Hague Hotels

The Locust Inn was built by Lewis Burgess and his wife Charlotte McClanathan Burgess as their home, not as an inn, in 1865.

As a side note, the grandfather of Louis Burgess was a Hessian soldier who came to Ticonderoga with General Burgoyne during the American Revolutionary War. The grandfather had enlisted when the British Army hired Hessian troops. He was sent to America and arrived in New York City in 1777. He soon decided the Americans were fighting for a good cause and joined the American army. He was threatened with death by hanging for deserting the British Army. To obscure his true identity, he took the name of Burgess. After the war the grandfather married and located in Putnam, Washington County in New York.

Lewis Burgess was born on August 14, 1837. He was a native of Dresden, Washington County, New York. His parents were John Christie Burgess and Achsah Christie Davis. Lewis was first a school teacher and afterwards occupied a position as chief clerk for 10 years at the Fort William Henry Hotel. In 1860, he entered the merchandising business. He purchased a store in Hague. The store was either originally located or moved by Lewis to a location across the street from where the Locust Inn stands today. On November 2, 1860, Lewis Burgess purchased the property on which the Locust Inn now stands from Thomas Wayne (Deed Book #5). Lewis Burgess married Charlotte, daughter of John McClanathan, Sr., of Hague, on January 2, 1862.

Mr. Burgess served as the postmaster of Hague for about 32 years up to 1893 when his brother-in-law John McClanathan, Jr. succeeded him. Lewis Burgess was the supervisor for the town of Hague in 1862, 1866, 1867, and 1889. He also held the office of justice of the peace for many years.

At one point, Burgess owned most of the land in the hamlet of Hague. He gave property to the Wesleyan Church in 1879 and later gave land to the Hague Baptist Church. Mr. Burgess also gave the town of Hague the lot on which the town hall was built in 1893 (today a parking lot) and the lot on which the District School Number One was built in 1901. (The Hague Community Center now occupies the lot where the school was located.) 

Lewis Burgess also built a bowling alley near the Locust Inn and together with John McClanathan a hotel called the Hillside Hotel. John McClanathan, brother of Charlotte Burgess, ran the Hillside Hotel. The bowling alley burned in 1913 and the hotel in 1932. 

The Burgess homestead may be one of the earliest remaining homes in Hague. In later years Lewis and Charlotte Burgess spent their winters in St. Augustine, FL. Lewis Burgess died on May 23, 1910. Lewis and Charlotte had no children, so after Charlotte Burgess died in October of 1914, the Burgess homestead passed to Charlotte's brother, John McClanathan, Jr. and his wife, Martha. John Jr. died on November 30, 1922 and Martha died in March of 1925. The ownership of the Burgess homestead passed to Edith McClanahan, their only child. In 1923, Edith opened a tea room in the building known as the Burgess Store.

On July 1, 1925, Edith McClanathan sold the Burgess homestead to Eveline Neddeau (Deed Book #116 p.181). In December of 1927, the old Burgess store property was condemned to make way for Route 9N. The store was at least partially raised to make way for this approved state road. 

Eveline Neddeau married Frank Fish in 1925. There's a record of a deed dated May 18, 1926 where Eveline Neddeau Fish sold the property to Mary Eveline Nedeau. This deed is confusing because the next deed mentioned is 1940. The property was clearly owned by Eveline Neddeau Fish, so the house somehow remained in the ownership of Eveline and Frank Fish until 1940.

Frank and Eveline Fish renamed the Burgess homestead as the Locust Inn and used it for boarding in the 1920s. Bernie and Frances Clifton wrote that “Mrs. Fish’s claim to fame was not that of her gracious hospitality or her good cooking, but she was noted for her reputation among “help” and guests as being the most difficult woman in town.” Frank and Eveline Fish lived in Ticonderoga and it's likely that they built the cabins on the property of the Locust Inn so they could accommodate more summer guests. 

Frank's first business entity was selling ice from a site where the nurse's home was later located near Moses Ludington Hospital. Later, he owned the Frank Fish Coal and Cement business. He has been described as one of Ticonderoga's most successful businessmen.

In 1927. Mrs. Fish advertised the Burgess homestead for sale in a booklet published by the lines of the Delaware and Hudson company called Lake George and Lake Champlain. The Locust Inn was described as follows: “This magnificent home for sale located on the shore of Lake George at Hague New York. 105 miles north of Albany on one of the main auto routes between Albany and Montreal. 9 miles from Ticonderoga. Lake George steamers land nearby. Fine bathing beach property. House full two stories, well built and in good repair. Large entrance hall, commodious living room, seven light area bedrooms each with a built-in wardrobe. Electric lights, wine cellar. Recently renovated and redecorated. Suitable for a summer or all year home, or a summer hotel or boarding house. Price far below value for quick sale. Easy terms. For further particulars, write to Frank Fish, Ticonderoga, Essex County.” The house did not sell.

On April of 1940, Frank Fish sold the property to Alex W. Yell and Lena McIntyre Yell of Crown Point (Deed Book #214 page 500). It says in the deed book that Eveline Nedeau Fish died on January 31, 1940. Even in the deed book the named Neddeau is spelled sometimes with a single d and sometimes with double d’s. 

From the Ticonderoga Sentinel and Deed Book #235 page 558, we know that on January 16, 1946, the Locust Inn and cabins were sold by Mr. and Mrs. Alec Yell to Mr. and Mrs. Darby Tabler of Catonsville, Maryland. From the Ticonderoga Sentinel we know that in April 1947, “the Hague Brook, normally a peaceful trout stream running through this resort community, went berserk during a torrential rainstorm Monday night and early Tuesday morning, overflowing its banks and causing damage of many thousands of dollars. The cabins at the adjacent Locust Inn, owned by Darby Tabler, were also damaged and the grounds there suffered severely when inundated.” The Tablers definitely ran the home as an inn in the summertime. They added the large porch and used the cabins around the house as guest cottages. Portia created an apartment on the second floor of the main house for a friend of hers. Downstairs there were two bedrooms and a bath as well as a living room, dining room, and kitchen. Tragically, Darby Tabler was killed while driving his Jaguar sports car in Hague.

On March 31, 1971, Rosemarie Viscardi purchased the Locust Inn from the Tablers. Rosemary's mother, Irene Coveney, lived in the house until 1980, shortly before her death. Irene had many friends in Hague and loved to cook. One of her great pleasures was to invite her friends to dinner.

In approximately 1987, the large lot was split into two parcels. Robert Katzman, who also owned the Arcady property, purchased the lakefront property. He built four condominiums near the lake, which he eventually sold to four individuals. These condominiums still stand today.

On May 20, 1987, Dr. Michael Shuhler purchased the Locust Inn from Rosemary Viscardi. Dr. Shuhler and his family moved in but at a later date his wife separated from him and moved out. Dr. Shuhler died when he was only about 40 years old.

On May 21, 1991, James Coates purchased the Locust Inn. When he acquired the house, the cottages around the inn, with the exception of the carriage house, were gone. Jim ran an art gallery in the Locust Inn beginning in 1996. He also rented the carriage house. 

In 2004, David and Carolyn Dunn bought the Locust Inn from Jim Coates. They ran a bed and breakfast. They also rented the carriage house. 

Researched and written by Enid Engler, 2010