The village began in 1867 as a summer camp meeting locale for groups of Methodists. At first, visitors lived in tents, while visiting ministers could rent space in the second story of the meeting's passenger station. By 1868 more permanent structures including cottages, a two-story trustees office and bookstore, and a market appeared. The village was owned and governed by the Round Lake Association. By 1881 lectures patterned after Chautauqua Institution were being conducted. In 1887 George West constructed the George West Museum of Art and Archaeology to enhance the cultural offerings.
Among the noted Methodist residents was Rev. Strong, creator of the tome Strong's Bible concordance until his death.
Passages that mention Round Lake, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Round Lake, Saratoga County, N.Y.1887 · page 23Read the page →
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partook of the Lord's Supper. After the usual march around the " circle," the seventh camp-meeting held at Round Lake was closed at midnight with a benediction^ The new and attractive passenger station at Round Lake, built in the spring of 1873, by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, lessee of the Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad, was one of the most conspicuous of the improvements made that year. It was constructed of corrugated, galvanized iron. The middle part, containing the
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History of Round Lake, Saratoga County, N.Y.1887 · page 14Read the page →
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The first camp-meeting at Round Lake, that of the Troy Conference, was not inaugurated with any special services. On the opening day, Tuesday, September ist, 1868, the railroad trains brought in the morning and afternoon great numbers of persons who came to remain during the ten days' meeting. Those from the surrounding country arrived in carriages and wagons, bringing with them such movables as were indispensable to dwellers in temporary habitations. While some were busily engaged in pitching and fur-
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Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
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