Sandra Vitzthum Public Places - Upland Bakery, Hague New York

Uptown Store & Residence, Hague, New York

Hague has been a summer community on the shore of Lake George for well over a century. It has recently awakened from a few quiet decades as more families build summer and retirement homes. The village is now bustling with several new stores and restaurants.

This building was Hague's original general store, an Eastlake gem with varnished beadboard walls and ceilings, loads of display shelves, and a charming storefront.

It declined along with Hague; at some point its upper floors were converted to a boarding house and the store became a taxidermy. Eventually the building stood empty.

The owners' family summered for generations in Hague, and when Lauren was looking for a new project she decided to re-open the store.

Calling it the Uptown Store after a sign she found, Lauren found it relatively easy to reclaim the display/sales area.

The counter was built from salvaged antiques. It was a much larger challenge to convert the old offices to a modern commercial kitchen; the result is both elegant and efficient.

At some point the owners realized it would be nice to live close to the store, so they decided to turn the maze of boarding rooms into their new home. Most of the walls were demolished to create a cozy, open living space with adjacent kitchen and dining area; beyond is a large screened porch looking over a stream. The store's Eastlake details were brought upstairs, along with a number of salvaged architectural artifacts. (The countertops are salvaged blackboards!)

The third floor was enlarged by adding dormers on both sides of the house. A new family room and two bedrooms fit comfortably up there.

For Further Reading:

"Uptown Authentic"
by Nancy E Berry

New Old House Magazine - Fall/Winter 2009

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