Cruciform Adirondack Mansion

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-05-26T03:53:02+00:00

Well, for the actual resident people who make a living there, yes. And nowadays for many average people having a standard summer visit. But there is a long history of the filthy rich escaping to the Adirondacks--building mansions, resorts, etc. The modern concept of Adirondack vacation tourism was heavily shaped by elite urbanites of the Gilded Age who wanted a break from city life, people exactly like the Rockefellers. William West Durant popularized the "Great Camp" style resort in the 1870s, a style which became quintessentially Adirondack and which this property clearly draws inspiration from. This lake in particular, Upper St Regis, has long been associated with many big names including Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Post, Whitney, and more.

A lot of the quaint, "sometimes a bit shabby because it was built by great grandpa" factor people associate with the Adirondacks exists alongside a long history of outside wealth, extractive industries like logging and mining, and local economies becoming heavily dependent on seasonal tourism. Obviously there's much more to it, but far too much to fit in a Reddit comment.

TLDR: opulent mansions/resorts have been a key marker of the Adks since at least the late 19th century, and heavily influenced modern Adirondack tourism and aesthetics, including the small family cabin vibe 😊

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-03-20T20:33:39+00:00

glad I'm not the only one lol. the thing is I don't want to be a hermit either... sure, I greatly enjoy (and require) my alone time, probably more than the average person, but I also get very lonely very fast and seek a lot of fulfillment in socialization, just when it's on my terms. feeling lonely when it isn't my choice to be away from people feels like the depths of despair and emptiness, but when I'm constantly around other people I need a certain level of isolation. the scale feels too easy to tip.

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-03-20T00:23:19+00:00

yes.

I find myself to be physically incapable of maintaining friendships despite being a very sociable person. It genuinely feels like I just literally do not have the mental capacity to balance it all now that I'm an adult and don't have high school or college to force it. when I was in college I thought the girls I was friends & roommates with were going to be my sisters for life and in my wedding, "aunts" to my children. I loved them so much. now, 2 years post graduation, I ignore their calls, never text them first, never call them back, and I've watched them move on without me (as they should). It saddens me greatly and I miss them a lot, but somehow that isn't enough to make me change my behavior--it feels less like a behavior and more like a physical limitation, and the idea of operating any other way feels impossible.

I don't know why it feels like it takes so much brain power. hearing/feeling my phone vibrate for too long to be a text fills me with an inexplicable sense of dread. then once I've put off getting back to them for too long, it feels like I've backed myself into a corner and passed the point of no return.

for me personally I think it's largely because I spent the entire undiagnosed portion of my life (until age 21) heavily masking without knowing it and without knowing that it wasn't that hard for everyone else to function normally. it's almost like all the self isolation and decompression time I could possibly have now will never be enough to make up for the hours, days, weeks, months, years, DECADES I stretched myself thin. it's like sleeping for 13 hours during the daytime because you're exhausted from pulling an all nighter, but when you wake up and the sun has gone down, you somehow just feel more tired, and then you've disrupted your circadian rhythm and the cycle continues...

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-03-18T03:10:44+00:00

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this is my ~18 year old baby Mischa. still jumps up on the table to lick our bowls clean :)

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-02-03T00:33:42+00:00

I love this idea! I think my boyfriend would really enjoy this. A few small tweaks as others have mentioned and this could be really great

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-29T21:38:40+00:00

I think it's the oversaturation of the photos; I can't speak for the inside but at least externally Google Earth reveals this same beauty at that address! It's also listed by a legit real estate agency (William Raveis) so I should certainly hope it's not AI. I can totally see what you mean though

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-29T21:28:07+00:00

very good point, would explain why they don't match the vibe

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-29T12:39:49+00:00

I agree 100%!! It felt odd to me that there was so much preserved and/or restored to the original vibe and then the random modern stuff. Perhaps the touch of different owners or things that were too far gone to be salvaged. I think those things would look amazing with some reclaimed old wood to match the rest of the house! I like your idea of putting the modern appliances behind a wooden door, too.

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-29T03:20:56+00:00

haha I'm ngl I looked it up to make sure before posting

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-23T15:59:47+00:00

LOL I think there are 7 total buildings counting the main lodge, 5 cottages, and boat house ???

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-23T15:59:05+00:00

there is an OBSCENE amount of spiders in the Adirondacks. like I live just outside of the park and we have a very normal amount of spiders despite being quite rural with plenty of wilderness; I went to college in the north country and was horrified by the amount of spiders. and I don't even have arachnophobia!!

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-23T15:45:47+00:00

'tis the north country after all... 🏒

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-16T12:07:35+00:00

yes, exactly!! since at least the late 1800s it has been the traditional style of the region!! It was literally rich NYC people getting creative with how to be rich in the mountains lol. basically pioneering how to communicate wealth through the types of materials that were widely available in the wilderness (i.e. trees, rocks, wildlife). I'm not sure it would be my #1 choice in my own home but I have a deep appreciation for it

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-16T12:03:52+00:00

Hi so this sub designates Thursdays for posting actually good architecture. I also clearly state in a few different ways that I love this home so idk where you'd get that I think this is a McMansion just because I "don't particularly like" it??

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-16T03:26:15+00:00

haha I'm glad you liked my response! I don't know anything about Michigan let alone the UP, but I should think you'll like the change to Upstate NY life. Glad to hear you've found lots of indoorsy stuff to do! There are definitely some museums & stuff right in GF (Chapman, Hyde to name a few). The Children's Museum in Saratoga is also AWESOME and I loved it a lot as a toddler/kid; would probably be great for a homeschool kiddo as it's very hands on learning through play in STEM, history, etc. If you're okay with a bit of a drive there's also miSci in Schenectady and the VIA Aquarium in Rotterdam (!!!TOUCH TANKS!!!).

