The remnants of Tahawus, New York offer a window into the past. This abandoned community, which once held the dreams and ambitions of its settlers, now stands as a historical marker of New York’s development. Its weathered structures tell stories of prosperity, hardship, and eventual decline.
County: Essex
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 44° 3′ 2 N, 74° 3′ 4 W
Elevation: Not available
Time Zone: Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
Established: Not available
Disestablished: Not available
Comments: This location tahawus (also called Adirondac, or McIntyre, pronounced ‘tuh-hawz’) was a village in the Town of Newcomb, Essex County, New York, United States. It is now a ghost town situated in Adirondack Park. Tahawus is located in Essex County within the unpopulated northern area designated to the town of Newcomb.
Remains: Visitors to the site will find tahawus was the site of major mining and iron smelting operations in the 19th century. Although standing as recently as 2005, the last mining facilities have since been demolished and removed (with the exception of some minor garages, blast furnaces, and outbuildings).
Current Status: The former settlement is now the remains of at least 10 buildings remain on the former village site; most of them were constructed between 1890 and 1930 by the Tahawus Club. Only one of the buildings still standing on the site dates from the years when the old mining village of Adirondac was in operation, along with the remnants of the McIntyre Blast Furnace (built 1854). The furnace site has recently been cleared, and the furnace stack stabilized and cleaned. This was done as part of the Tahawus Tract project undertaken by the Open Space Institute which purchased the area in August 2003. Also, as part of a grant given for area cleanup and historic preservation, the old MacNaughton Cottage (built in 1845, one of the approximately ten remaining buildings) underwent restoration. This was the house that Vice President Theodore Roosevelt stayed in during his hike to Mount Marcy when he received news of President William McKinley being close to death after being shot in Buffalo, New York on September 6, 1901. No buildings are known to remain at the latter community of Tahawus along Sanford Lake, including the mines.
Remarks: Visitors to Tahawus often reflect on how quickly fortunes could change in frontier communities. The site serves as an important reminder of New York’s dynamic history and the transient nature of many early settlements.
Tahawus, New York stands as one of the most historically significant ghost towns in the Adirondack region, with a rich and complex past that spans nearly two centuries. This former mining community, sometimes referred to by its earlier name of Adirondac, has experienced multiple cycles of settlement, abandonment, and rebirth, making it a fascinating study in the economic and social forces that shape and reshape communities in rural America.
Origins and Early Settlement (1826-1858)
The story of Tahawus begins in 1826 when Archibald McIntyre and David Henderson discovered iron ore deposits on the banks of the Upper Hudson River in the remote wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains. Recognizing the potential economic value of this discovery, they established the Adirondack Iron Works Company and founded a small settlement to support the mining operations. This village was initially named McIntyre after Archibald himself but was later renamed Adirondac around 1840.
Throughout its early existence, the village developed into a self-contained community with all the necessary infrastructure to support the mining operation and its workers. The settlement included two farms, a blast furnace and forge, a puddling furnace, charcoal and brick kilns, trip hammers, a grist mill, and a saw mill. Sixteen dwellings housed the workers and their families, while a distinctive building with a cupola served multiple functions as a school, church, and general assembly room.
The community even established its own financial institution, the McIntyre Bank, which holds the distinction of being the first organized state bank in the Adirondacks. This level of development demonstrates the ambition and optimism that characterized the early years of the settlement.
The iron produced at Adirondac was widely regarded as some of the finest in the country. According to records from The New York State Adirondack Park Agency, while many of the best American and Scotch pig-iron products were selling for $20-$22 per ton, the output from the Adirondack Iron Works consistently commanded twice that price, reflecting its exceptional quality.
However, the remote location of the settlement presented significant logistical challenges. Transportation of both raw materials and finished products was extremely difficult, with winter supplies being shipped on sleds from Albany up primitive mountain roads to Lake Champlain. In 1854, the Sackets Harbor and Saratoga Railroad Company began construction of a railroad with the hopes of reaching Adirondac, which prompted the mining company to build a new state-of-the-art blast furnace that would greatly improve efficiency and profitability.
Unfortunately, it soon became clear that the railroad would never reach the remote settlement. This transportation problem, combined with the discovery of titanium dioxide in the ore (which at the time was considered a contaminant that complicated the smelting process), the death of McIntyre, a general economic downturn, and a devastating flood, led to the closure of the McIntyre Adirondack Iron & Steel Company in 1858. The village was subsequently abandoned, marking the first of several cycles of desertion that would characterize Tahawus’s history.
The Tahawus Club Era (1876-1941)
After lying largely abandoned for nearly two decades, the village and surrounding property found new purpose when they were leased to a hunting and fishing club called the Preston Ponds Club in 1876. This organization, notable for being the first of its kind in the Adirondacks, replaced most of the deteriorating industrial buildings with cottages and transformed the former mining settlement into a recreational retreat.
It was during this period that the village received its current name, Tahawus. In 1877, the club was renamed the Adirondack Club, and the entire Tahawus Tract was leased to them from the heirs of the original mining operation. The club underwent another name change in 1898, becoming the Tahawus Club. The first president of this iteration was James MacNaughton of Albany, whose father had married the daughter of Archibald McIntyre, creating a connection to the settlement’s founder.
