Owl's Nest

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Lore & Background

Owl's Nest sits on the east side of Lake George, in an area known as Joshua's Rock, overlooking Dunham Bay northeast of the village of Lake George. The property covers about 10 acres and includes three historic buildings plus a family graveyard where Edward Eggleston is buried. The main house, called "The Homestead," is a two-story clapboarded frame structure with a hip roof, built in 1879 for Eggleston's daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Elwin Seelye. Eggleston's own house, built in the late 1880s, is a 1+1⁄2-story stone structure, with a frame wing added about 1890. It connects via a breezeway to "Mellowstone," another stone structure built in 1883 to serve as Eggleston's library.

In Their Own Story

Eggleston first summered in the Lake George area around 1875, and this property became his only permanent address after the Seelyes developed it in the late 1870s. He lived here during most of the year except for the winter months, which were typically spent in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Madison, Indiana. He did most of the writing of his later years here, and it remained his home until his death in 1902. The property remained in the hands of his descendants for many years thereafter.

Reader's Guide

Owl's Nest is located on the east side of Lake George, in the area known as Joshua's Rock, overlooking Dunham Bay northeast of village of Lake George. The property is about 10 acres in size, and includes three historic buildings and a family graveyard in which Edward Eggleston is buried. The main house, known as "The Homestead," is a two-story clapboarded frame structure with a hip roof, which was built in 1879 for Eggleston's daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Elwin Seelye. Eggleston's house, built in the late 1880s, is a 1+1⁄2-story stone structure, to which a frame wing was added about 1890. It is connected by a breezeway to "Mellowstone," another stone structure built in 1883 to serve as Eggleston's library.

Did You Know?

• Edward Eggleston was one of America's first realist writers.
• The property was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
• Eggleston's library, called 'Mellowstone,' was built in 1883 as a separate stone structure.
• Eggleston spent winter months in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Madison, Indiana.
• The main house 'The Homestead' was built in 1879 for Eggleston's daughter and son-in-law.