Camp Pine Knot facts for kids
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Camp Pine Knot
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The "W" is for William West Durant
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 Location in New York Adirondack Park
Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Raquette Lake, NY |
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| Built | 1877 |
| Architect | William West Durant |
| Architectural style | Adirondack Great Camp |
| MPS | Great Camps of the Adirondacks TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002934 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 7, 1986 |
| Designated NHL | August 18, 2004 |
Camp Pine Knot, also known as Huntington Memorial Camp, is a special place in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. It sits right on Raquette Lake. This camp was built by William West Durant starting in 1877.
Camp Pine Knot was the very first of the famous "Adirondack Great Camps". It shows off the unique style of these camps perfectly. This style includes buildings made from logs and local stone. You'll also see cool decorations made from branches and twigs. The camp is set up like a small village, with many separate buildings. It is located on the southwest tip of Long Point, which stretches into Raquette Lake.
The camp has about two dozen buildings. These include a "Swiss Cottage" with seven rooms. There are also four "Log Cottages" with one to three rooms each. Two other cottages are made of wood frames and have three or five rooms. You can also find a "Glass Dining Room" and a barn for horses. Covered walkways connect many of the buildings.
There was even a special floating cabin called the Barque. It was 20 feet wide and 60 feet long. This cabin had four rooms and was built on a log raft. People used it to escape from annoying black flies in the spring. It had everything needed, including a kitchen and running water.
History of Camp Pine Knot
Camp Pine Knot was first started by William West Durant's father, Thomas C. Durant. He was a railroad builder. His idea was to create a beautiful place to attract people to invest in his land. But it was William West Durant who truly made it into the amazing model for all future Adirondack Great Camps.
In 1895, William West Durant sold the camp. The new owner was a very rich businessman named Collis P. Huntington.
The camp was not used much from the early 1900s until 1947. That year, it was sold to the State University of New York at Cortland for just one dollar! They wanted to use it as an Outdoor Education center. Even after being unused for so long, the buildings were still in great shape. They needed very few repairs. The old Barque floating cabin is even being rebuilt.
Camp Pine Knot is very important historically. In 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list recognizes places important to American history. Then, in 2004, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This is an even higher honor for places that show important parts of our nation's history.
Images for kids
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William West Durant at Camp Pine Knot, 1890. Photo by Seneca Ray Stoddard.
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The Durant Cabin in 2009.
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The Chalet building in 2009.
