Throwback Thursday: Anyone For Croquet?

Photo by Seneca Ray Stoddard

Croquet -- it was all the rage in Schroon in the late 1800s – as evidenced here by an Albumen print of an action packed game being played at the Taylor House.

The year was 1891 and the famous Adirondack lover, promoter and explorer Seneca Ray Stoddard was at the hotel to take this photograph.

The hotel had been opened since 1885 and could host 175 guests at the time. According to the Adirondacks Illustrated, the hotel featured a bowling alley, “a large hall for amateur entertainments, good views and substantial fare”.

The year Stoddard took this photo the Taylor House boasted electric lighting and 15 cottages for rent. Rooms went for $2.50 - $3 per day and $14 to $21 for the week, depending on the size and type.

The hotel was opened by Charles and Sarah Taylor, who ran it until 1914. The new owners enlarged the building and made substantial improvements to the grounds over many decades, naming it Scaroon Manor.