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Centennial Site
Fort William Henry Hotel
48 Canada Street
Lake George, NY 12845
(518) 668-3081 or (800) 234-0267
Fax: (518) 668-4926http://www.fortwilliamhenry.com
Historic Fort William Henry Hotel has survived a devastating fire, the Civil War, two world wars, the Great Depression and major upheavals in the tourism industry. In fact, when the fort was opened in 1856 as the first elegant resort on Lake George, the United States included only 31 states, and the town of Lake George was still known as Caldwell.
In its second century, the hotel is still thriving as the oldest resort on Lake George. Fort William Henry's commanding location on a grassy expanse overlooking southern Lake George attracted thousands of high-society travelers between 1855 and 1908, including young Theodore Roosevelt and his family. The resort was elegant and big, expanding from a 150-room inn to a massive 1,000-room resort with the most luxurious amenities for its time.
In 1868, the hotel was sold for $125,000 to Roessle & Sons of Albany who raised the entire front section so a new 16-foot main floor could be built under it and topped it with a fifth floor. The project cost $200,000 - more than the original purchase price of the resort.
The expanded hotel was elegant. Its furnishings were of the latest fashion - dark and heavy - and rooms were lighted by gas that was produced on the hotel grounds. A huge dining room offered a stunning view of Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains. Near the dining room were the cigar shop, newsstand, billiard room and the telegraph office where hourly stock market quotations were available to its affluent guests.
Ambitious visitors enjoyed lumber wagon rides up nearby Prospect Mountain and boat rides to Tea Island, where they sipped tea in a small teahouse. They could walk to the ruins of neighboring Fort William Henry, which was destroyed by the French in 1757 during the French and Indian Wars. But mainly the well-to-do guests camped out on the fort's high-society porch, showing off elegant fashions and jewelry and hobnobbing with each other and observing the arrival of each new guest as they debarked from the stagecoaches. Each Thursday evening, Fort William Henry hosted a grand ball complete with a lavish multi-course dinner and a full orchestra providing music for dancing.
In 1909, a devastating fire destroyed the hotel but only a year later, a new, simpler but still classic Fort William Henry took its place. The new hotel had private baths, steam heat, and Chippendale and Colonial furniture. Most importantly, it was fireproof. Today, the hotel is still enchanting guests with its spectacular views of the lake and mountains, Olympic-sized swimming pool and three fine restaurants.