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Buildings of Note
The Griffin Institute was established in 1887. It was located on Simpson Avenue between Saratoga and Clark Avenues. It offered seasonal academic pursuits to young men and women throughout the summer in its 11 classrooms. In addition to educational programs, the Institute offered programs in science and art, languages, instrumental and vocal music, sociology, and history.
The museum was built in 1887 to showcase a collection of artwork and items of scientific and historical interest. Congressman George West donated $17,500 of his own money to have it built. The museum was located on Janes Ave and Andrews Ave. It was closed in 1919 and in 1920 was remodeled for $19,000 and leased to the local school district and became the Round Lake Union Free School. It was the smallest high school in Saratoga County, often just graduating a handful of students each year. It was demolished in the mid 1960s.
The Orient hotel was built in 1889 for approximately $8,000. It was originally called the Flowery Orient. It was located on Whitfield Ave east of Hedding Ave. It was a very popular hotel that attracted a lot of travelers and short-term visitors. The Orient provided meals while Kennedy and Garnsey Hall did not. It was razed in 1956. The sign which now reads simply ‘The Orient’ hangs in the municipal building.
Alumni Hall was built in 1884 by the Alumni of the Round Lake Sunday School Assembly at a cost of $1900. It is located on Whitfield Ave east of Hedding Ave across from the Orient hotel. Alumni Hall hosted classes for ministers, Sunday school teachers, and others interested in Christian education. Alumni Hall was home to many things over the years from a restaurant, dormitory, religious services, classrooms, Shenendehowa central schools first administrative offices, musical nursery school, and currently apartments. Alumni Hall still stands today.
Similar to the story of Garnsey Hall, Caroline’s sister Nancy Kennedy donated $ to have Kennedy Hall erected. It was a dormitory to house young men who came to Round Lake to attend the Summer Institute.
The Arcade was built by Reverend William Griffin as an entrance to the ground’s inner circle. It was two stories high and opened in 1888 at a cost of $11,558.86. The shops included as per meeting minutes dated November 24, 1888, Fessenden, Lambert & Turner Dry Goods, CH Bosworth Druggist, LS Crandell furniture, Scholay photographer, CE Metcalf gentleman’s furnishing goods, fruit, and confectionary, Miss BG Marsden Ice cream, soda, tea, and coffee, HR Shead Bookstore and Rappajent and Bonteron Jewelers. Tenants came and went through the years and the Arcade burned down in the big fire of 1921.
The Auditorium is the hub of activity in Round Lake and it was back when it was a simple speaker’s stand in the grove. It was a very rustic worship space with the congregation sitting on rough boards atop tree stumps. A canopy was erected in the third year, but a few years later, in 1884, plans were underway for a more permanent ‘grove-temple’ structure. The Auditorium was the main facility for the summer camp meetings. The building was expanded in 1888 to house choir risers and a Ferris Tracker Organ purchased from the Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City. The organ was described in 1996 by the Journal of Organ Historical Society as the ‘oldest, largest three-manual, essentially unaltered organ in the United States’. Today, the organ is the only object to achieve the status of National Historic Landmark. The Auditorium continues to serve Round Lake and the surrounding community with a vibrant arts program.
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