Sagamore Hotel Complex
Why it's listed
Green Island, a wooded rise just off the west shore of Lake George, holds a resort complex that grew in three phases between 1883 and 1930. The Green Island Improvement Company, formed in 1882 by wealthy seasonal visitors, planned a hotel with private shore-lot cottages whose owners would dine at the hotel. The first hotel opened in 1883 and burned in 1893. A second, opened in 1896, burned in 1914. The present 200-room hotel was begun in 1922 and enlarged in 1930 in a Colonial Revival design by Boston architect Harold Field Kellog. Surviving cottages, stable, annex, icehouse and garage show the resort's earlier development. Donald J. Ross designed an eighteen-hole golf course with a Tudor Revival clubhouse in 1927. The hotel hosted the 1954 National Governors' Conference and closed in 1980. The nominated area covers 302 acres.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is a significant example of resort development in the Adirondack-Lake George region. Its buildings show how the Green Island resort evolved through three successive hotels, from a planned summer colony into a larger resort. The dramatically sited hotel, golf course and clubhouse evoke genteel resort life on Lake George.
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 83001824, listed July 21, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Green Island and Federal Hill, Bolton Landing |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | July 21, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001824 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1882-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Various; Wilson Brothers and Company (first hotel and Wapanak and Nirvana cottages); Harold Field Kellog (1930 hotel expansion); Donald J. Ross (golf course) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (hotel); Queen Anne and Tudor Revival (cottages and clubhouse) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Hotel closed in 1980 after code violations; present use listed as vacant. Hotel interior much altered since the 1950s, and the golf course is partly overgrown. |
| Acreage | 302 |
| Coordinates | 43.56906, -73.65424 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83001824.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7762027
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.