About this home

Some lake houses feel like weekend escapes; this one feels as though it has always belonged to the water. Built in 1940 at North Point on Raquette Lake, this Swiss chalet–inspired Adirondack cabin stands on 0.7 acres with approximately 200 feet of shoreline and a sunny southern exposure. From the screened porch and wide lakefront deck, the view stretches across open water toward the wooded mountains beyond—a setting that captures the quieter, more timeless side of the Adirondacks.

Inside, the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home offers about 3,800 square feet of finished living space. A generous living room gathers around a wood-burning fireplace, while wood-framed windows, natural finishes, and the home’s stone foundation preserve the warmth of an old-fashioned lake camp. Just steps from the main house, a separate studio cottage provides guests with their own private retreat and equally beautiful water views.

A private dock makes boating and swimming part of everyday life, while the nearby community beach and boat launch add to the easygoing North Point experience. Thoughtfully updated without losing its original character, 17 Waters Edge Way is more than a waterfront residence—it is the kind of place where long summer days, fireside evenings, and family traditions seem to come naturally.

History

The history of 17 Waters Edge Way begins long before the cabin itself was built. North Point’s earliest documented resident was the celebrated Adirondack guide Alvah Dunning, who occupied a small cabin here before 1865. The land later passed to James Ten Eyck of Albany, who established a modest hunting camp near the shoreline. North Point changed dramatically in 1901, when Lucy Coleman Carnegie—the widow of Thomas Carnegie and sister-in-law of industrialist Andrew Carnegie—purchased the property for $25,000 after spending several summers on Raquette Lake.

Lucy commissioned noted architect Kirtland Kelsey Cutter to create a substantial family retreat. Cutter, whose work was strongly influenced by traditional Swiss architecture, designed an ensemble consisting of an Assembly Hall, Dining Hall, boathouse, icehouse, windmill, and several guides’ cottages. Completed in 1903, the Carnegie camp helped give North Point its distinctive chalet-like architectural identity, with broad roofs, natural wood, stonework, and rooms positioned to take advantage of the lake.

Following Lucy Carnegie’s death in 1916, the estate entered a new chapter. The main camp briefly operated as a small hotel known as Chalet Lucerne. In 1924, it was acquired by the Raquette Lake Supply Company and developed into a resort destination. Existing structures were moved, additional cottages were constructed, and portions of the original estate were gradually sold into private ownership. This transformation turned North Point from one family’s Great Camp into a small community of lakeside cabins and seasonal residences.

Current MLS records date the house at 17 Waters Edge Way to 1940, placing its construction within North Point’s resort and club era. Although no reliable record identifies its original builder or first owner, its Swiss chalet character appears to continue the architectural tradition established at North Point nearly four decades earlier. The stone foundation, wood exterior, prominent fireplace, screened porch, and lake-facing design all reflect the Adirondack ideal of comfortable living closely connected to the landscape.

The cabin has since been updated for modern use, but its setting and character remain tied to that earlier period. Today, it stands as part of North Point’s continuing story—not as the original Carnegie residence, but as a later home shaped by the remarkable lakeside community that grew around it.

Architecture & Design

Architecturally, 17 Waters Edge Way belongs to the Adirondack chalet tradition, with a design shaped as much by its setting as by any formal style. Wood siding, a substantial stone foundation, a protective metal roof, and broad lake-facing outdoor spaces give the two-story house the honest, practical character of a traditional mountain camp. Its Swiss chalet influence also feels especially appropriate at North Point, where Kirtland Kelsey Cutter’s original 1903 Carnegie camp introduced a distinctly European chalet vocabulary to the Raquette Lake shoreline.

The interior is organized around a spacious living room and its wood-burning fireplace—the natural gathering place in a house intended for long summers and cool Adirondack evenings. Wood-framed windows and areas of original-style wood flooring maintain the cabin atmosphere, while the screened side porch and covered deck work almost as additional living rooms. Both spaces face south across Raquette Lake, allowing sunlight, fresh air, and the changing water views to become part of the interior experience.

With approximately 3,800 square feet of finished space, the main house is considerably more generous than many seasonal cabins of its period. Four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms provide comfortable family accommodation, while a full walk-up basement offers practical storage and utility space. Modern updates have made the property easier to use without completely polishing away its rustic personality.

The separate studio cottage is another important part of the design. Positioned only steps from the main residence, it gives guests privacy while preserving their connection to the lake. Together with the shed, deck, fire pit, and private dock, it creates a small collection of structures rather than a single isolated house—an arrangement that quietly echoes the compound-style planning of the Adirondacks’ historic Great Camps.

Location & Lifestyle

Set at North Point on the northern reaches of Raquette Lake, 17 Waters Edge Way enjoys one of the more private settings in New York’s central Adirondacks. The final approach follows North Point Road for approximately twelve miles before continuing along a quiet gravel lane, creating a genuine sense of separation from the busier communities along Route 28. Although the property carries a Long Lake address, its outlook and daily rhythm are closely tied to Raquette Lake, with roughly 200 feet of shoreline and broad southern views across the water.

Life here naturally revolves around the lake. The private dock provides direct access for boating, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking along Raquette Lake’s famously winding shoreline, while the screened porch, waterfront deck, and fire pit offer quieter places to enjoy summer afternoons and cool evenings. Membership in the voluntary North Point social club also provides access to a community beach, main dock, and boat launch.

Beyond the property, the Long Lake and Raquette Lake area offers woodland hiking trails, waterfalls, state campgrounds, marinas, and scenic boat tours past several historic Adirondack Great Camps. This is not a conventional suburban lifestyle built around shops and short commutes. It is better suited to those who value privacy, outdoor recreation, family gatherings, and the slower seasonal traditions that have drawn people to Raquette Lake for generations.

Editor’s Note

What makes 17 Waters Edge Way especially compelling is that it does not try to imitate the grand scale of Raquette Lake’s famous Great Camps. Instead, it offers something more intimate: a genuine 1940 Adirondack cabin shaped by the same landscape and chalet tradition that made North Point so distinctive.

The screened porch, wood-burning fireplace, broad lakefront deck, private dock, and separate studio cottage all speak to a relaxed style of living built around family, water, and the outdoors. Modern improvements have made the property more comfortable, yet it still retains the informal character that an old lake house should have.

It is important not to describe this as the original Carnegie residence; it is a later home constructed during North Point’s resort and club era. Even so, its historical setting, approximately 200 feet of shoreline, southern exposure, and connection to one of Raquette Lake’s most storied communities make it a particularly memorable Adirondack retreat.