Courtesy Wiawaka Holiday House
by Andrea Palmer
Wiawaka Holiday House in Lake George has a new executive director, Doreen Kelly.
Kelly served on the board of directors for four years prior, and was most recently board president before stepping down to go through the interview process for executive director.
“I grew up in Glens Falls but like most people, didn’t know a lot about Wiawaka. As soon as I became involved a few years ago, I fell in love with the mission, the values and the vision,” said Kelly.
Wiawaka Holiday House is coming into its 116th year. It is the only continuously operating women’s retreat in America. Guests from all over the country come for respite, workshops and events. The property can be booked for events such as weddings and family reunions.
Wiawaka was founded by Mary Fuller of Troy. Fuller’s father owned garment and textile factories, primarily employing young, immigrant women. She saw how hard the women worked day after day, and wanted to give them a place to enjoy a vacation at a reasonable price.
The premises were secured by Spencer and Katrina Trask, founders of artist retreat Yaddo in Saratoga Springs. Wiawaka was ultimately sold to Mary Fuller for $1 and a bouquet of flowers. Fuller in turn deeded the property to the Wiawaka organization.
“We have very robust programming, retreats and workshops,” said Kelly. “We have quilting retreats, knitting retreats, yoga, Pilates, belly dancing on the dock. We have a massage therapist on the premises. People can come for a week, a weekend or just get a day pass at any time.”
“We honor tradition and embrace the future. We remember that in all of our planning for workshops, programs and retreats,” said Kelly.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily with a farm-to-table focus on cuisine. The on-premise herb garden is often used for meal preparation.
“We’re always looking for people who want to experience Wiawaka. We love opportunities to share our story. We have a supportive board and are dedicated to continuing our mission,” said Kelly.
While the organization was originally founded for women, and most programming is focused on women, men are welcome as a guest for most months of the year. “We try to make Wiawaka accessible to any person, for any reason,” said Kelly.
Wiawaka is partnering with Double H Ranch, enabling mothers to come to Wiawaka to rest while their children are at the Ranch.
“It’s perfect because we’re right here if the kids need anything. A lot of times, moms will just get a hotel room nearby in case their child needs them. This way they can rest and enjoy the property, without being too far away from their child,” said Kelly.
Wiawaka has also partnered with Krantz Cottage in Lake George. Krantz Cottage is an offshoot of the Ronald McDonald house in Albany. Families are able to use Krantz Cottage to vacation.
The property’s lake house building was recently added to the National Historic Registry.
Wiawaka is planning a restoration project for the Fuller House, Mayflower and Rose Cottage buildings. The organization has partnered with the Phinney Design Group to restore the buildings to period-correct appearances while updating infrastructure.
“It’s a historical gem that needs to be restored,” said Kelly. “We’re pursuing grants as well as donors and supporters for the project.”
“We’ve been lucky to have success in the past. We want to move forward to serve the public and bring awareness that we’re here. There’s not a lot of places women can come as a stranger and leave as a friend, and that’s one of our goals,” said Kelly.
“We’ve had a lot of great people involved. The Six Flags Project Six group spent a day volunteering on a bunch of fix-up projects. Sara Mannix of Mannix Marketing has donated hours of time helping with the website. MyPillow.com donated 50 pillows,” said Kelly.
Wiawaka Holiday House is located on the East Side of Lake George at 3778 Route 9L. A full schedule of retreats, workshops, programming and events can be found at www.wiawaka.org.