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Postcard
circa 1950s: Courtesy of Nate Coggeshall-Beyea |
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Lake
George, New York --
2143 SR 9 |
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A
hospitality empire that was started in the 1930s by the DeSantis
clan began in Lake George with the Northland Cabin Court. Successful
with their lodging operation through the depression and then
WW II, Carl R. DeSantis convinced his father to allow him to
open a Howard Johnson's Restaurant adjacent to the family's
motel. The Lake George HoJo's Restaurant was opened in 1953,
and remarkably turned a profit during its first year of operation!
The
Northland Cabin Courts had become the more upscale sounding
Northland Motor Lodge during the 1960s and included a HoJo's
matching cupola atop its lobby. By the middle 2000s the Northland
had morphed into a stuccoed Super 8 Motel. Note that the Northland
was never a Howard Johnson's and that the nearby Howard Johnson
Tiki Hotel was a conversion.
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Photograph
March 23, 2001 |
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HOWARD
JOHNSON'S RESTAURANT
Adjoining NORTHLAND CABIN COURT on U. S. Highway
#9 Lake George, N. Y. This haven of rest and good food
is located two minutes from Village of Lake George and
new N. Y. State Million Dollar Beach. Joe & Carl DeSantis,
Owner-Mgr. |
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Postcard
circa 1950s |
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Built
along the lines of Florida architect Rufus Nims' classic mid-century
design, the Lake George unit proved too small to handle its
ever increasing business. By the early 1960s, the Howard Johnson
Company's architects and planners had devised a newer larger
building to serve high traffic locations that it dubbed "Concept
'65." While only three full-sized Concept '65 locations
were built, Lake George was one of two pre-existing locations
that were remodeled to appear similar to its three larger cousins.
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Photographs
March 22, 2001 |
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Left:
The circa 1970s sign is the last of its type to still advertise
a Howard Johnson's (note that its face was replaced during
the 1990s with the FAI "triangle" design).
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