LOCALadk Magazine

The Waldheim and the Covewood Lodge are historic Adirondack resorts that offer rustic and comfortable cottages for rent along the shores of Big Moose Lake. For many years, they have ser ved as places for families to step back in time and escape the chaos of their daily lives. Guests are treated like family members, and distractions such as radios, television, and internet don't exist inside the cottag- es. The Waldheim and Covewood Lodge still do not accept credit cards. Many of the same guests have returned year after year to enjoy simple pleasures such as canoeing on bright sunny mornings, or jig- saw puzzles on rainy afternoons. Multiple generations of the same families have stayed at these resorts and formed strong bonds. It's not unusual for these families to stay in touch with each other over the year and book their stays during the same week each summer. Big Moose has always been a small community with a distinctive Adirondack personality, according to local residents. Back in the 1890s, the railroad through the Western Adirondacks brought many trains daily to Big Moose Station. People from Utica, Buffalo, and New York City, and other cities, traveled the route, which eventual- ly became part of the Adirondack Division of the New York Central Railroad. Even before the railroad was built, the Big Moose area had gained a reputation among sportsmen and was a popular place to bring hunting and fishing parties. Many of these early sporting guides helped settle the area by constructing temporar y cabins on proper- ty surrounding Big Moose Lake. Some of those guides eventually be - came well-known builders and hotel operators. The Big Moose area is known for its distinctive architecture; many of the early buildings were constructed with a vertical log siding technique. But while other resorts and hotels succumbed to changing times – including the advent of travel by automobile and plane, and the diminishing time people started taking for vacations – Covewood and The Waldheim kept their doors open. The Waldheim, 502 Martin Road The Waldheim (which means "Home in the Woods" in German) is one of the last old-time Adirondack resorts, and "still a place where each guest is a friend," according to its website. It was opened in 1904 by E . J. Martin, who came to the area seek- ing work during the heyday of the Adirondack resorts. He first built the main house with logs from the property, and eventually add- ed a dining room building in 1909. He and his wife, Hattie, a former school teacher, hosted the governor general of Panama, Major Gen- eral George W. Davis, and his family, among their first guests at the main house. E . J. later expanded the resort by building several cottages on property he owned along the north shore of Big Moose Lake. Many had vertical log siding and rustic porches facing the water, with round cobblestone piers. He used a variety of stone types for the fireplaces, and some pieces of his handcrafted furniture remain in the cottages today. The couple earned a reputation not only for their good food, but also their warm hospitality, according to an informational brochure. They took the time to get to know each guest, and many became lifelong friends who returned to the resort each year. There are some families who have been coming for five generations, the cur- rent owners – Nancy Martin Pratt and Roger Pratt – said. The business has always remained in the same family and is now operated by the third and fourth generations of the Martin family (there is also a fifth generation of children). E . J. and Hattie passed the resort on to their son, Howard, who ran it with his wife, Wan- da. Howard and Wanda had three children; Nancy is their daughter. Nancy's brother Philip, who owns Big Moose Yamaha in nearby Eagle Bay, has also stayed involved. He has been cooking breakfast at the resort since the early 1980s. Nancy and Roger's son, Jason, and his wife, Kelly, along with Phil- ip's daughter Keriann, and her husband Andrew, are also part of the business operation. (Keriann and Andrew first met at The Waldheim, where his family rented a cottage when he was younger). " We've been told that we are the oldest continuously running family busi- ness in the Adirondacks," said Roger. When it first opened, there was no road leading to the resort. Guests would take the train to the Big Moose station, and then be transported by horse and buggy to the dock at the former Glenmore Hotel. From the dock, guests were transported by steamboat to sev- eral resorts along Big Moose Lake, where they typically stayed for months at a time. It was Nancy's father who later built the access road that leads to the resort, appropriately named Martin Road. The Waldheim offers 17 cottages for rent, ranging in size from one to five bedrooms. The resort is all inclusive, providing a laun- dr y ser vice, daily cottage cleaning, and three meals a day. " We give people a break from ever ything," said Kelly. The resort's meal plan, the "American Plan" (so named because of its adherence to what has been the traditional American meal schedule) includes break- fast, lunch, and dinner, and is a Waldheim hallmark. If guests at the Waldheim want to explore the Adirondacks for the day, the staff will pack a picnic lunch for them. "People are amazed that something like this still exists," said Roger. The meals are ser ved in a large dining hall that accommodates up to 99 people. It was recently torn down and rebuilt, but the Mar- tins maintained the original Adirondack interior and exterior rustic big moose charm The Waldheim and covewood lodge By Norah Machia Photos By Anthony Machia

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