A time capsule of American life and history from the infancy of the United States through the World Wars and into the present.
“The Elisha Camp House at Sackets Harbor is a significant example of a residential building having the great elegance of proportion and refinement of detail characteristic of finer architecture built during the federal period.”
Mission
To preserve and maintain Camp Manor - the land, the house, the contents, and the people who lived there. We're looking for a partner who can maintain, preserve, and promote the historical value and significance of this two-hundred-year-old homestead in Northern New York.
Historical Background and Purpose
Camp Manor is a time capsule of American life and history from the infancy of the United States through the World Wars and into present. Within its walls, the family home encapsulates the social, political, and technological transitions from America’s various eras, innovations, and endeavors. Its display of such phenomena illustrates a unique perspective of Sackets Harbor’s transition from a crucial military base to a bustling and vibrant community.
The setting of the property, Sackets Harbor, was a military village in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with Madison Barracks and the US Navy shipyard. The transition from this important military installation into a tourist town has come to fruition through the hard work and dedication of the community. Its pride and heritage as a center of early-New York and United States history drive Sackets Harbor onward alongside its summer tourist industry on Lake Ontario.
Sackets Harbor is a vibrant community containing well-known regional restaurants, historic sites, and small-town shops. The village is a popular destination on Lake Ontario for water-sports, sight-seeing, and tourism as a gateway to the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands. Sackets Harbor receives tourists from all over the globe. During the summer, visitors are treated to local and regional events such as a Memorial Day parade, 4th of July celebration, including fireworks and other festivities, and the Can-Am Days festival hosted later in July celebrating our relationship with our Canadian neighbors.
The Smith Irrevocable Family Trust seeks to maintain this historical American time capsule. In undertaking this preservation, we want to ensure that the building and its contents remain intact to preserve priceless pieces of various eras of American history and showcase the area’s distinctive cultural and military heritage in one location. The Trust also desires to give back to the community and provide Sackets Harbor and Northern New York with a piece of history that all may treasure through continuous learning, research, and community outreach. Camp Manor holds many potential learning and study opportunities for students and adult adventurers alike.
More Videos
A conversation with Ed Polk Douglas regarding the Banks of the Bosphorus wallpaper seen in the North Parlor of Camp Manor.
Goals
01. Maintain Historical Integrity
Keep the historical material and contents that tell the family story together and intact. The separation of the two - house and contents - is detrimental to the family's unique story and the region's history.
02. Maintain the Structure and Contents
Maintain the structural and historical integrity and safety of Camp Manor - the foundation, the building, the interior, the property.
Stabilize the structure with as much of the original material as possible. Attempt to keep the look and feel of the current house intact, including antique furniture and other unique contents, keeping in mind the historical integrity and appropriate time period to promote Sackets Harbor and the region.
03. Community Service
Maintain a piece of the community's history - local, regional, and state.
Observe and discover new evidences of American history in Northern New York through research at or about the house and the region. Community involvement to help preserve, maintain, learn about, and enjoy in the history and historical integrity of Camp Manor.
04. Operations Transfer
Transfer the financial and day-to-day operations of Camp Manor, the land, structure, and its contents, to a third party that will honor the outlined goals.
