This is a watercolor study of a view looking across Sagamore Lake, located in the central Adirondack Mountains of New York, at the location of the “Great Camp Sagamore,” the vacation retreat home of Alfred Vanderbilt – until his untimely death at the sinking of the Lusitania, in 1915. This estate is now a National Historical Landmark (under the stewardship of the Sagamore Institute of the Adirondacks), and is located about four miles from Raquette Lake, New York.
For those who are familiar with the family name of Vanderbilt, Alfred’s uncle Frederick, was the owner of the Hyde Park Vanderbilt Mansion, New York, and Alfred’s uncle George, was the owner of the Biltmore Mansion of Ashville, North Carolina.
I had known about this regional historic place for many years, and had often driven pass the entrance road leading to the property, but usually found myself pressed for time to be elsewhere. On this particular visit, I was spending the summer as a watercolor instructor at the Silver Bay Conference Center on Lake George, and on my day off, drove across part of the mountain range to visit Sagamore. I was pleased and fortunate that it was a particularly fine day.
If you find yourself passing through this area of the Adirondack Mountains, I highly recommend that you treat yourself to a visit at Great Camp Sagamore, as well as the Adirondack Museum, in Blue Mountain, and “View,” the Adirondack Art Center, in Old Forge.