Tahawus, New York

Tahawus (also called Adirondac, or McIntyre, pronounced 'tuh-hawz') was a village in the Town of Newcomb, Essex County, New York, United States. It is now a ghost town situated in Adirondack Park. Tahawus is located in Essex County within the unpopulated northern area designated to the town of Newcomb. Tahawus was the site of major mining and iron smelting operations in the 19th century. Although standing as recently as 2005, the last mining facilities have since been demolished and removed (with the exception of some minor garages, blast furnaces and outbuildings).

It was in Tahawus in 1901 that Vice President Theodore Roosevelt learned President William McKinley was dying.

The Adirondack Iron and Steel Company was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

In the nineteenth century the area was mined for iron ore. Adirondac, New York was a company town of the Adirondack Iron Works. Iron deposits were first found here in 1826 by Archibald McIntyre and David Henderson. The iron was extracted at what was known as the Upper Works with moderate success between 1827 and 1857. In 1857, after a struggle, the Adirondack Iron Works surrendered to the remoteness of the wilderness and Adirondac became known as the "deserted village". Impurities of titanium dioxide were present in the iron, which made it difficult for equipment of that era to properly process the ore. A local flood and a nationwide economic crisis were also factors in the closure of the Upper Works. According to the New York State Adirondack Park Agency:

Throughout its existence, the Adirondack Iron Works operated two farms, the blast furnace and forge, a puddling furnace, charcoal and brick kilns, trip hammers and a grist and saw mill. The Village consisted of sixteen dwellings and a building with a cupola, used as school, church and the general assembly room.

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