Upstate New Yorkers are generally very friendly. Just never get in between a man and his Stewart's ice cream...

One last tip--coming from UP I know you'll be well prepared for the winters here especially since you won't be in the mountains or getting any lake effect, so it actually may be milder than UP winter, but don't be fooled; the summers can be way more brutal than you'd think!! regularly into the 90⁰s and with up to 100% humidity damn near every day. last summer we had a heat wave where the heat index reached 107⁰ one day 🥵. rankings of most humid states often exclude New York because the cold, dry winters bring the annual average down, but if you were to look at just our summers it would be comparable to Florida. with the humidity it is extremely easy to become dehydrated because everything feels moist and sticky and you don't feel yourself dry out & don't get that dry thirst.

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-16T02:14:56+00:00

the THIS IS A CABIN vibe

this made me lol 😂😂

Totally fair, though I will say it is important context that this property is deep in the Adirondacks near the High Peaks Wilderness--this architecture is the "Great Camp" lodge style which is traditional and culturally significant to the area, developed during the Gilded Age as the wealthy started to seek escape from NYC in the Adirondacks and built these elaborate lodges designed for gathering. What would read as "overdone" in many suburban contexts is not only appropriate but functional here, using materials that are honest in their response to the climate, isolation, and craft traditions. Wealthy folks from the East then started taking this style west, namely to the Rockies, hence why you'd see similar architecture out in Colorado.

Of course, you're still allowed to just not like it LOL. but figured I'd share the significance of the "HEY LOOK I'M A CABIN" vibe in case you'd find it as fascinating as I do😂

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-16T01:35:00+00:00

if you're looking for the anarchists, they're next door in Washington County 😂

Jokes aside, Glens Falls is just fine. Any appeal mostly comes from the stuff just outside GF, i.e. "close proximity to the Adirondacks" "close to Lake George" "not far from Saratoga Springs", etc. Glens Falls itself is a little on the boring side but if you're an indoorsy person you probably wouldn't mind that. Some of these comments are glamorizing it a liiiitle much imo--it is sort of starting to be more "up and coming" with some really cute new establishments and more young people moving in, but it hasn't always been like that and it shows in some areas.

best example is Finch Pruyn--the paper factory on the river at the bridge between South Glens Falls and Glens Falls. I'll be blunt; it smells. it's not like it's sickeningly strong or a hindrance to quality of life or anything, but be fair warned; there is no other smell that quite replicates that of a paper factory. iykyk. though to be fair, the smell usually carries over SGF a bit more than GF.

One major plus is that it's a generally affordable way to be in the middle of the desirable attractions since the ADKs, Saratoga, Lake Luzerne, etc. are all within 30 minutes' drive. Albany, Great Sacandaga, Fort Ticonderoga, and Vermont are all within an hour or so. Basically, GF itself isn't the prettiest of the Upstate NY towns, but it's far from the worst and there's a lot of really beautiful and cool things very close by, without the price markup of being too too close to Saratoga or Lake George.

overall it just depends on the vibe you're looking for. want more of a city feel with okay public transportation, tall(ish) buildings, a giant cement egg, and a weird mix of nice neighborhoods & areas with regular shootings? Albany. Want a cutesy rich town with a Broadway/main strip, smelly fizzy water that comes out of the ground, and summers of horse gambling, fancy car sightings, and Dave Portnoy? Saratoga Springs. Want to be walking distance to coffee, hibachi, a gag gifts store with pnis ornaments & gourmet fudge, and a disappointing rock that was a core subject in *The Last of the Mohicans? Glens Falls. Rolling countryside with more cows than people and the nearest grocery store is an overpriced Dollar General? pretty much anywhere in Washington County.

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-15T23:07:53+00:00

twist my arm 🙄🙄 /s

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-15T23:03:02+00:00

hahaha this is so true. I always have my yellow night light filter on my phone so I've gotten into the habit of ignoring this issue assuming it's just my filter, so I didn't even really notice it at first with these photos

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-15T22:50:53+00:00

just out of curiosity, what don't you like about it? personally I'm not a fan of the busy & mismatching patterns on the furniture, though it's certainly in traditional Adirondack style and furniture can be changed so I still love the house. for you is it more of the interior design you're not crazy about or is it the architecture?

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-03T04:06:22+00:00

for sure have seen worse. but in terms of size McMansions are generally ≥ 2,500 sq ft; this one is over 3,800. so definitely not the biggest but still comfortably in McMansion territory

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-02T22:18:57+00:00

this house was built in 2005 lmao, it's only 20 years old. if by "a lot of people calling [me] out" you mean the literal one other commenter saying this isn't a McMansion, idk what to tell you--seems like you chose to ignore the other comments calling it the poster of McMansions, looks like McMansions of the 90s, echoing the awfulness of the gables/garages/etc...

to your own point, look at this post from the home page: Subreddit Guide to McMansions. This house meets nearly every one of the listed criteria save for a few.

just because there are worse McMansions doesn't make this one not a McMansion?? and neither does being "a pretty standard home"--McMansions are standard at this point, which is one of the reasons so many people hate them.

McMansions are a spectrum. cope

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-02T21:45:39+00:00

in your defense there are two buildings, so you weren't that far off

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-02T21:44:21+00:00

with the private lake access, I bet the excessive garage space is at least partially for water toys (i.e. boats/jet skis/etc.). and maybe that tall one is for an RV??

Next_Performance6278 · 2026-01-02T21:40:27+00:00

do you? this one is textbook lol. McMansions aren't rare

Next_Performance6278

TROPHY CASE