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Fort William Henry to renovate Carriage House, expected opening in May 2023

Written by Command on . Posted in Business, Community, Featured, In the Arts, Local Leads.

Image courtesy of Fort William Henry

LAKE GEORGE — Fort William Henry will begin renovations on the historic Carriage House in November, converting the building into a new venue for wedding receptions, business meetings, and performing arts programs.

The Carriage House will have a capacity of 460 people in theater-style seating, and 300 people for banquets upon the expected completion in May 2023, according to a press release. The Carriage House will continue to host the Lake George Music Festival, stage productions, and more, along with receptions and meetings.

The renovations are part of a reinvestment into Fort William Henry. $5 million has gone to create premium rooms and renovating rooms and public areas of the Grand Hotel, including the kitchen and bar, the release says. $1 million went into renovating the Fort’s Conference Center, while the Carriage House renovations will cost $3 million according to the release.

“What we are really investing in is the extraordinary beauty of Lake George,” Fort William Henry chairwoman and CEO Kathryn Flacke Muncil said in the release. “There is no place on Earth like Lake George. We are so fortunate to be stewards of this lake and this historic property.”

The Carriage House will be part of over 16,000 square feet of rentable space at the Fort, the release says. Other spaces include the Conference Center (400 capacity theater-style, 250 banquet-style), the White Lion Room (200 capacity theater-style, 150 banquet-style), the Village Blacksmith Restaurant, and Tankard Taverne.

HBT Architects of Rochester created the design for the Carriage House renovations, the release says. BBL Construction Services Inc. of Albany will handle the renovations.

“For both weddings and business meetings, the Carriage House and the surrounding Fort property offer guests nice options to socialize both inside and outside,” said Fort William Henry Corp. president Sam Luciano in the release, mentioning that customer demand for meetings and conferences has rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first Fort William Henry hotel opened in 1855, the release says. Its Carriage House sheltered horses and carriages of visitors reaching the resort by primitive roads and by rail. It was later used as an early car rental business for visitors arriving via train, and has also housed Fort employees and equipment. Since the 1970s, it has hosted musicals, plays, and concerts under the name Towers Hall.