St Barbara's Church

stbarbara St. Barbara's Church (Episcopal) is a picturesque log cabin presently located on 28N in the Town of Newcomb, directly across from a town park which commands a spectacular view of the central Adirondacks.

St. Barbara's is a very unusual name for an Episcopal church. However, St. Barbara was the patron saint of miners, and as most of the original parishioners were employees of National Lead, a mining operation, the name seemed most appropriate.

Originally the building was a hunting camp for the Seeley family, members of the Tahawus Club. When National Lead took over some of the Tahawus Club property it acquired Seeley Camp which remained vacant for a long time.

In 1959, the parishioners of St. Barbara's, who had been attending church in the local YMCA, decided they would like to have a church of their own. Someone thought about Seeley Camp and the parishioners, together with help from the townspeople, moved the camp into the village of Tahawus, about a mile from the original site of the camp. Just about the time we finished moving, National Lead decided that the village was sitting on a valuable ore site and once more St. Barbara's was on the move. This time to its present location on 28N.

This year we celebrate our 40th anniversary. Services are conducted by three priests from Barry House (Brant Lake). Masses begin at 9:00am in the summer and at 11:00am in the winter. It has been our tradition to have midnight mass on Christmas Eve at which time the church is decorated with our native evergreen and candles.
This, in a way, is a tribute to St. Barbara who is always depicted carrying an evergreen branch.

Mass at St. Barbara's would be a wonderful way to start a day of outdoor activities in the Adirondacks. After mass in the summer, nearby is a state campground, the VIC, swimming and playground facilities, hiking trails, tennis courts, canoeing, etc. After mass in the winter there is cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, skating and a convenient small ski slope. Visitors are always welcome.

If you desire further information, please call Barry House at (518) 494-3314