Sylvia Lake Association’s 2004 "Tour de Camps" - July 17, 2004. Thank you to the Sylvia Lakers who opened their home to the community. Everyone loves their spot and it turns out... every spot is the best place.

Camp Sylvia (MaryJo Whalen)
Charles and Fleeta Whalen, from Canton, purchased the camp in 1936. They spent many full summers here with their children Robert and Mary and their grandchildren.
Charles did the fieldstone walls, front steps and flagstone docks, by hand. The living room has a working antique parlor stove. The tools and the chest in the dining room were used by Charles to carve letters and numbers into monuments.
Over the years, additions and modernizing has happened, but the camp retains its charm and classic style. The boathouse is a distinctive, flowering landmark on Sylvia Lake.
Many Whalen children and dogs and cats have enjoyed the camp over the years since Aunt Mary first came to Sylvia Lake.

This House Rocks! (Joanna & Bill deLorraine)
Built in 1993 on one of six parcels that comprised the original Wight estate, the deLorraine home faces just about due south overlooking Scout's Beach, one of a hand full of sandy beaches dotting the lake.
Harlow Greguire and Ode Kneutzen, a couple of master craftsmen whose attention to fine detail can be seen in the finish carpentry on the inside, built the home. Also inside, you will see rocks and minerals in almost every room because Bill deLorraine's tongue in cheek motto is "a rock in every room.”
Just inside the front door there are several mineral cabinets housing Bill's mineral collection. One cabinet is devoted to specimens from New York State while the other two display specimens from all over the world. One cabinet houses a piece of diamond drill core from the Hermon area that contains the mineral serendebite, a rare blue mineral found only in 7 locations worldwide.
The house is nestled in a saddle between two bedrock exposures of marble. At one time the ice over the camp area was about a mile thick!

The Robinson Point Cottage (Katie Pistolesi & Family)
The cottage on Robinson Point was built in the early 1890’s. Elmer J. Robinson built the cottage on his father’s farm, which extended from the California Road.
The original camp was built with lumber from the property. The main structure is virtually unchanged. The kitchen and bath were added on later. Note the yellow birch railing to the second floor. The fireplace was hand built by Elmer Robinson.
The property has been passed on from generation to generation of Elmer Robinson for over 100 years.

Fort Lehigh (Al Lehigh)
Alan Lehigh was a local boy, who grew up in Gouverneur and left the local area in 1954 to go into the Army. He worked for the telephone company for 40 years. In 1996, Alan and Shirley had a camp on the west shore. Fort Lehigh is their new home, built in 2003 - 2004. It has a majestic view of Sylvia Lake from the three decks above Pumphouse Bay. This year-round house is heated with oil and a wood stove.
Alan was a fireman for 38 years. Note the plaque on the porch. The antique dresser was originally in the home of a paper mill superintendent.

The Perrigo Camp (Olive & Gary Horning)
Olive Lane Perrigo Horning, granddaughter of the original owner, Dr. Perrigo of Antwerp, is the owner of this classic Adirondack camp. The log cabin was originally located in Saranac Lake and was taken apart log-by-log and shipped by horse and wagon to Sylvia Lake, where it was put back together. Later, an Adirondack style porch was added.
Olive has enhanced the cabin’s Adirondack style and heritage by furnishing it with Adirondack memorabilia. Notice the various animal skins- the reindeer skin from Lapland, the bear skin rug, a pronghorn deer head, a timber wolf, a fox, a coyote, and more. Keep your eyes open!
The drawer pulls on the porch dresser are deer bone, the lampshade is deerskin and the chandelier was hand crafted from deer antlers.
Even the tableware at the Perrigo Camp reflects the Adirondack spirit. The flatware is a twig design and the dishes are decorated with pine decals.