Camp Wild Air facts for kids
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Camp Wild Air
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The "Bishops Palace"
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| Location | Upper Saint Regis Lake, New York 44°24′31″N 74°16′30″W / 44.40861°N 74.27500°W |
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| Built | 1882 |
| Architect | William Rutherford Mead |
| MPS | Great Camps of the Adirondacks TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002930 |
| Added to NRHP | November 7, 1986 |
Camp Wild Air is a really special summer retreat located on Upper Saint Regis Lake in the beautiful Adirondacks of New York. It was one of the very first "Great Camps" built in this area, starting way back in 1882! Imagine a huge, fancy summer home built in the wilderness, only reachable by water – that's what Camp Wild Air was like. It was created by a famous newspaper publisher named Whitelaw Reid and sits on a big piece of land that's like a mini-island. Today, it still has many of its original buildings, making it a cool historical spot.
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Discover Camp Wild Air: A Historic Adirondack Retreat
Camp Wild Air was built in 1882 and was the first permanent "camp" on Upper Saint Regis Lake. It's located in the town of Brighton, in Franklin County, New York. The camp was built by New York Herald Tribune publisher Whitelaw Reid. It sits on a 29-acre piece of land that you can only get to by water. Today, Camp Wild Air has 12 buildings, and 10 of them were built before 1931!
How Camp Wild Air Began
The idea for Camp Wild Air came from Reid's niece, Ella Spencer Reid. She also gave the camp its name. The land was first leased, meaning they rented it, before the Reids bought it in 1890.
Cool Buildings and Unique Designs
The main building at Camp Wild Air is called the "Living Room." It's made from logs that still have their bark on them. This building was designed by a famous architecture firm called McKim, Mead and White in 1917. It's special because it's the only known rustic design from that company. The Living Room has comfy sitting areas and a billiard (pool) room, all with great views of the lake.
One of the most interesting buildings is the "Bishop's Palace." This is a small, eight-sided log cabin right by the water. It has a huge fireplace and chimney. It got its name because church leaders sometimes used it. There are two other similar buildings at the camp, and they were all designed by William Rutherford Mead.
- The camp also has a guest cottage with eight bedrooms.
- There are two boathouses for boats.
- You can find a recreation hall for fun activities.
All the main buildings at Camp Wild Air are connected by stone walkways. Many of the furniture pieces inside the buildings are the original ones from when the camp was first built!
A Lasting Legacy
Camp Wild Air is still owned by the family members of the original owners. It's considered a very important historical site. In 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a special place that should be protected because of its history.
Images for kids
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The "Living Room"
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Billiard Room
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The Boathouse
Want to Learn More?
- Gilborn, Craig. Adirondack Camps: Homes Away from Home, 1850-1950. Blue Mountain Lake, NY: Adirondack Museum; Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2000.
- Kaiser, Harvey. Great Camps of the Adirondacks. Boston: David R. Godine, 1982.
- Hooker, Mildred Phelps Stokes, Camp Chronicles, Blue Mountain Lake, NY: Adirondack Museum, 1964. ISBN: 0-910020-16-7.
