Ghosts in the Lakes and Hotels of the Adirondacks

Boats docked at Big Moose Lake where Chester Gillette murdered Grace Brown. One of the tales of our haunted Adirondacks.

If you enjoy the thrill of haunted locations, then there are several spots in Adirondacks you'll want to visit. According to author Jenny Holt, an expert on ghosts and the paranormal, there are numerous hotels that are said to have spirits wandering the halls. And she's written a piece just for readers of SchroonLaker.com.

"While you take a tour of some of the hotels, you can usually take pictures, seeing for yourself if you can capture an image or two of the people who have been killed in the rooms or who have died in other ways," says Jenny. Read on -- but make sure there's no-one under the bed.

Haunted Hotels in the Adirondacks

By Jenny Holt

The Sagamore Hotel

This is a large hotel located in Bolton Landing. The hotel opened in 1883 and was backed by four millionaires in Philadelphia. Two fires led to the destruction of the hotel, but it was rebuilt in 1930. The hotel simply couldn't pull together, and it closed in 1981. Now, the building as listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Even though it's closed, it doesn't mean that there aren't spirits who still roam the halls.

There is a middle-aged woman wearing a blue dress who has been seen by some of the people who have stayed in the hotel in the past. A man sometimes walks with the woman while she is in the dining room. There is a story about a little boy who was hit in the head by a golf ball while on the golf course and died, his spirit still wandering around on the course.

Beardslee Castle

This large castle is located in Little Falls. It was built in 1860 as a replica to a castle located in Ireland. There have been several gruesome events that have taken place at the castle while people have stayed there.  A common sight by those who have stayed there is blinding lights from the trees on the property. A young child has been seen walking along the side of the road in front of the castle. Some employees have heard music playing and footsteps on the stairs.

The Big Moose Inn

This is the site of the murder of Grace Brown. She is said to walk the halls of the hotel at night and can be seen walking along the edges of the lake beside the hotel. She was pregnant when she was killed in the early 1900s.  The inn is still open to guests as there are 16 rooms available. Grace was killed because she had an affair with the owner's nephew. He told Grace that he would marry her, but he returned alone after the two went out on a boat on the lake near the inn.

Who Killed Schroon’s Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer?

Late last week, the shining red nose of what seemed like a 30-foot high inflatable Rudolph, beckoned visitors on Route 9 in front of Schroon Lake Wine and Liquors. Customers were greeted with that frozen big grin on his big inflatable head.

Sadly,  www.Schroonlaker.com  may have snapped one of the last photos of Rudolph, as we prepared a  a story on Christmas decorations around town.

Little did we realize days later, Rudolph was a gonner.

Over the weekend that youthful reindeer buck and his unusual luminous red nose, would take one last sway in the gentle holiday winds of Schroon.

So who killed Rudolph? The Chinese.

That’s right, it appears that poor workmanship caused Rudolph to lose his head. Literally!.

We received this missive from a distraught Jared M. Doyle, proprietor and deer friend to Reindeer of all stripes. And noses.

“Autopsy results will likely confirm that it was the result of a defect discovered at the time of production, but was simply never treated prior to delivery.

In lieu of flowers, customers may instead wish to purchase quantities of alcohol from Schroon Lake Wine & Liquor all weekend long. Proceeds will be used to honor the memory our deer friend, Rudolph the headless reindeer”.

If only Rudolph lost its tail. All he’d have to do would go to a "re-tail" shop for a new one!

Sleet or Snow: Town Hall Expansion Is Still a Go!

Year round Schroon Lakers are witnessing an amazing transformation downtown: The Great Town Hall Expansion.

Those Schroon Lake fans who are not local, we’ve got an update for you on the progress of this million dollar plus endeavor.

In our earlier postings, we covered the ground breaking and the first part of the big dig. Once completed the expansion will feature new offices for town employees, a modern and safer courtroom and holding area for prisoners and the gigantic jewel in the redbrick crown: a new library space, which will not only be a showcase of what a modern technology based library looks like, but yet another space for continuing adult education and year round use by locals and visitors alike.

Our latest photos are from last week, after a small dusting of snow.  (Since then a lot more has fallen). In November, after tons of soil was removed, the forms for the footings were built and installed, with concrete poured a few days later. Then came the building of the wall forms.

Now the concrete for the first floor walls are up. The back-filling of the walls is complete and the plumber has the sewer lines in.

The project is being completed by three upstate New York companies. The cost breakdown is as follows: Bast Hatfield, General Contractor $893,300.00,  D and E Technologies Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning $224,400.00 and Harold R. Clune Electrical $118,400.00.

Town Supervisor Mike Marnell is hoping for a Memorial Day opening. As previously reported on SchroonLaker.com, the tax impact, according to Marnell, will be minimal.

You can also follow expansion progress here. It’s a special section on the Town’s website written and photographed by librarian Jane Bouchard.

Snow In Schroon

Photo: Anthony Batson