Island House Estate · Est. 1886

A History of Legacy & Place

From Gilded Age ambition to twenty-first-century stewardship

Island House Estate · Est. 1886

A History of Legacy & Place

From Gilded Age ambition to twenty-first-century stewardship

Home . History

Adirondack Park

"One of the Adirondack Park's last great family compounds — a 212-acre waterfront legacy on the pristine west shore of Brant Lake, spanning island & mainland holdings with 3/4 mile of unspoiled private shoreline."

A Gilded Age Origin

The estate’s roots trace back to the 1870s, when Walter H. Wickes purchased the island group that would carry his family’s name, acquired from Joel Barton, one of Horicon’s original settlers for $75.

His nephew, William H. Wickes — industrialist, patent holder, and a driving force behind refrigerator car technology — elevated the property into the centerpiece of a far-reaching empire. Though his business interests spanned New York, Rochester, and Chicago, William spent up to three months each summer at Brant Lake, hosting guests and immersing himself in the hunting, fishing, and winter skating that defined Adirondack life among high society.

The Island House, completed in 1886 by respected local contractor S.A. Ormsby, stands as the architectural heart of it all — a stately white residence wrapped in porches, crowned by a tower, and finished with the polished sensibility of an age when America’s wealthiest brought refinement deep into the Adirondack mountains.

A Century of Stewardship

Following the Wickes era, the property passed through prominent hands — including Albany cigar manufacturer George VanSlyke, who christened it “Seven Pines” during Brant Lake’s rise as one of New York’s most fashionable summer destinations. It is rumored that President Theodore Roosevelt was a guest at Brant Lake.

The estate’s modern chapter began in 1942, when the Schultz family acquired Island House. For nearly a century since, one family has preserved and expanded this extraordinary retreat, welcoming distinguished guests and maintaining traditions of gathering, recreation, and quiet lakeside contemplation that have defined the property from its earliest days.

In the 1970s, the family extended the estate’s reach with the acquisition of 180 additional acres across Palisades Road — a former girls’ camp property now accessible from both Palisades Road and Gibbons Road, encompassing expansive equestrian trails and woodland.

Architecture That Honors the Past

In 2007, renowned Saratoga Springs architects Balzer & Tuck completed a nearly 6,000- square-foot main house — built by Bonacio Construction — that bridges more than 130 years of building history with modern family life. White-painted cedar clapboard and locally quarried granite echo the estate’s architectural heritage.

A hybrid truss and timber-framed great room opens to panoramic lake views through a masterful “slow reveal” sequence: visitors approach through a deliberately understated entry, glimpsing only fragments of water and sky, before stepping into the soaring great room where the full expanse of Brant Lake unfolds in a single, breathtaking moment.

Today, the Island House Estate comprises a total of 20 bedrooms between the truss and timber-framed Main House, historic 1886 Island House , a Lakeside House, a Caretaker’s House, two garages with apartments, equestrian facilities with barns, acres of riding trails, and a Har-Tru tennis court.

Ownership Timeline

From the 1870s to the Present

Brant Lake · Adirondack Park · 1870s – Present

Gilded Age (1886)

Walter H. Wickes acquires the island group from Joel Barton, an original settler in Horicon, for $75—establishing the foundation for a legendary Gilded Age retreat on Brant Lake.

Island House Completed

A grand, white-porched residence with a tower addition was built by noted local contractor S.A. Ormsby for industrialist William H. Wickes.

End of the Wickes Era

William H. Wickes, a millionaire patent holder and refrigerator car pioneer, dies unexpectedly in Detroit—closing the estate's founding chapter.

George VanSlyke — "Seven Pines"

An Albany cigar manufacturer acquires and renames the property during Brant Lake's emergence as a fashionable New York summer destination. President Theodore Roosevelt is rumored to have visited.

The Schultz Family

The family acquires the Island House Estate, beginning nearly a century of continuous family stewardship, preservation, and distinguished hospitality.

180-Acre Expansion

The former girls' camp property across Palisades Road added equestrian trails and woodland, with access from Palisades and Gibbons Roads.

New Main House

A 5,414 sq ft residence designed by Balzer & Tuck of Saratoga Springs and built by Bonacio Construction. Cedar clapboard and locally quarried granite honor the estate's legacy aesthetic.

