Holzers open Rondeau Hall in Wilmington | News, Sports, Jobs

A depiction of Adirondack hermit Noah John Rondeau is seen in the Rondeau Room at Twisted Raven restaurant in Wilmington. (Photo provided)

WILMINGTON — Whiteface Corners and Twisted Raven to host open house “The Rondeau Room” from 4 to 6 p.m. today. Located at 8 Whiteface Memorial Highway in Wilmington, the Rondeau Room is a new community space honoring hermit Noah John Rondeau (1883-1967).

The open house will feature live entertainment by the Stinky Boots String Band as well as complimentary snacks and beverages. For more information, contact Twisted Raven at 518-946-6160.

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The Hermit

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Today is the birthday of Rondeau, born July 6, 1883, and raised near AuSable Forks.

Rondeau's first trip to the Cold River section of the High Peaks was in 1902, according to Maitland DeSormo's book, “Noah John Rondeau: Adirondack Hermit.” Rondeau hunted and scouted traplines. He lived in Lake Placid until 1913 or 1914, working as a barber and doing other odd jobs. He then moved to Coreys, east of Tupper Lake.

Rondeau established traplines throughout the Cold River area and began wintering there in 1929. He moved his residence a few times into the backcountry, eventually settling on what we know today as Rondeau's Hermitage, on a high bluff overlooking Cold River. At the time, the land was owned by the Santa Clara Lumber Company. The Northville-Placid Trail, built from 1922 to 1924, runs through the site.

Rondeau regularly traveled to Coreys and Saranac Lake to get supplies. He also received many visitors, mainly hikers from the Adirondack Mountain Club, which had built the Northville-Placid trail, or aspiring 46ers, who brought him food. His longest stay at Cold River was 381 days, from May 1, 1943, to May 16, 1944.

State authorities forced Rondeau out of Cold River in 1950 after trees downed by a hurricane created dangerous conditions in the backcountry. The Department of Conservation closed the Cold River area for several years to clear many of the downed trees.

Rondeau moved to Lake Placid and served as Santa for years at Santa's Workshop in Wilmington. The theme park is located just up the road from the Twisted Raven.

In the spring of 1957, part of Rondeau's hermitage—the Hall of Records and the Beauty Parlor wigwam—was dismantled and moved to the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, now called the Adirondack Experience. In 1958, Rondeau sold much of his possessions to the museum.

Rondeau died at Lake Placid Hospital on August 24, 1967, and was buried in North Elba Cemetery. A small stone with a plaque marks his grave.

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Whiteface Coins

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Roy Holzer, a former Wilmington city supervisor and owner of the Twisted Raven in Whiteface Corners, explained Friday why the venue is named after Rondeau.

“We just wanted to associate the local history with our building there,” Holzer said.

Rondeau’s importance to the area, Holzer said, is what prompted them to name the room in his honor. Rondeau is the wife of Holzer, Becky’s great-uncle, and they have a number of photos of her father, Burton Rondeau’s, hermitage dating back to the 1930s and ’40s that will be on display at the open house.

In the new room is a partially reconstructed replica of Rondeau's cabin at Cold River.

Holzer said that after the open house, Twisted Raven owners Hope and Travis Holzer will use the space as “public room for special events, for private functions, wedding receptions, meetings — things like that.” He added that he was sure it would happen. “complement the offers to the community.”

The room was completely renovated, and Holzer and his wife paid for it entirely out of their own pocket, he said. Holzer's philosophy is not to rely on grants.

The Holzers purchased the property more than 10 years ago and have been working on renovating it ever since. In addition to the restaurant, Whiteface Corners offers four long-term rentals, two short-term rentals and two corporate office rentals. Holzer wants to make the property a multi-use facility.

“It will be a unique offering and I hope people will take a look at it,” he said.

In 2023, the restaurant formerly known as Pourman's Tap House, operated by Jesse and Hillary Rogers since December 29, 2016, closed and reopened as Twisted Raven. Roy and Becky owned the Little Super Market on State Route 86 for 22 years, selling the business to their niece and nephew, Cliff and Sarah Holzer, in May 2019.

In 2013, Roy and Becky purchased the former Holiday Lodge in Wilmington “Four corners” intersection and renamed it Whiteface Corners.

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