Franklin Falls Pond

Franklin Falls Pond

Franklin Falls Pond, upstream of the Falls
Location St. Armand / Franklin, New York, United States
Coordinates 44°25.5′N 73°59′W / 44.4250°N 73.983°W / 44.4250; -73.983Coordinates: 44°25.5′N 73°59′W / 44.4250°N 73.983°W / 44.4250; -73.983
Primary inflows Saranac River
Primary outflows Saranac River
Basin countries United States
Max. length 2.7 mi (4.3 km)
Surface area 439 acres (1.78 km2)
Surface elevation 1,470 feet (448 m)
Franklin Falls in the spring

Franklin Falls Pond is a 439-acre (178 ha), 2.7-mile (4.3 km) long pond created by damming the Saranac River three miles (5 km) northeast of Lower Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. The pond is also part of the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail, which begins in Old Forge, NY and ends in Fort Kent, ME.

History

The falls at the downstream (northern) end of the pond were the site of a sawmill, a hotel, and a hamlet that grew up around the mill; all were completely destroyed by a fire in 1852. The hotel and the sawmill were rebuilt. Paul Smith, proprietor of Paul Smith's Hotel bought the area around the falls and built a hydroelectric plant, the construction of which flooded 270 acres (1.1 km2), killing a substantial number of trees. The state filed an injunction against the construction, which Smith ignored, leading the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks to bring a suit that was finally settled in 1912, in Smith's favor. Today all that remains of the hamlet is a more modern hydroelectric dam that holds back the pond.

Sources


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