The Tahawus Club transformed the former industrial site into a luxury resort that catered to wealthy and influential members and their guests. The club maintained the property and preserved some of the historic structures while adapting others to serve the recreational needs of its members.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Midnight Ride
Perhaps the most famous historical event associated with Tahawus occurred in September 1901 and involved future President Theodore Roosevelt. On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot by an assassin in Buffalo. At the time, Vice President Roosevelt was at a speaking engagement at Isle La Motte in Lake Champlain. Upon hearing the news, Roosevelt rushed to Buffalo to be with the President.
When doctors assured Roosevelt that McKinley was recovering, the Vice President decided to join his family who were vacationing at the Tahawus Club. On September 10, Roosevelt traveled across the Hudson River to the club, and on September 12, he and his family climbed Mount Marcy (New York’s highest peak) with the assistance of a guide. As the weather deteriorated on September 13, Roosevelt’s wife and children returned to the Tahawus Club while he remained on the mountain.
Meanwhile, President McKinley’s condition had suddenly worsened in Buffalo. Roosevelt’s private secretary, William Loeb, who had stayed in Albany to maintain communication, tried desperately to contact the Vice President. Loeb traveled to North Creek by train and telephoned the Tahawus Club, initiating a search for Roosevelt in the wilderness of Mount Marcy.
After hours of searching, with shots fired into the distance to attract attention, the search party finally made contact with Roosevelt and delivered the telegram informing him of McKinley’s deteriorating condition. Roosevelt immediately embarked on what would become known as his ‘Midnight Ride’ from the Tahawus Club, traveling through the night by a series of horse-drawn wagons over rough terrain and wilderness roads.
President McKinley died while Roosevelt was somewhere between Tahawus and Minerva, making Roosevelt the 26th President of the United States. This dramatic episode has become an integral part of both American presidential history and the lore of Tahawus, with the MacNaughton Cottage (where Roosevelt stayed) preserved as a historical landmark.
Return to Mining (1941-1989)
In a twist of historical irony, the presence of titanium dioxide—the very element that had contributed to the failure of the original mining operation—became the reason for Tahawus’s revival as a mining community in 1941. During World War II, the United States faced a critical need for domestic sources of titanium dioxide, which had become valuable for various industrial and military applications.
National Lead Industries (NL Industries) acquired the property and reopened the mines. The wartime demand for titanium was sufficient to justify the construction of a railroad into the mine site, finally solving the transportation problem that had plagued the original operation nearly a century earlier.
Even after World War II ended, mining operations continued to expand. The Tahawus Club members were eventually evicted to make room for mining employees, marking the end of the recreational era. In 1962, the mining company relocated its operations to the nearby town of Newcomb; some buildings were moved while others were left behind. NL Industries continued to operate the mine until 1989, when economic factors once again led to closure, and Tahawus became a ghost town for the second time.
Preservation and Current Status (1994-Present)
In 1994, the Open Space Institute (OSI), a New York City-based conservation organization, began negotiations with NL Industries for the 10,000-acre Tahawus Tract. Recognizing the historical and ecological significance of the area, OSI completed the purchase in 2004, marking the beginning of a new chapter focused on preservation and public access.
Unlike ghost towns in more arid regions of the country, Tahawus faced the relentless forces of the Adirondack climate, which accelerated the deterioration of its structures. Most of the buildings, constructed between 1890 and 1930, had suffered significant damage from harsh weather conditions before OSI’s acquisition.
Since acquiring the property, OSI has transferred most of the land to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to be incorporated into the Adirondack Forest Preserve. However, OSI retained the core 212 acres containing the historic structures for educational, historical, and recreational purposes.
For safety and environmental reasons, OSI has removed the majority of the deteriorating buildings. The notable exceptions are the MacNaughton Cottage, which has been renovated and preserved due to its association with Theodore Roosevelt, and the historic blast furnace, which remains as a testament to the area’s industrial past.
In recent years, OSI has made significant improvements to the site to enhance public access while preserving its historical integrity. These improvements include the construction of a large but unobtrusive parking lot with handicap-accessible spots, the development of a crushed gravel road that improves accessibility, and the installation of interpretive signs that tell the story of Tahawus.
In 2018, a new chapter began when Mitchell Stone Company purchased the mine from what had become a holding company of National Lead Industries. According to the Adirondack Explorer, the new owner had been ‘selling construction aggregate from the tailings for a decade and plans to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.’ The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation approved Mitchell’s permit to continue crushing stone on twenty-three acres and transporting it by truck, ensuring that some form of industrial activity continues in the area, albeit on a much smaller scale than the historical operations.
Physical Remains and Visitor Experience
Today, visitors to Tahawus can explore several significant historical features that provide tangible connections to its past. The most prominent of these is the blast furnace, built in 1854 during the original mining operation. This impressive stone structure stands as a monument to the industrial ambitions that first brought settlement to this remote area.
