Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Transportation

Location

126 Mick Rd, Raquette Lake, NY 13436, USA

Lat/Long

43.81377, -74.65673

Grant Recipient

Town of Long Lake

In the summer months it was common for city residents to escape the heat and hustle and bustle of the city for a quiet getaway in the Adirondack Mountains. The Raquette Lake Railway made the remote wilderness of the Adirondacks readily accessible for summer tourists. Built circa 1900, the Raquette Lake Train Station served as an important stop for passengers and freight traveling aboard the Railway. A June 15, 1900 edition of The Post Star describes the new train station upon its opening:

The new station at Raquette Lake is nearly completed. It contains a restaurant, ticket office, waiting rooms, telegraph offices equipped with every modern convenience. This design of the building presents a very attractive appearance.

Once passengers arrived at the train station in Raquette Lake, the Raquette Lake Steamboat Company transported tourists to camps and resorts. In 1927, the community of Raquette Lake experienced a devastating fire that destroyed the general store, a local hotel, and a number of cottages. Luckily the train station emerged unscathed. The station remained long after the Raquette Lake Railway ceased operation. A restaurant operated out of the building for several years until it was destroyed by fire in 1972. While the building no longer stands today, as of 2021, the foundation of the train station was still visible.