Elizabethtown
Print
Email
Save to Favorites
Trip Ideas
View This Map
--- Click to Enlarge ---
Explore Further
About 10 miles west of Westport and Lake Champlain on Route 9N lies Elizabethtown, the Essex County seat. Settled in 1791 by pioneers from Vermont, Elizabethtown was at first known for its lumber mills and later for its resort hotels.
In the town’s center on Court Street (Rte. 9N) is the Essex County Court House, where the body of abolitionist John Brown lay in state on the way to burial in nearby North Elba. His wife and other members of the funeral entourage spent the night at the town’s Deer’s Head Inn while four young men from the village stood guard over the body.
Today, the courthouse features a mural of Brown speaking in his own defense at his 1859 trial in West Virginia. Another mural depicts Samuel de Champlain firing his arquebus at the Iroquois.
Adirondack History Center
Housed in a big old schoolhouse on the edge of town, the laid-back Adirondack History Center (Court St./Rte. 9, 518/873-6466, www.adkhistorycenter.org, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat. and 1–5 p.m. Sun. June–Oct., adults $3.50, seniors $2.50, youths 6–16 $1.50) corrals an enormous hodgepodge of exhibits. A re-created log-cabin kitchen and artifacts from an iron mine take up one floor; on another is an exhibit on the Iroquois and displays pertaining to the lumbering industry.
A light-and-sound show offers some perspective on the French and Indian War, while Adirondack guide boats, early farm implements, antique bobsleds, and a roomful of dolls tell their stories of everyday life.
© Avalon Travel and Sascha Zuger from Moon New York State, 5th Edition
Buy Moon Travel Guides
Search
Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.