St. Williams on Long Point at Raquette Lake, an historic and architecturally unique church, was built in 1890 by Adirondack developer William West Durant to attract wealthy urbanites to purchase summer residences away from the noise and crowding of the cities.

According to Bea Garvin, a charter member of St. Williams on Long Point, Inc, the church was also constructed for the workmen who were building Durant’s Great Camps that included Camp Kill Kare and Pine Knot.

He commissioned the J. C. Cady Architectural Firm in New York City to design it, she said.

“He had established a town on the north shore of a point of land called Long Point, and he named it Durant,” Garvin said.

It included a store and the church, which Durant deeded to the Catholic Church, she said, adding that church was administered by Franciscan Friars who used it as a summer retreat. “It sits on the back side of a piece of ground where Durant built Pine Knot, his earliest Great Camp,” she said.

The waterways were the only means of travel at that time, but with the arrival of a railroad spur from New York City to what is now Raquette Lake, the land locked point called Durant declined and eventually became known as St. Williams on Long Point.

Garvin said that in 1990, her late husband Anthony Garvin and Brother Edward Falsey, a Franciscan Friar and director of St. Williams, were concerned about the deteriorating condition of the historic church which was celebrating its 100th anniversary that year.

A special Mass celebrating the Centennial had to be held at St. William’s Chapel at Raquette Lake, because the foundation of the church on the Point was not safe enough to accommodate a congregation.

Winter ice had also torn the logs loose under the dock, making it unsafe.

“My husband noticed that the church was going to literally fall into the ground. It had never been restored,” Garvin said.

Garvin herself became involved in the church’s restoration plans following her husband’s death in 1992.

“We started the Pier Fund in 1992-93,” she said. “I went out and raised money, along with others, to fix the piers under the church foundation.”By 1994, with private donations and two grants, enough money was raised to repair the stone quarried piers holding up the church and to dig a new foundation.

By the summer of 1995 programs were able to be held every Thursday evening in the church with up to 200 people attending. Major restorations continued with the repair of the leaking roof and replacement of the original cedar shake shingles.

“It’s a huge scale roof in the shingle style you see in Maine houses. They call it the Queen Anne Revival style. The Adirondack Museum had early photographs of the church when it was first finished, so I was able to literally count the shingles on the roof and sides,” Garvin said.

In order for the roof to match the original, she told the Lamphear brothers, local contractors of the project, the number shingles to use.

The roof restoration was completed during the spring of 2000. The exquisite stenciling inside the church has also been restored to the original with the help of early photographs.

In 2005 the church was placed on the National Register of Historic sites.

“We’re never going to say that restoration is completed. The fabric of the church is done and the stenciling is done, but I still have to find someone to weave the proper aisle carpet to match the original. It’s an Adirondacky-looking thing. And we also want to restore the old organ,” Garvin said.

During the summer months, many visitors from all over the world find their way to this historic church to attend a variety of entertaining programs that are offered and to view the architecture.

St. Williams also has the pleasure of hosting participants of the annual steamboat event on Raquette Lake which is scheduled this summer for August 19 through 26.

“There is also a retreat on the grounds that can be rented for family gatherings, and people get married in the church, which is  now nondenominational. It’s an extraordinary building, unique in the Adirondacks,” she said.

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Upcoming programs to be held each Thursday at St. Williams on Long Point are:

August 9 – “Acoustic Duo” with John Cadley & Cathy Wenthen.

August 16 – “The Highland Winds” with a Clarinet Quartet specializing in classical musical.

August 23 – “Rustic Riders” Lisa & Klauss Meissner with original music with audience participation. August 30 – “Captain Squeeze & the Zydeco Moshers – one of the most versatile Zydeco Bands in the country. (This program will be held the Raquette Lake School.)

Durant Days are being celebrated in Raquette Lake on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 3, 4, 5, with concerts, games, fireworks and special tours. For information call Long Lake Tourism Department at (518) 624-3077.