But there’s comfort, too, thanks to luxury bed and bath linens, thick bathrobes, jetted tubs and, in two suites, “cure porches” that allow guests to while away the hours as they gaze out on an expansive back yard salted with a pool and evergreens.
The six guest rooms give a nod to the history of both the house and its setting. One is named after Aldrich’s friend Mark Twain – even if Aldrich once described Twain’s wife as a “twaddling, blethering, driveling blatherskite.” The Mohawk Room features paintings of important American Indians. The spacious, masculine Charles Room, named after the ill-fated son, boasts a library of Aldrich’s work; Charles’s photo sits on a fireplace mantel.
Like the Aldriches, Fred came here because of health issues. While managing a medical office, he suffered a heart attack at home. His dog Puck aroused him; he scrambled to hospital and underwent a quintuple bypass. But Puck soon died , leaving a grateful Fred bereft and unhappy in his home. Admiring the Porcupine from prior visits to Saranac Lake, he bought it in late 2015, and opened three months later. He says his career path – study at a French cooking school, hotel management and beer marketing – have all helped.
Fred puts his culinary background to work with hearty Adirondack breakfasts, relying on local provisions when feasible: berries in season, eggs and cheese year round. That fuels guests for a day enjoying all the area has to offer – from skiing and snowmobiling to hiking the mountains or exploring the rich arts and culinary scenes. And they can return to a welcome beverage in the guest bar.
But why the name Porcupine? Thomas Aldrich himself once explained : “Because it has so many good points.” The porcupines scattered through the mansion are a reminder that the mansion’s many good points remain.
The Porcupine Inn
Fred Mazzeo - Owner and Innkeeper
350 Park Ave.
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
518-891-5160