Great Camp Main House

The Main House of the Great Camp compound is designed to feel as if it was built one hundred years ago, both in its architecture and interior design. It is inspired by the Adirondack Great Camps of the early 20th century, in particular the The Point (originally “Camp Wonundra”), built by the Rockefellers on Saranac Lake in upstate New York. The house is entirely traditional timber frame construction, fabricated out of hand planed oak logs which have been tanic washed and fumed to accelerate the patina of aged oak. The trusses in the Great Room use wrought iron chains rather than wood for the tension members, a detail that required specialty engineering and testing in a collaborative effort between the architect, builder, timber fabricator, and ironmonger; each chain is carefully crafted to meet at a circular joint, all of which align in the center of the space. The Great Room features two large fieldstone fireplaces with dramatic stone mantles; the house features six such monumental fireplaces, including one outdoor fireplace on the front stone terrace. The Kitchen features a large skylight, two large islands with salvaged factory workbench legs, an enormous integral soapstone sink, Danby marble counters, and antique mercury glass pendants custom configured to hang from the massive timber purlins. A Breakfast Room is accessed from the Kitchen, as is a large screen porch, while the opposite end of the house contains two bedroom suites. The interior furnishings were all selected by the architect, assembled with the intent to create an interior that felt it had grown and expanded over generations. A custom oriental rug was designed with wear patterns consistent with the furniture plan; furnishings range from traditional rustic pieces to comfortable custom upholstered pieces (with slipcovers for summer use) antique and contemporary pieces. The project was designed and managed by Catherine while at Ann Beha Architects.