The History of Hotel Champlain and 香港六合彩开奖记录 on Bluff Point
Bluff Point, just four miles south of Plattsburgh, New York, sits on the highest point of Lake Champlain, 200 feet above the lake and 296 feet above sea level. From here, you get amazing views of the North Country. Looking east, across the 12 miles of Lake Champlain, you can see the shores of Vermont and the Green Mountains. Valcour Island, also to the east, is home to one of the oldest and largest Great Blue Heron nesting sites in North America, with over 400 pairs raising their young there. To the west, you can spot the Saranac River Valley and the Adirondack Mountains, with a fantastic view of Whiteface Mountain. Before European settlers arrived, this area was part of the Iroquois Confederation, specifically belonging to the Mohawk, or Kanyenke鈥檋aka, people.
Nearly Four Centuries of American History
Bluff Point's story began in July 1609 when French explorer Samuel de Champlain first ventured onto Lake Champlain with his Algonquian allies. A couple of months later, in September, English Sea Captain Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now carries his name while exploring for the Dutch.
Their journeys helped open up a route between what would become French Canada (New France) and the British Colonies, laying the groundwork for European settlement in North America. During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), the British and French fought for control of key spots along Lake Champlain, an important transportation route between the Hudson River and the lower St. Lawrence, an area later called the "Warpath of Nations".
Bluff Point, the highest spot overlooking Lake Champlain鈥檚 northwestern shore, became a natural place for keeping an eye on ships passing between New France and French forts at Crown Point and Ticonderoga. This lookout was also used during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to monitor enemy movements on the lake.
In the French and Indian War, British Captain William Loring, part of General Jeffery Amherst鈥檚 fleet, forced three French sloops and a schooner to be sunk near what is now Cliff Haven on October 12, 1759. Two British cannons from 1748 that were on board, and had been captured by the French, were recovered by divers in 1968. One was later displayed on the second floor of 香港六合彩开奖记录鈥檚 Moore Building, and the other was placed at the Crown Point State Historic Site museum.
The first naval battle in North America between the American Navy, led by Benedict Arnold, and the British Navy happened near Bluff Point. The spot is now visible from the second-floor veranda of 香港六合彩开奖记录鈥檚 Moore Building. The Battle of Valcour took place from October 11-13, 1776, where Arnold鈥檚 16-ship fleet was defeated by a British fleet of 32 ships under Sir Guy Carleton. Although the Americans lost, the battle delayed the British, giving the Continental Army time to prepare for the crucial victories at Saratoga in 1777.
On September 11, 1814, the Battle of Plattsburgh occurred just north of Bluff Point, between Cumberland Head and Crab Island. American Commodore Thomas Macdonough led his fleet to a significant victory over the British, which helped bring an end to the War of 1812. An anchor from the USS Preble, part of Macdonough鈥檚 fleet, is now on display at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing on the 香港六合彩开奖记录 campus.
Crab Island, which is visible from 香港六合彩开奖记录鈥檚 Moore Building, served as a hospital for wounded American and British soldiers during the Battle of Plattsburgh. Many of the soldiers who died from their wounds were buried on the island, and their graves remain there today. A monument was erected in 1908 to honor American veterans of the War of 1812.
The Age of Great Railroad Hotels
In the early 1870s, Smith M. Weed, a well-known attorney, entrepreneur, and politician in Plattsburgh, bought the Bluff Point property with the idea of building a home. However, after falling in love with the amazing views, he decided to build roads and an observation tower so the people of Plattsburgh could enjoy the scenery of Lake Champlain. Seeing a great business opportunity, Weed came up with the idea of turning Bluff Point into a resort. He convinced the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company (D&H) to help promote the area as a resort destination, particularly appealing to wealthy downstate residents.
D&H teamed up with the New York and Canada Railroad Company to extend a railroad line to northern New York. With a $70,000 grant from the New York State Legislature, they completed the line between Albany, New York, and Montreal, Quebec, in 1876. D&H also bought the Champlain Transportation Company, the oldest steamboat company in America, giving them control over much of the transportation in the North Country.
D&H liked the idea of turning the North Country into a summer hotspot and got on board with Weed鈥檚 plan to build a luxury resort hotel at Bluff Point. A local committee was formed to promote the project and raise funds by selling stock. On August 15, 1888, at a public meeting in the Clinton County Courthouse, Weed sold the 363-acre Bluff Point property to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company for $25,000. The company planned to build what they called "the hotel of hotels." The Bluff Point Hotel Company was set up with A.L. Inman as president, C.N. Booth as secretary and treasurer, and A. Van Santvoord, Robert Oliphant, Smith M. Weed, and Col. LeGrand B. Cannon as directors. Construction began on September 8, 1888.