A 212-Acre Multi-generational Compound

The Main Island House, Island House, The Lakeside House, the equestrian facilities, a Har-Tru tennis court, and the 2007 guest house & outbuildings complete the legacy property in the heart of the Adirondacks.

1870s Gilded Age

Gilded Age (1886)

Walter H. Wickes acquires the island group from Joel Barton, an original settler in Horicon, for $75—establishing the foundation for a legendary Gilded Age retreat on Brant Lake.

1886 Gilded Age

Island House Completed

A grand, white-porched residence with a tower addition was built by noted local contractor S.A. Ormsby for industrialist William H. Wickes.

1892 Gilded Age

End of the Wickes Era

William H. Wickes, millionaire patent holder and refrigerator car pioneer, dies unexpectedly in Detroit — closing the estate's founding chapter.

c. 1900s Transition

George VanSlyke — "Seven Pines"

An Albany cigar manufacturer acquires and renames the property during Brant Lake's emergence as a fashionable New York summer destination. President Theodore Roosevelt is rumored to have visited.

1942 Schultz Era

The Schultz Family

The family acquires the Island House Estate, beginning nearly a century of continuous family stewardship, preservation, and distinguished hospitality.

1970s Schultz Era

180-Acre Expansion (1970s)

The former girls' camp property across Palisades Road added equestrian trails and woodland, with access from Palisades and Gibbons Roads.

2007 Schultz Era

New Main House (2007)

A 5,414 sq ft residence designed by Balzer & Tuck of Saratoga Springs and built by Bonacio Construction. Cedar clapboard and locally quarried granite honor the estate's legacy aesthetic.

Today Schultz Era

A 212-Acre Multi-generational Compound

1870s

Gilded Age

1886

Gilded Age

1892

Gilded Age

c. 1900s

Transition

1942

Schultz Era

1970s

Schultz Era

2007

Schultz Era

Today

Schultz Era

At a Glance

Estate at a Glance

Total Acreage

212 Acres

Encompassing mainland & island property

Shoreline

3⁄4 Mile

Private frontage on Brant Lake

The Lake

Brant Lake

Four season recreation

Historic Residence

Island House

Built 1886 · Gilded Age Centerpiece

Modern Main House

5,414 sq ft

Balzer & Tuck · Truss & Timber Framed · 2007

Lakeside House

Six Bedrooms

At water’s edge

Equestrian Trails

4 Stall Barn

With jumping arena & riding trails

Tennis

Har-Tru Court

Professional clay surface

Additional

Guest House & Outbuildings.

+ Two garages with apartments

Julie & Co. Realty, LLC

Erin Steinbach

Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker

Phone

c: +1 (518) 222-6031

Email

erinsrealtor@gmail.com

Availability

Private showings by appointment

Office

18 Division St # 314, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866, USA

Private Introduction

Request a Showing

Complete the form below & Erin will be in touch to arrange a confidential introduction to the Island House Estate.

The Estate

At a Glance

212

1886

6

3/4 mi

The Estate

At a Glance

212

1886

6

3/4 mi

Island House Estate · Est. 1886

A History of Legacy & Place

Island House Estate · Est. 1886

A History of Legacy & Place

Adirondack Park

"One of the Adirondack Park's last great family compounds — a 212-acre waterfront legacy on the pristine west shore of Brant Lake, spanning island & mainland holdings with 3/4 mile of unspoiled private shoreline."

A Gilded Age Origin

A Century of Stewardship

Architecture That Honors the Past

Ownership Timeline

From the 1870s to the Present

1870s

1886

1892

c. 1900s

1942

1970s

2007

Today

At a Glance

Estate at a Glance

Total Acreage

212 Acres

Shoreline

3⁄4 Mile

The Lake

Brant Lake

Historic Residence

Island House

Modern Main House

5,414 sq ft

Lakeside House

Six Bedrooms

Equestrian Trails

4 Stall Barn

Tennis

Har-Tru Court

Additional

Guest House & Outbuildings.

Erin Steinbach

Availability

Private Introduction

Request a Showing

Main Residences

At a Glance

212

1886

6

½ mi