In 1885, Augustus G. Paine, Jr. (1866–1947) moved to Willsboro to manage a local pulp mill, and began buying land in the area, eventually amassing about 1,000 acres (400 ha), including 3 miles (5 km) of Lake Champlain shoreline.

The numerous stone chimneys were erected by Peter Lacey, a stonemason from Keeseville, New York.

[3] As originally constructed, the camp consisted of numerous buildings, including the main house, two cabins, a chapel, an icehouse, servant's quarters, and other service outbuildings, many of which were demolished after Paine's death.

[2] The compound also featured extensive gardens, planted on topsoil laid over the sandstone, which were maintained under the guidance of Paine's first wife, Maud Eustis Potts, and, after her death, his second wife Francisca Machado Warren and their daughter, Francisca Warren Paine.

[2] The camp and its surrounding property, which includes wetlands, farmland, orchards and forests, are still owned by the Paine family, but in 1978 they were placed under the stewardship of the Adirondack Nature Conservancy to ensure that the land will not be developed in the future.