment by New York State to the Open Space Institute, the future now looks extremely bright. We look forward to working with all involved to move this project forward and to the time when the public can fully enjoy these special places."
The Tahawus tract is bordered on the west, north and east by state forest preserve land, and forms a wedge into the southern portion of the High Peaks Wilderness Area. It also includes Mount Adams, a 3,540-foot mountain with a historic fire tower that provides magnificent, panoramic views of the High Peaks.
Brief History of Tahawus
The area was once home to several
blast furnaces, several of which
still remain after nearly 200 years
Originally settled in 1826 as the Village of Adirondac, the site retains many historic resources, including the McIntyre Iron Works and other early blast furnaces, which illustrate the evolution of iron smelting technology. Tahawus was the site of one of the region's first iron mines, and was also operated as a titanium mine in the 20th century. The tract also served as a working forest for more than 150 years. Grant funds will be used to undertake basic repairs and brush clearing at the McIntyre furnace as well as stabilizing a dam and water wheel system associated with the furnace, and restoring several domestic foundations and the community cemetery. The "Upper Works" trail head and an extensive public trail system already on the property take visitors to Preston Ponds, the High Peaks and Mount Adams.
The village was abandoned in 1856, but a portion of the property was redeveloped 20 years later into the first sportsmen's club in the Adirondacks, the Tahawus Club. The club, located at the gateway to the High Peaks, was the site where Vice President Theodore Roosevelt learned that President McKinley had been shot. In September 1901, upon hearing the news that President William McKinley was near death from injuries sustained by an assassin's bullet, Roosevelt embarked from the McNaughton Cottage at the Tahawus Club on his historic midnight ride along the back roads of the Adirondacks to the North Creek railroad station. At the station, Roosevelt received a telegram informing him that President McKinley had died of his injuries. As a result, Roosevelt became our nation's 26th president.
See "Related Links" below for more information about the organizations mentioned in this story and a link to a story in the August 2004 issue of the Conservationist about the acquistion of the Tahawus tract by the state. Scroll down through the articles until you see the title "Tahawus Tract Acquired by New York State." Two versions of the story are available for download.
