At Camp Huntington, which was once called Camp Pine Knot, there is a simple structure on the shoreline of Raquette Lake that is called a lean-to.  Lean-tos that existed years ago at Pine Knot were not permanent structures like the one that remains today.

     Years ago the lean-tos that were often constructed at Pine Knot were made of burlap and animal skin.  These materials were easy to find, sturdy, and portable.  The lean-to was designed for hunters and travelers to have a place to stay after a long day.  The lean-to was extremely popular in the early settlement period of the Adirondack Mountains.  While people were in the process of building their houses, they needed a place to stay.  They were able to easily set up shelter wherever they decided to settle for the night.  Lean-tos are three sided figures.  A lean-to has a back wall, two sidewalls, and a roof that slants down towards the back of the structure.  The front of the lean-to is left wide open.  There was no need to use extra time or materials to construct difficult doors or windows.  Leaving out the front wall gave the people staying within easy and adequate ventilation.  A picture that still exists today in the Camp Pine Knot Library shows that people were also able to cook from within the comfort of the lean-to shelter.  They were able to start and tend to a fire just in front of the structure, while reading inside the structure.

     The man that designed and originally owned Camp Pine Knot was W.W. Durant.  He kept the lean-to as a shelter for the tour guides that he employed.  The guide’s job was to show Durant’s guests around the Adirondack region.  At night the guides would sleep in the burlap lean-to.  At Camp Huntington the lean-to that remains today was made into a wooden structure in order to preserve the history that goes along with it.