Wiawaka Holiday House
Why it's listed
Wiawaka Holiday House occupies about 60 acres of lakefront and wooded hillside on the southeastern shore of Lake George. The site was once home to the United States Hotel, later the Crosbyside, and three buildings from that hotel survive: Fuller House (c.1876) and Mayflower and Rose Cottages (both c.1873), all in the Second Empire style. In 1903 the property was taken over as a non-profit retreat offering low-cost vacations to working women, founded by Mary Fuller with support from Katrina and Spencer Trask and George Foster Peabody. A fire in 1905 destroyed the hotel, after which a boathouse, Pine Cottage, an ice house, a barn and other buildings were added. Wakonda Lodge, built c.1905 in the Adirondack style, is also part of the district. Ten resources contribute and one 1963 motel-type building does not. The complex is listed for its social history and its intact, varied architecture, and it continues to serve its original purpose.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criteria A and C as a highly intact Adirondack resort complex in continuous use. Wiawaka was founded in 1903 as a non-profit to give working women affordable vacations, and it still serves that purpose. Its architecturally varied buildings and long-running social program make it a distinctive Adirondack resource.
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 98000874, listed July 15, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 9L, SE of Lake George, Lake George |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | July 15, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000874 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1873 - 1948 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Second Empire; Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival; Other/Adirondack Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings are in relatively good repair and the property is still used as a hotel/camp for the same purpose as when founded; Pine Cottage is the only year-round building. |
| Acreage | 59.6 |
| Coordinates | 43.42436, -73.69438 (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 98000874.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7998062
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.