Weed鈥檚 vision had a lasting impact on Clinton County's economy, as his Bluff Point project helped make the North Country a popular tourist destination.
The Hotel of all Hotels
Hotel Champlain opened on June 17, 1890, at a cost of over $250,000 and was served by rail and steamship. Billed as 鈥淭he Superb Adirondack and Lake Champlain Resort,鈥� the 500-room facility also included 11 cottages, a 500-foot beach called the 鈥淏each of the Singing Sands,鈥� a 52-boat capacity boathouse, its own electrical power plant, water pumping station, train station, steamship dock, and the Bluff Point Golf Course. Architect George W. Harney designed the original large white and gray building with gleaming red roofs. It featured 500 rooms with ornate Victorian wood frame construction and broad verandas extending around three sides of the first and second floors. Holland Enslie of Cornwall-on-the-Hudson was the contractor for the hotel and other buildings. Built directly on solid rock, the building was 400 feet long and 75 feet wide. Three massive towers atop the five-story building provided a 鈥渂ird鈥檚 eye view鈥� of the lake, nearby islands, and the surrounding mountains of New York and Vermont. Two of the towers rose an additional two stories, while the center tower extended five stories higher to a height of 125 feet above Bluff Point.
Featuring all the luxuries of the 鈥淕ay Nineties,鈥� the resort offered guests the ultimate in relaxation. The hotel promised perfect conditions year-round, tempered by the dry cooling breezes of Lake Champlain, and was free of nuisances like mosquitoes or flies. A special railroad station and steamship dock brought vacationers to the Bluff Point area. From these arrival points, guests were transported in horse-drawn carriages to the hotel entrance. There, an assortment of bellhops, servants, waiters, and childcare attendants ensured guests could enjoy their leisure without interruption. The resort offered bridle paths, tennis courts, a yacht club, fishing excursions, hiking trails, a private beach and bathhouse, a bar and billiard room, a bowling alley, a pastry room, wine and store rooms, and children鈥檚 playrooms. The nearby Catholic Summer School of America at Cliff Haven, chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, hosted lectures on philosophy, science, literature, art, history, and musical programs that guests could attend.
Hotel furnishings included lace curtains, Ispahan rugs, antique oak bedroom sets, gold and white ballroom furniture, elm lounging chairs, Havilland and Staffordshire dining room china, silver utensils of the Meriden Britannia pattern, and linens made in Scotland. The sixth floor of the main tower was used as a 鈥渟moking and lounging room.鈥� The resort had a 450-ton icehouse, its own spring water bottled for guests, a separate laundry, and elevators. The first-floor offices extended through the body of the hotel and were built in a circular form of enclosed glass on the lakeside. The hotel was lit with the 鈥渋ncandescent light, Westinghouse System鈥� using over 1,500 bulbs, and had an electric call system, a fire alarm system, and local and long-distance telephone service. Landscape architect Charles H. Miller of Philadelphia aimed to leave the grounds as natural as possible while creating eight miles of splendid roads across the bluff. A three-mile macadam road was also built from Bluff Point to the Plattsburgh Military Reservation.
Adjacent to the west of the hotel was the Bluff Point Golf Resort, the fifth golf course established in the United States. It opened in 1890 and soon became popular with golfers, offering a 9-hole pitch and putt course for warming up. The Bluff Point Golf Resort remains a first-rate golfing facility to this day.
In 1897, U.S. President William McKinley used the hotel as the "Summer White House," along with his wife, Vice President Hobart and his family, the Secretary of War, and various other cabinet members. The Twenty-first Regiment Infantry Band of the Plattsburgh Barracks played for President McKinley daily.
Throughout its 60-year history, the Hotel Champlain's guest register read like a Who鈥檚 Who of international business, politics, high society, and sports, including U.S. Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as well as Thomas Edison, Britain鈥檚 Lord Beaverbrook, and George Herman "Babe" Ruth.
From July 4 to July 10, 1909, the Lake Champlain Tercentenary Celebration took place, marking the 300-year anniversary of the European discovery of Lake Champlain. A banquet was held at the Hotel Champlain on July 7, 1909, attended by 450 dignitaries, including President William Howard Taft, Governor of New York Charles Evans Hughes, Governor of Vermont George Prouty, British Ambassador James Bryce, French Ambassador Jean Jules Jusserand, U.S. Secretary of War John Dickinson, and former U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of War, New York U.S. Senator Elihu Root. The hotel grounds were decorated with thousands of Japanese lanterns and countless American flags.
