Courtesy of Muroff Hospitality Group
Muroff Hospitality Group has announced the sale of The Lamplight Inn Bed & Breakfast at 231 Lake Ave in Lake Luzerne. Known as “The Jewel of the Adirondacks,” this award-winning property features 12 luxurious suites, a sun-drenched dining room and a spacious owner’s apartment. The expansive wrap around porch leads into the grand 1890 Victorian building. The Carriage House is behind the main building where there are five large ground floor suites in a modern building surrounded by acres of wooded privacy.
The sellers are Eugene and Linda Merlino. Gene Merlino has been the long-time town supervisor of Lake Luzerne, and will continue in that role. The buyers are George and Mary Haleem of Pennsylvania. This will be their first investment property in New York state.
Mitch Muroff of Muroff Hospitality Group represented the seller and secured the buyer in this exclusive listing. The sale price was $1,255,000 and the transaction closed on May 1 in Queensbury.
The Inn was built in 1890 as the summer home of wealthy bachelor Howard Conkling. Conkling was a lawyer from New York City and a member of the New York State Assembly. He was well traveled and wrote multiple books of his travels. No expense was spared for his home. A 12-foot beamed ceiling, chestnut wainscoting and keyhole staircases enhance the spacious Great Room, now used as the guest sitting area.
In 1926, Howard Ketchum purchased the home for use as a summer residence. The Ketchum family owned a factory in Lake Luzerne that made tags for the ears of cattle. The Ketchum Manufacturing Company still exists today. They enjoyed the summers in Lake Luzerne along with their two daughters until the 1980s.
Purchased in 1984 from the Ketchum Estate, the summer home was restored by the Merlinos, who were both in the textile business. Gene managed a textile engraving plant while Linda was a textile artist with a background in fashion illustration and watercolor. They purchased the vacant estate in August 1984, and then married in October 1984 to start a new chapter.