The MacNaughton Cottage, the only building still surviving from the days when Tahawus was an iron-mining hamlet, has been carefully preserved. This yellow building holds particular historical significance as the place where Theodore Roosevelt stayed during his famous visit in 1901.
OSI has constructed viewing platforms that allow visitors to safely observe the blast furnace and other remnants of the mining operations. A short trail leads to the base of the blast furnace, and a second viewing platform overlooks the remnants of additional machinery used in the original mining operations.
Lake Henderson, a beautiful body of water adjacent to the ghost town, offers recreational opportunities for visitors. The lake is fed by numerous small streams, including Feldspar Brook, which flows out of Lake-Tear-of-the-Clouds (considered the highest source of the Hudson River) and into Henderson Lake. The lake’s spillway flows for a short distance until it joins the Opalescent River, at which point it officially becomes the Hudson River, which then flows 315 miles to New York City. This hydrological connection gives Tahawus additional significance as being located near the source of one of America’s most important rivers.
Historical and Cultural Significance
Tahawus represents a microcosm of broader historical patterns that have shaped the Adirondack region and rural America more generally. Its cycles of industrial development, abandonment, recreational use, and conservation reflect changing economic priorities, technological developments, and cultural values over nearly two centuries of American history.
The settlement’s original development illustrates the 19th-century push to extract natural resources from even the most remote wilderness areas, driven by the industrial revolution’s insatiable demand for raw materials. The challenges faced by the early mining operation highlight the logistical difficulties of industrial development in isolated regions before modern transportation infrastructure.
The transformation of Tahawus into a private club during the late 19th and early 20th centuries reflects the growing interest in the Adirondacks as a recreational destination for wealthy urbanites seeking escape from city life. This period coincided with the broader conservation movement that led to the establishment of the Adirondack Park in 1892 as a ‘Forever Wild’ preserve.
The revival of mining during World War II demonstrates how national security concerns can reshape economic priorities and overcome previously insurmountable obstacles. The subsequent preservation efforts by OSI and the state of New York represent contemporary values regarding historical preservation, public access to natural areas, and environmental conservation.
Theodore Roosevelt’s connection to Tahawus adds a layer of national historical significance to this local story. Roosevelt would later become known as the ‘conservation president’ for his efforts to protect America’s natural resources and establish national parks and forests. His dramatic midnight ride from Tahawus to the presidency symbolically links this remote Adirondack ghost town to the highest office in the land and to the conservation ethic that would help preserve the region for future generations.
Visiting Tahawus Today
For those interested in exploring this unique ghost town, Tahawus is accessible by car via the Blue Ridge Road from Newcomb, New York. The site is open to the public year-round, though winter access may be limited by snow conditions. There is no admission fee to visit the historic area.
Visitors can park in the improved lot near the MacNaughton Cottage and follow the interpretive signs to learn about the site’s history. The short trails to the blast furnace and viewing platforms are relatively easy walks suitable for most ability levels. For those interested in a longer outdoor experience, Lake Henderson offers opportunities for paddling, fishing (with appropriate licenses), and wildlife observation.
The area surrounding Tahawus also provides access to numerous hiking trails, including routes to Mount Marcy and other High Peaks of the Adirondacks. Visitors should come prepared with appropriate outdoor gear, as weather in the Adirondacks can change rapidly, and services are limited in this remote area.
For a more complete understanding of the area’s history, the Newcomb Historical Museum in nearby Newcomb offers additional exhibits and information about Tahawus and the surrounding region.
As with all historic and natural sites, visitors are encouraged to practice Leave No Trace principles, respecting both the historical artifacts and the natural environment. The preservation of Tahawus depends on the responsible stewardship of all who come to experience this fascinating chapter of Adirondack history.
Sources:
1. ‘Tahawus: The History of an Adirondack Ghost Town.’ Adirondack.net. https://www.adirondack.net/history/tahawus/
2. ‘Tahawus: A New and Improved Ghost Town.’ Adirondack Council. https://www.adirondackcouncil.org/page/blog-139/news/tahawus-a-new-and-improved-ghost-town-1408.html
3. ‘The History of Tahawus: Once a Thriving Mining Community, Now an Adirondack Ghost Town.’ Untapped New York. https://www.untappedcities.com/the-history-of-tahawus-once-a-thriving-mining-community-now-an-adirondack-ghost-town/
4. ‘Digging into Tahawus mine.’ Adirondack Explorer. https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/digging-into-tahawus-mine
5. ‘Tahawus, an Adirondack mining town.’ Adirondack Hub. https://www.adirondackhub.com/story/2018/tahawas-an-adirondack-mining-town
6. ‘Tahawus, NY – An Eerily Beautiful Ghost Town Frozen In Time.’ Secret NYC. https://secretnyc.co/tahawus-ghost-town-ny/
7. ‘Lost in the Adirondacks: Mining booms and busts at Tahawus.’ Sun Community News. https://suncommunitynews.com/news/96621/lost-in-the-adirondacks-mining-booms-and-busts-at-tahawus/
8. ‘Tahawus: The Little Lost Town in Upstate New York.’ HEYYOU. https://kathleensmith.org/wp/2021/05/08/tahawus-the-little-lost-town-in-upstate-new-york/
