Benjamin A. Muncil
Encyclopedia
Great Camps
Great camps refer to the grandiose family compounds of cabins that were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century on lakes in the Adirondacks such as Spitfire Lake and Rainbow Lake. The camps were summer homes for the wealthy, where they could relax, host or attend parties, and enjoy the...
; among his many projects was Marjorie Merriweather Post
Marjorie Merriweather Post
-External links:******...
's Camp Topridge
Camp Topridge
Camp Topridge is an Adirondack Great Camp bought in 1920 and substantially expanded and renovated in 1923 by Marjorie Merriweather Post, founder of General Foods and the daughter of C. W. Post. The "camp", in Paul Smiths, in the U.S...
, and White Pine Camp
White Pine Camp
White Pine Camp is an Adirondack Great Camp on Osgood Pond in Paul Smiths, New York. It served as the Summer White House for US President Calvin Coolidge from July 7 through September 18, 1926....
, a summer White House of US President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
.
Born in Vermontville, New York
Vermontville, New York
Vermontville is a hamlet in Franklin County in the state of New York. It is the seat of government of the town of Franklin. It is located near the south town line on NY-3.-History:...
, he started life as a lumberman at age 14 and as a guide and camp caretaker on Upper St. Regis Lake
Upper St. Regis Lake
Upper St. Regis Lake is a part of the St. Regis River in the Adirondacks in northern New York State. Along with Lower St. Regis Lake and Spitfire Lake, it became famous in the late 19th century as a summer playground of America's power elite, drawn to the area by its scenic beauty and by the...
at age 18. He was the first to use "brainstorm siding," wavey-edged cladding, in place of clapboard, at several camps, including White Pine Camp on Osgood Pond in 1907. Other projects included Camp Longwood and the Huntington camp, both on Spitfire Lake
Spitfire Lake
Spitfire Lake is a part of the St. Regis River in the Adirondacks in northern New York State. Along with Upper and Lower St. Regis Lake, it became famous in the late 19th century as a summer playground of America's power elite, drawn to the area by its scenic beauty and by the rustic charms of...
, and the Little Camp on Upper St. Regis Lake. The main boathouse at Topridge, with its curving cedar railings and twig work
Twig work
Twig-work is the term applied to architectural details constructed of twigs and branches, usually peeled, to form decorative motifs in buildings and furniture. The most common instances are found in Adirondack Great Camps, in northern New York State, although examples are also found in the...
screens, is one of the major and last examples of the naturalistic rustic tradition introduced by W. W. Durant. He also designed the American Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
style Brighton Town Hall
Brighton Town Hall
Brighton Town Hall is a historic town hall located at Brighton, Franklin County, New York. It was built in 1914 and is a modest, one story American Craftsman style building measuring 35 feet wide and 58 feet deep. It rests on a fieldstone foundation with exposed cobblestone piers at the front. ...
at Brighton, New York
Brighton, Franklin County, New York
Brighton is a town in Franklin County, New York, United States. The population was 1,682 at the 2000 census. It was named after Brighton, England by early surveyors in the region....
in 1914.
External links
- Adirondack Connections article on two Muncil sites. (pdf)
- United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service ADIRONDACK CAMPS THEME STUDY (pdf)
