Places

Chautauqua

Chautauqua County, New York

Chautauqua is a lakefront summer colony founded in 1874 as a Methodist summer camp.  The camp evolved into a pedestrian friendly village of boarding houses, single family houses, hotels, cultural venues, parks and a town square.The Chautauqua Institution sponsors and manages a two month summer season of cultural and religous programs including symphony concerts, lectures, summer school programs, plays, opera, and recreation programs.  Will Rogers once referred to Chautauqua as “the most American place in America”.  Several presidents have visited Chautauqua and have spoken in the Amphitheater. Chautauqua served as a precedent for parts of Celebration and other New Urbanist communities.  It is a must see for urban designers and architects.