Hague Hotels

The Mohican House was built by Smith Sexton in about 1908. It was described in an advertisement at the time as “modern, home-like accommodating 100. Rooms single and on suite with bath. Garage and fine sand beach for bathing, boating, tennis, golf near, dancing, pool, ping pong, shuffleboard, horseshoes, badminton, croquet, running spring water.” 

In 1911, Smith Sexton added an annex and called it Uncas Hall. The capacity was 40 guests and the rates were reasonable at $8 to $14 a week. There were actually two annexes: one at the Hotel Uncas and one at the Mohican House.

Close to the Mohican House, on its north side, Smith Sexton built a store selling items to the help, hotel guests, and local folks. An ad placed in the July 1, 1911 issue of The Lake George Mirror says “Smith Sexton had a store located next to the Mohican House here was sold gasoline, oils, greases, batteries, camper supplies, etc.” Smith’s store was described differently in the 1920s Mohican House Uncas on Lake George brochure: “The store at the Mohican House is well stocked with all the needed articles for campers and also has a fine line of confectionery, cigars, and souvenirs. Its soda fountain and ice cream parlor are always well patronized.” The same brochure lists these weekly Mohican house rates: in July $21.50 to $24.50 and higher in August at $24.50 to $28.50. Daily rates were $4.00 to $4.50 and accommodations for autos $3.50 per week. However, guests with “pulmonary disease or who are otherwise objectionable” would not be “entertained.”

By the 1920s the guests arriving at the Mohican House sailed from Caldwell (now called Lake George Village) on the Horicon or the Sagamore and got off at the long, 250-foot steamboat dock of Hotel Uncas. The Mohican House was just 1/10th of a mile north of the Hotel Uncas, which Sexton Smith built in 1896. The Mohican House dock was only a two-minute row away. Before the pier at the Hotel Uncas was built, travelers would arrive by steamer at Sabbath Day Point or at Bolton Landing. From Bolton Landing, travel was by stagecoach around Tongue Mountain through Wardsboro, along Flybook Road, down through Graphite Mountain Road/Route 8, and then back southward to the hotel—quite a journey.

A 1920s brochure states “our professional orchestra and excellent floor make this a center for the entire locality.”

Smith Sexton had two launches he used to entertain his guests. The Uncas could hold 30 passengers and the Mohawk could hold 12 passengers. His boats were built by his cousin Jesse Sexton and Jesse's father, Wildman Sexton. Wildman’s building shop was located across from Hague’s Methodist Church on Route 8. 

William Preston Gates mentions the launching of the Uncas in his book Lake George Boats and Steamboats: “The Uncas was nearly 50 feet long and could carry up to 30 passengers and had her own covered pier. Later in life she made trips along the full length of the lake stopping at many of the small hotels along her route. She was built in 1910 and by 1912 she even chartered tours at the southern end of the lake, competing with the tours of the steamboat company’s launches. Sexton's other launch, the Mohawk, was slightly smaller.”

In the early 1950s, the Mohican House was a place for local folks to find work or entertainment. The Mohican House burned in 1954. After the 1954 fire, a restaurant opened at the site of the hotel called the Open Hearth. Later it was called Odies. Today it is a private property.

About Smith Sexton: 

Smith Sexton (1866-1935) was the third child of Hiram (1827 to 1820 to 1926) and Harriet (Thankful Tuttle) Sexton. Two sisters, Teresa (the oldest child) and Flora (the youngest of the family) left a legacy of many wonderful photographs of people and places around Hague. . Not much is known about Smith's brother George, the second oldest.

Smith married Elsie Woodward. They had five children: Barbara, Howard, Frank, Emma, and George. Howard and his wife, Florence Sexton, and his sisters Barbara and Emma helped run the Mohican House in its later years. 

In addition to his store near the Mohican House, Hotel Uncas, Uncas Hall, and Lakeview Cottages, Smith also owned a grocery store in Hague and an ice cream store. The grocery store was located next to today's Hague Market in the red apartment building to the left. 

Reminiscences by Hague Locals

Conversation with Hague native Margaret Del Signore on December 5, 2008: 

“Smith Sexton was Flora and Teresa's brother. He had a store in the building on the east side where Allison Craig's Realty offices located now. He owned the Mohican House where the old Open Hearth was located later. In those days it was all graded and leveled down to the beach. My mother worked in the Mohican House as a chamber woman. Smith also owned Hotel Uncas for a time and he owned a store on route 8 down the road on the same side as the Keenan Brothers store. Smith sold booze--hard cider. The Keenan store sold guns and ammunition in their storage basement. In those days, the store sold everything.”

Wilfred C. Ross wrote this about the Mohican House the annex in his book Graphite, New York. Smith Sexton was Wilfred Ross's uncle. Smith often played banjo music at one or another of Hague’s hotels. “This hotel would accommodate about 80 guests. There was also a store in a bar on the ground. Money was plentiful and Smith Sexton took in about $500 a day. Uncle Smith also owned a large launch. Another gay time was held in the annex of the Mohican Hotel. Alvah Phillips played his violin, Amos Ross played the banjo, and Olga Carney played the piano. This entertainment was in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Olmsted who had recently married. There were many guests invited and everyone enjoyed the party.”

Martin H. Fitzgerald Sr. remembered that the Mohican House had a concrete runway in front of it where his mother once roller skated. He would go to the Mohican House store with his father when it was a restaurant and a pub. “You could get a good sandwich and a beer. There was a gas pump.”