Paul Smith's Hotel, on Lower St. Regis Lake, was one of the first resorts in the Adirondacks, and became popular among high society. It was a principal place for William West Durant and others to meet, socialize, and sell property. The owner, Paul Smith, was a guide and entertaining host, who owned thousands of acres in the region, which he sold to wealthy visitors to his hotel, who were eager to have their own camp. He also provided local builders, and lumber from his own mills. He died in 1912, and his son Phelps took over the operation. The hotel, with more than 250 rooms, burned down in 1930, and when Phelps died in 1937, his will endowed Paul Smith’s College to be built on the site. The college opened in 1946, and continues to operate today as a small private college with a focus on the environment of the Adirondacks, and hospitality management.
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