Ten Historical Fun Facts About “A Summer at Sagamore”
Writing A Summer at Sagamore was so fun! Opening in 1883, the Sagamore is considered one of America’s Historical Hotels and Resorts. This Gilded Age Christian Historical Romance with mystery and intrigue just flowed for me. Jackson Gable (Jack) and Miss Abigail Greenwood (Abby) are the main characters, supported by characters from the Sagamore Resort where the story takes place, and members of Abby’s family.
1. I had a little help and inspiration for the character of Abby’s grandmother, Mrs. Fanny Goldman Wiltshire. My inspiration turned out to be a character many of us know and love from Downton Abbey, the Dowager and matriarch of the Earl of Grantham’s family played by Dame Maggie Smith.
2. The real Sagamore Resort is located on Green Island on Lake George in upstate New York. The resort sits up high on a hill looking down over the pristine waters of Lake George, located in the glorious Adirondacks.
3. During the Gilded Age, the wealthy flocked to the Sagamore to enjoy the resort. Over the years, the resort offered secluded luxurious accommodations for boating, golfing, fine dining, and horseback riding.
4. Many of its residents arrived by steamboat aboard The Sagamore steamship.
5. Many high-profile visitors have stayed at the resort, including during 1954, when the hotel was headquarters for the National Governor’s Conference, presided over by Vice President Richard M. Nixon, and by New York State Governor Thomas E. Dewey.
6. The original Sagamore opening its doors in 1883, stood as a brilliant and spectacular example of Queen Anne-style architecture and received universal acclaim. Aiding their widespread acclaim, Lake George became nationally known in a picture inside James Fenimore’ Cooper’s book, The Last of the Mohicans.
7. Myron O. Brown, a proprietor of the Mohican House in the area, came up with the idea to build a luxury resort to accommodate the many wealthy families he saw vacationing on a regular basis in the area. With the help and support of four Philadelphia millionaires and another joining them later on, the board of investors purchased Green Island for a sum of $30,000 and set out to build the resort by hiring an architectural firm named Wilson Brothers. Construction lasted a year and was considered a stunning and genius design and building feat. The first four investors owned mansions located on Millionaire’s Row, a long line of homes on one side of Lake George, vacationing in them frequently.
8. Myron retired in 1905 after filling the role of General Manager for many years. Under his management, the daily rate cost around $4.00 per room and remained constantly booked. His first summer as manager was considered a huge success.
9. A structural accident in 1894 and another incident in 1914 caused the Sagamore to rebuild various parts of the resort twice, the first completed in five weeks. The second incident caused the resort to sit dormant for nearly a decade before Ernest Van Rensselaer Stires arrived with help and inspired plans to be drawn up for a complete rebuild of Colonial Revival-style architecture. Construction stalled again during the Great Depression until another wealthy investor helped them.
10. Over the years, the resort owners have changed hands and it has been updated and upgraded, continuing to thrive to this day. In 1929, a new Sagamore Golf Course designed by the famous golf architect and engineer Donald J. Ross was completed at a cost of a half million dollars. The Sagamore Horse Shows and Gold Cup Speedboat Races were held during the 1930s and 1940s. All sorts of amenities are available at the resort in this modern era and many weddings take place at this venue.
To order your copy of A Summer at Sagamore, a Christian Historical Romance taking place at this beautiful resort, here’s the link where you may find it at your favorite retailer. https://books2read.com/u/bPNZQz
Author Bio
Lisa M. Prysock is a USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Christian and Inspirational Author. She and her husband of more than twenty years reside in Kentucky. They have five children, grown.
She writes in the genres of both Historical Christian Romance and Contemporary Christian Romance, including a multi-author Western Christian Romance series, “Whispers in Wyoming.” She is also the author of a devotional. Lisa enjoys sharing her faith in Jesus through her writing.
Lisa has many interests, but a few of these include gardening, cooking, drawing, sewing, crochet, cross stitch, reading, swimming, biking, and walking. She loves dollhouses, cats, horses, butterflies, hats, boots, flip-flops, espadrilles, chocolate, coffee, tea, chocolate, the colors peach and purple, and everything old-fashioned.
She adopted the slogan of “The Old-Fashioned Everything Girl” because of her love for classic, traditional, and old-fashioned everything. When she isn’t writing, she can sometimes be found teaching herself piano and violin but finds the process “a bit slow and painful.” Lisa enjoys working with the children and youth in her local church creating human videos, plays, or programs incorporating her love for inspirational dance. A few of her favorite authors include Jane Austen, Lucy Maude Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. You’ll find “food, fashion, fun, and faith” in her novels. Sometimes she includes her own illustrations.
She continues the joy and adventure of her writing journey as a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and LCW (Louisville Christian Writers). Lisa’s books are clean and wholesome, inspirational, romantic, and family oriented. She gives a generous portion of the proceeds to missions.
Discover more about this author at www.LisaPrysock.com where you’ll find the links to purchase more of her books, free recipes, devotionals, author video interviews, book trailers, giveaways, blog posts, and much more, including an invitation to sign up for her free newsletter.
Links to Connect with Lisa:
https://www.facebook.com/LisaMPrysock
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(Lisa’s page at Amazon Author Central.)
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-m-prysock
https://www.facebook.com/groups/500592113747995/
(Lisa’s Facebook Reader & Friends group.)
