John Brown Farm State Historic Site

  • John Brown Road, Lake Placid
  • info@lakeplacid.com

Tour the last home and burial site of the famed abolitionist. The home provides a glimpse of life in the 19th century and shares fascinating information about Brown and his mission to abolish the practice of slavery.

About the site

Open year-round, Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m.

Also on display is a permanent exhibit, "Dreaming of Timbuctoo," which shares the story of Timbuctoo, a farming community created by local abolitionist Gerrit Smith for Black families to migrate to the Adirondacks and homestead. By providing land to Black men, the men were entitled to the right to vote, a crucial step in the fight against racism and slavery.

John Brown, the famous abolitionist of Civil War days, first came to Essex County in 1849, when he acquired 244 acres of land from Smith. Brown did not stay long in Essex County. In 1855, he joined some of his sons who were homesteading in Kansas and carried on his fight against pro-slavery forces there. He made sporadic visits to his family and farm in the following years while planning his ill-fated raid on the Federal Arsenal at Harper's Ferry. After his trial and execution in 1859 in Virginia, Brown's second wife, Mary, accompanied his body back to Essex County. His body lay in state and under guard during an evening's rest in the Elizabethtown Court House. His grave and the simple farmhouse where he lived are preserved as a memorial and New York State Historic Site.

Read more about John Brown and the farm here.

There are hiking trails on the property, which may be enjoyed year-round.