Gala guests will be able to ride the restored Paul Smiths Hotel stagecoach, circa 1868. (Photo courtesy of Paul Smith’s College)

PAUL SMITHS — Paul Smith’s College, after noting its 75th anniversary last summer, will host a gala fundraising event on the college campus on Thursday, Aug. 11. The event, benefitting the College of the Adirondacks, will begin at 5 p.m. in the Lakeside Dining Room of the Joan Weill Student Center.

The theme of the evening will emulate the atmosphere that existed around 1900, a time when Apollos “Paul” Smith, with his wife Lydia Martin Smith, were the proprietors of one of the most famous resort hotels in North America. By recapturing that time, the event will include an evening of enjoyment and education, providing a better understanding of who Paul Smith and Lydia were and the legacy they brought to the Adirondacks.

This event will also provide an opportunity to recognize Adirondack Foundation, a contemporary Adirondack pillar celebrating 25 years of connecting generous donors with the causes they care about in the place they love.

“With a combined 100 years of service to the Adirondacks, what better way to celebrate our two anniversaries than to go back 100 years and visit the famous Paul Smith’s Hotel,” said Steve Frederick, PSC’s vice president for Development and Alumni Relations. “View turn-of-the-century antiques from the Adirondacks, take a ride in the original restored Paul Smith’s Hotel Concord stagecoach circa 1868, and look out over beautiful Lower St. Regis Lake just like Paul did. This will be a gala like no other.”

The Adirondack Store in Lake Placid will decorate the gala site with historic antiques from that era. Store owner Chris English owns a significant collection from the era, including Paul Smith’s personal walking cane.

“My father and brother graduated from Paul Smith’s College, so I have a fondness from anything that connects the Golden Age of the Adirondacks, which in 1900, was the Paul Smith’s Hotel,” English said. “This will be a great evening and celebration of one of the founders of the Adirondacks.”

The original hotel started as a primitive, 17-room inn that grew to 255 units. It included a boathouse with 60 guides, a bowling alley, casino, stables, post office and a direct line to the New York Stock Exchange. Presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Grover Cleveland were among the hotel’s early patrons along with countless celebrities. Many of the hotel guests in the early days were delivered by stagecoach.

Ever a shrewd financier, Paul Smith developed a vision for Upper and Lower St. Regis lakes. His land investments led to the acquisition of many parcels that attracted captains of industry and their families to the Adirondacks for long summer vacations.

As much as Paul was known for his aplomb in dealing with the wealthy of that era, he related just as genuinely with the guides and hired hands of these properties. Local lore of that time period reveled in Paul’s accounts that could score a drink in any watering hole between Saranac Lake and Malone.

As the College of the Adirondacks, Paul Smith’s is pleased to honor Adirondack Foundation for the important role it plays as the philanthropic hub for the Adirondacks.

“We are honored to be recognized by such a vibrant and vital institution,” said Cali Brooks, president and CEO of Adirondack Foundation. “Like the college, our work provides a multi-generational conduit for people whose family ties to the Adirondacks date back for centuries or are just beginning. As the community foundation, we are here for good – today, tomorrow and always.”

PSC is offering a number of sponsorship opportunities for people, businesses and groups to participate in the gala. Frederick has announced numerous levels from $250 for individual admission to a Platinum Sponsorship of $25,000 which includes a table for eight and many promotional assets.

For more information, visit www.paulsmiths.edu/give/summer-gala/ or contact Steve Frederick at sfrederick@paulsmiths.edu.