BY Jonathan Burke, President and CEO Sotheby's International Realty

Nearly every luxury property exudes a special feeling that’s often difficult to communicate in words. Not so for an Adirondack camp, Kwenogamac, which is set on Long Lake in Lake George, New York. Harold Reiser’s description goes like this: “It’s like driving into a storybook.” How about that for enticing? That storybook feel comes from the property’s remoteness, for one. The 13-building compound, built in 1903 for Arpad G. C. Gerster, a European immigrant and doctor, is set on 43 acres. The site, accessible by a private, gated road, is surrounded by woods, mountains and water, all of which combine to deliver a rare, calming silence.

The property is listed John Burke, of Select Sotheby’s International Realty. It has three New York offices in Saratoga Springs, Lake Placid, and Lake George in New York. Reiser is associate broker and founding member of the firm. It’s a property that offers a nod to the past , but where history and modernity co-exist. In fact, unique spaces from the original design remain. Those include a room whose surfaces are entirely covered in tin. The tin kept linens safe from mice. Another space was used to refill oil lamps. Among the camp’s main buildings are the original historic lodge, meant for summer use, that includes a library and seven bedrooms that are spread across three floors. Gerster, something of a Renaissance man, kept diaries, books and papers, some of which are still in place at the property. A new guest lodge for year-round use features a great room with a full kitchen, a three-car garage and a complete woodworking and maintenance shop. And a year-round boathouse includes a second-floor great room, a sun deck and Crestron and Lutron systems. It’s marked by log beams and a dramatic vaulted ceiling. Its interior fireplace is so grand that you can walk around it. A second fireplace is located outside on a covered patio. The building was designed to fit with the environment and incorporates wood from the property, along with red and yellow birch and reclaimed heart pine floors. “The combination of woods and the architecture is a piece of art,” comments Reiser.

Moreover, the compound is self sufficient and relies on green power. Solar panels and battery storage produce electricity, for instance, and a wood furnace is capable of generating heat and hot water for two major buildings. Gardens, one of which is totally white, are abundant across the property. And rather than using harsh measures to keep deer at bay, a motion sensor sets off squirts of water that discourage them from chomping plants. And an array of outdoor amenities make the property an ideal getaway for recreation. There’s the 1,233 feet of water frontage with a sandy beach, as well as a playing field, trails for hiking, skiing and snowshoeing, and water sports that include boating, swimming and fishing. Reiser and Burke see the property as ideal for a high-profile person craving privacy or for a family compound. It’s also a strong contender for a corporate entity seeking space for training and meetings, especially since there’s a built-in environment for team-building exercises.

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