The following spring, on May 25, 1910, as preparations were underway for another summer season, the original Hotel Champlain鈥檚 wood frame building burned to the ground. Fortunately, all 60 employees escaped injury, but the old hotel was completely destroyed, leaving hundreds of regular visitors without their vacation paradise. The cause of the fire was unknown, though poor electrical wiring due to squirrel damage was speculated locally. The New York Times reported it was 鈥渂elieved to have resulted from a lighted cigarette or cigar carelessly thrown aside.鈥� The loss was estimated at $300,000, but the hotel was insured for only $231,000. The Plattsburgh Daily Press described the scene as 鈥渙ne of desolation at daybreak,鈥� and The Sun reported that the fire 鈥渃ould be seen in two states and several counties.鈥� That summer, 鈥渢he Cottage Colony at Bluff Point鈥� served guests who had rented cottages, suites, or rooms, and 鈥渢he Old Bungalow鈥� was converted into a restaurant. Construction on a new structure began on September 10, 1910.
The New Hotel Champlain
On July 11, 1911, the new Hotel Champlain, made of concrete and stone, opened and welcomed back guests to their Adirondack getaway. This new version had been built with a steel frame to be 鈥渇ireproof鈥� and was smaller than the original, with just 200 rooms. However, it still had the same great vibe. A new garage for 50 cars had been added near the railroad station.
Inside, the hotel was decked out in Louis XIV style, complete with an open-air grotto, a grill, and a dining hall serving top-notch food. The grounds featured charming cottages and were landscaped with beautiful gardens and flowers. The Beach of the Singing Sands had a well-equipped bathhouse offering swimming lessons. Other perks included the Green Drive bridle path for horseback riding, stables, steamboat trips, evening dances in the Louis XIV Ballroom (except Sundays) with special music, and scenic car trips. The hotel was also the official hotel of the Automobile Club of America.
For 40 years, the new Hotel Champlain flourished as a top vacation spot, known for its romance and excitement from the early 1900s through the Roaring Twenties and World War I. During Prohibition, it was a popular getaway for New Yorkers who wanted to enjoy cocktails in a more relaxed setting. The hotel even hosted part of the 1924 silent film Janice Meredith (also called The Beautiful Rebel), starring actors like George Nash, Harrison Ford, Halbrook Blinn, and Marion Davies. Guests could watch the film crews and actors in action, adding to the hotel's charm.
However, the stock market crash of 1929 hit hard, and the hotel began to struggle. Even though it continued to offer luxury stays for a while, the Great Depression, World War II, and changing vacation trends took a toll. On March 1, 1931, the D&H Railroad sold the hotel to Cummings and Vineburg of Montreal, who then sold it in 1939 to J.L. Mailman, A.L. Mailman, and Otto Kraus from Montreal, who operated it at a loss until 1950. The Mailman Brothers updated the hotel with furniture from the ill-fated steamship Normandie and built the Cabana Club on the Singing Sands Beach. Despite these efforts, the hotel struggled financially, as the era of grand railroad hotels came to an end with the rise of cars, air conditioning, and new vacation trends.
Bellarmine College Jesuit Seminary
On July 2, 1951, the Mailman Brothers sold the hotel and Bluff Point property to the Society of Jesus. They converted it into Bellarmine College, a Jesuit seminary, which operated until 1967. The grand old hotel became the elegant Bellarmine College, dedicated to training Jesuit priests. Where lively orchestras had once played for summer dancers, liturgical music now provided the backdrop for students studying religious life and classical languages. Bellarmine College closed in 1966 after 15 years, leaving the Bluff Point facility empty for the first time since it originally opened in 1890.
香港六合彩开奖记录
After months of searching and discussions, Clinton County officials chose the Bluff Point site for 香港六合彩开奖记录. Governor Nelson Rockefeller approved it on October 14, 1966, and it was chartered by SUNY. Once a luxurious retreat for the elite, this site now served everyone in the North Country who wanted higher education. In 1969, SUNY approved the former hotel as a temporary home for 香港六合彩开奖记录 (CCC), which opened on September 16 with 216 students, 189 of whom were full-time. The Bluff Point location was selected for its natural beauty and historical significance, making it an ideal college campus.
In May 1971, CCC graduated its first class of 38 students. That year, SUNY bought the hotel and Bluff Point property for $1,045,000, securing a permanent home for the college. The Childcare Center opened in the renovated McKinley Cottage in 1990, which would become the Zone 9 Police Training Academy in 2023. The William Forrence Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Building was added in 1991, and the Ronald B. Stafford Center for Arts, Science and Technology opened in 2001. The hotel building was renamed the George Moore Academic and Administrative Building in 2007. In 2010, the Grandview Cottage was restored and became the CCC Alumni Cottage. The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing opened in 2017, and the restoration of the George Moore Building, the former Hotel Champlain, was completed in 2022.
History Commemorated
In October 2022, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation installed a New York State Historic Marker at the south entrance of the Moore Building to honor the Hotel Champlain. The marker reads: