Whelan Camp
Why it's listed
Whelan Camp is a lakeside retreat on a point of land on the west shore of Raquette Lake, in the Adirondack Park of Hamilton County, New York. Built between about 1915 and 1918 for New York City cigar store magnate George J. Whelan, it centers on a sprawling shingled main camp measuring 102 by 54 feet, with an enclosed verandah, sleeping porches and fieldstone chimneys. Five support buildings include servants' quarters, a power house, a workshop and a log lean-to. A curving fieldstone terrace wall frames the main camp on its wooded slope. Inside, Arts and Crafts furniture, granite and fieldstone fireplaces and a stage in the north wing survive. The property is considered important as a smaller, well-preserved example of early twentieth century Adirondack camp design, built when wealthy families arrived by private rail car and steamboat. Historic photographs show the setting changed little over the years, and the camp keeps its original character.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the camp as a well-preserved example of early twentieth century Adirondack camp architecture, a rustic interpretation of the Shingle style with Stick, Arts and Crafts and Bungalow elements. It shows how camp life and design changed at Raquette Lake and documents a more modestly scaled camp among the estates of wealthy families. It also retains a high degree of integrity in setting, design, materials and craftsmanship.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89002089, listed December 21, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mick Rd., Long Lake |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | December 21, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89002089 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Shingle style with Stick, Arts and Crafts, and Bungalow elements (Adirondack Rustic) |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a camp; the form notes the power house apartment was being renovated for a caretaker and the boathouse was reconstructed in 1986-1988. |
| Acreage | 6.7 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.80761, -74.65325 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89002089.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7992382
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.