Town Information
& History
Gateway to the Adirondack High
Peaks
Nicknamed: Pleasant Valley
Settled: 1792
Established: February 12, 1798
Latitude: 44.216N
Longitude: -73.591W
Area: 82 square miles
Major industry: government, law, surveying, light industry, and
tourism.
County Seat
Situated in the
heart of the six million acre Adirondack
Park, the largest forest
preserve in the Continental United States. Nine miles from the magnificent waters of Lake Champlain, 126 miles of clear fresh water and sandy
beaches.
On the Boquet River,
at the foot of Hurricane
Mountain. Named after Elizabeth Gilliland,
wife and also a daughter of landholder William Gilliland.
For many of the early years, cutting and
marketing lumber was the chief industry of the inhabitants, even exceeding
agriculture in employment. Maple sugar was an important early industry. When
poplar trees replaced the first growth, as many as 20,000 cords of poplar were
shipped in one year to paper mills from Elizabethtown.
Tourism replaced lumber as the chief industry in the late 1800s.
Following in the footsteps of their
forefathers, townspeople have made sure that this mountain hamlet has all you
would look for in a vacation spot. There is original Adirondack
charm as well as significant historic attractions and cultural opportunities.
As the county seat and government center, Elizabethtown
hosts continuous activity. Recreational facilities abound, while additional
attractions are just a few miles away.
Head into our history by visiting the Adirondack Center Museum,
open from May 15 until October 15 and by appointment throughout the winter
months. Operated by the Essex County Historical Society, it features three
floors of excellent exhibits focusing on Adirondack
history, social and military background of the area as well as several
temporary exhibits each season.
Historians and genealogists from across
the country use the Brewster Library year round for research and study of
county history.
The Colonial Garden
provides visitors with a beautiful display of color from May to October. The
Essex County Adirondack Garden Club maintains formal beds of annuals and
perennials.
Also included on the four-acre grounds of
the museum is a nature trail. Using a pamphlet prepared by the local Audubon
society, visitors can stroll by the river watch for wildflowers and birds and
enjoy a bit of natural history.
Pauline Murdock’s Bird Sanctuary is
located on Wadhams
Road, heading north out of town.
The Cobble Hill Golf Course, built in
1896 has 9 challenging holes interspersed with tall pines and mountain views.
Open from May through September. The golf course also has nesting
Peregrine and Merlin falcons.
Boquet River is famous for its rainbow, speckled and brown
trout. Stocked by county and state DEC provides ample parking at fishing access
sites.
On Lincoln pond we have a state campsite and
picnic area, with swimming, fishing and boating. Open middle of May through
Labor Day.
The outdoor recreation available for
all seasons are public skating rink, hunting, hiking, mountain climbing, cross
country skiing, canoeing, cycling, tennis, snow shoeing, horseback riding.
Split Rock Falls, South of the hamlet along Route 9, the Boquet River
drops significantly in a beautiful series of waterfalls and deep pools. This
location was the site of the Bishop Iron Forge, c. 1825 that by the unique
"tromp" method used falling water to provide a constant flow of air
to feed the smelting fires.
The Hand-Hale Historic District was
designated in 1979; the District is located on both sides of River Street in the hamlet and features
the stately homes and office of two prominent families in the annals of state
and national law. The gracious white frame Hale House that dates from 1818 is
located on the North side of the Branch and was the residence of Judge Robert
S. Hale. On the South side, Judge Augustus C. Hand built the brick Greek
revival structure, in 1849. He was the grandfather of Learned and Augustus N.
Hand, the eminent justices of the US Circuit Court of Appeals. Many young
students "read Law" in the small offices and went on to prominent
careers.
The Elizabethtown Library Association,
maintained by the town since 1884, is affiliated with the
Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System. Visitors are invited to use its
facilities and to enjoy their varying summer programs.
We have available the cultural offerings
of the Maplewood Festival of Baroque Music Recitals and the acclaimed Meadowmount School of Music located in nearby Lewis, which
welcomes visitors to their weekly concerts. Also the Gallery at The Old Mill,
former studio and school of Wayman Adams, offers fine
art in an historic Adirondack setting. We also
have many local artists in the area who welcome visitors to their private
galleries.
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