The history of the old Buck Mansion

The majority of Crown Point residents are aware of the old Buck Mansion ruins on Amy Hill Road. Few, however, know the story behind them. The Buck Mansion and the surrounding regions of Buck Mountain and Buck Hollow are named for the Buck family that owned large portions of land there for over a century. Brothers Hiram and Helon Buck moved to Crown Point in 1831 from Bridport, Vermont to seek their fortunes at the ages of 27 and 22, respectively. The Buck brothers came from a prosperous family and seemed to possess the same head for business as their father. They bought large tracts of land for timber and built the essentials of a settlement at Buck Hollow on Putt's Creek. Among other things, their projects included a sawmill, gristmill, and woolen mill; blacksmith, carpenter, and shoemaker shops; a hotel, store, and tannery; and houses, barns, and sheds. According to Mildred Preston, a long-time friend of the Buck family, Helon Buck was among the men who were responsible for building the original "Army Hill Road" using ox teams, plows, scrapers, carts, and so forth between the dates of May 28 and June 7, 1831. Presumably, this was to ease the transportation of cut timber to Lake Champlain. Despite the images of "timber rafting" that the Adirondack logging industry calls to mind, Hiram and Helon mainly used canal boats to ship their timber to market in Troy and Albany. Although others settled in the Buck Hollow and Buck Mountain regions, the Bucks remained the big name in the region and their lumbering business took off, becoming quite prosperous and filling the pockets of both Hiram and Helon. In 1836, five years after their move to Crown Point, the brothers decided to start their families. Within 10 months of each other, Hiram married Miss Almedia Rawson of Schroon Lake, and Helon married Miss Mercy Willmarth of Addison, Vermont. Both brothers would go on to have three children each, but Helon and Mercy sadly lost one of their sons to illness when he was only four years old. The Buck brothers enjoyed considerable success with their logging business, but the supply of timber on their land was not unlimited. The supply was exhausted by 1842, and Hiram and Helon closed the business and divided the land between themselves as they went their separate ways. Hiram retained land in the Buck Hollow vicinity, but moved further down Putt's Creek to live at Crown Point Center. It was Helon and his family who continued to be the "Buck" presence on Buck Mountain in later years. Helon occupied the farmlands he and his brother had cleared and kept them well-stocked with cattle, sheep, and horses. Crop farming was difficult in the Adirondacks, as many settlers discovered the challenges posed by the short growing season and the abundant rocks that seemed to "grow back" into their fields every year. Helon was able to profit from his farm, however, by developing a lucrative droving business. In 1851 and 1852, he built what would become known as the Buck Mansion which his son, Samuel, described as "a beautiful, stately, and commodious mansion in the Ionic order of architecture." Helon continued his droving business until 1884, when the cattle business petered off on the East Coast, finally retiring at the age of 75, and turning things over to his son, Samuel. It would be Samuel who would develop the mansion into a summer tourist resort, continuing to find new ways to profit from the land as times and industries changed in the Adirondacks. By the time he took over the family estate, Samuel was a man in his forties. He and his wife, Emma, had been married for more than 20 years and had one son at college and two teenagers at home. Nevertheless, he had put a great deal of work into the property and the mansion while it remained under his father's authority. Samuel worked to expand the crop production on the farm, to add to the furnishings of the mansion, and to beautify the surrounding grounds. These efforts prepared the Buck Mansion to become "Summervale," as it was known to many in its heyday, where guests would come from far and wide to relax and explore the Adirondack "wilderness." While it was not the grandest of the old Adirondack resorts, nor in the most spectacular location, the quality accommodations and friendly hosts gained Summervale many loyal return guests. Under Samuel's ownership, the estate flourished and the mansion became a popular tourist destination. Toward the end of June each year, when the mud had finally dried enough to make the roads passable, a fresh crop of guests would arrive to begin the season at the mansion. It would be a relaxing summer, spent walking the extensive grounds, visiting with the hosts and other guests, and enjoying all that Adirondack life had to offer. Golf courses were very popular in those days, being featured attractions at many luxury resorts, and Summervale boasted its own golf course, as well as tennis courts and croquet lawns. In addition to the aforementioned amenities, Summervale featured spectacular views of the surrounding Adirondack Mountains and of the Green Mountains of Vermont. A gazebo known as "Sunset Lodge" was built at the summit of a hill on the property to provide a leisurely place for taking in the rugged and remarkable scenery. Dances were also held there, on occasion, and hired help was permitted to attend along with the guests for an evening of entertainment. Small game hunting, and fishing in the nearby creeks were also activities enjoyed by many guests, and the kitchen was supplied with meat and produce from the farm to treat the guests to delicious farm-fresh meals during their stay. In late October, when the leaf-peeping season had passed, the guests would pack up to return home and the Buck family would settle in for the off-season at the mansion. In the year 1900, Samuel turned over control of the estate to his son, George, who had returned to his boyhood home with his wife, Bertha, due to ill health. In his years away from home, George had become a Congregationalist minister, and often filled the pulpit in Crown Point, as he was needed, and performed several local marriage ceremonies upon his return to the area. George and Bertha continued to run the mansion with success into their sunset years, but never had any children to serve as heirs. George died in 1943, and Bertha in 1959 and the property was sold to Mr. and Mrs. James Gayton. The Gayton family did not continue to run a business on the property, as the resort business had dwindled by that time and modern highways and supermarkets rendered the home farm obsolete for most families. Sadly, on July 25, 1968, a fire started in the kitchen of the mansion and within three hours, the beautiful and historic home had burned to the ground. No one was harmed, and the efforts of local fire departments saved the surrounding outbuildings from the blaze, but a noteworthy local landmark was lost forever. The Buck family contributed much to the Crown Point community as it grew and matured and it seems fitting that the land they once owned should still bear their name as an homage and a memorial to days gone by.

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The history of the old Buck Mansion

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