Arthur Moir (standing at right) and guests at the Big House (undated) 
The main building at Moir Camp, Colby Pond, 1932. Painting by A.D. Moir. Courtesy of Kay and Marvin Best The Moir Camp, located on Moir Road at the edge of Lake Colby, was owned by Arthur D. Moir. There were several buildings at the camp, the Big House, where guests stayed, the White Cottage, where the Moirs lived, and the Green, Chocolate and Yellow houses. Elmer Kelly served as caretaker at the camp.
The great house was operated as a private sanatorium for wealthy patients, among whom were opera singers and sisters, Lillian and Rosa Ponselle; Rosa would sing at William Morris's Camp Intermission across the lake; also singer/entertainer Sir Harry Lauder. In a May 1934 Enterprise it was advertised as "Birch House Private Sanatorium--Colby Pond--L. R. and A. D. Moir, Props. Opens May 1. Terms from $22.50 Up Per Week. Boating and Fishing. Telephone 1143."
The information below was compiled by Ernest E. Keet III, who presently owns the "white house", one of the cottages associated with the main Moir house, which was torn down by the state in the 1960s.
Arthur D. and Laura Moir at the White Cottage (undated) 
Arthur Moir and his Ford roadster, the front door to the kitchen and staff quarters of the Big House (undated) 
Theodora Bates Moir and Arthur Moir, below the main house (undated)
| 6/15/1892 | The Columbus Improvement Company sold Ida R. Hagen 100' of lakefront adjoining the property of Alonzo Moody, all south of the road leading east to the Fisher Cottage. |
| 10/18/1892 | The Columbus Improvement Company sold Helen DeFord Coulter (later King) 100' of lakefront |
| 12/27/1895 | Frank L. Fisher by will left Sarah F. Tisdell his land |
| 1/17/1896 | Isabella H. Fisher, widow of Frank L. Fisher sold Sarah F. Tisdel 1½ acres |
| 3/31/1897 | Helen DeFord King and Edward King sold Sarah F. Tisdel 100 feet of shoreline |
| 2/24/1908 | Arthur D. Moir sold to Alrick H. Man, his brother in-law. Deed refers to Fisher Library, Green Cottage & Chocolate Cottage. Notes that Fayette Moody lot adjoined C.W. Peck lot & F.L. Fisher lot and both defined the eastern boundary of the properties sold. Property on the lake belonging to Sarah F. Tisdel in the middle of this conveyance was skirted in the transfer. The rights of way included a road to and across the Adirondack Division of the New York Central Railroad. Arthur remained spending summers there until he died in the 1940s. |
| 7/8/1932 | Will of A. H. Man left property one third each to wife Lucy and children who were also named Lucy and Alrick jr. Mortgage held by Charles E. Loew was entirely unpaid on Alrick's death. Alrick's son, Alrick Jr., the executor made no payments on the mortgage. Loew died in 1953 without having made any claims against the estate. Alrick Jr also married a Lucy (Doughty) and had two children once again naming them Lucy and Alrick. It was Alrick Jr and Luch Doughty who sold the property to NY State as Forever Wild land. The main house was torn down in the late 1960s or early 1970s. |
| [Speculation] | The Sarah F. Tisdel properties NOT conveyed to Alrick H. Man in 1908 remained in the Moir family and were inherited by Arthur Man's second wife, Theodora who's estate sold the house and contents (it was full of stuff from the old main house) to Mary Hope Mason in 1964 who sold the property to Greene around 1971 or 1972 |
| 7/1/1934 | Alrick H. Man's will admitted to probate |
| 12/27/1934 | Tax sale of ten acres of Mann (sic) property on Lake Colby |
| 1/4/1938 | Franklin County transfer of Man properties to the County |
| 9/5/1959 | Keet to Moody, .43 acres along the lake |
| 10/19/1959 | Alrick H. Man, Jr. acknowledged transfer of Moody property and Conklin transfer to Keet after suit filed by John Moody to clear the title |
| 11/30/1959 | Keet properties owned by Jane W. transferred to joint ownership with Ernest E. Keet, Jr. |
| 6/13/1956 | Franklin County sold the property described below to Jean H. Conklin |
| 7/30/1957 | Jean H. Conklin sold 790 feet of lakefront from the Moody property on the east to Theodora Moir's property on the west and 368 feet of shoreline from Theodora Moir's property to a pipe on the western end |
| 9/9/1959 | John Moody acquired 50' of lakefront from Jane Keet |
| 9/30/1966 | Keets sold Jean B. Leopold one acre of land with 230 feet of lakefront |
| 7/29/1969 | Keets sold Hofheimer 150 feet of shoreline and .77 acres of land |
| 3/26/1971 | Ernest & Jane Keet subdivided their property, creating a one acre lot on the western side with 100 feet of lakefront. |
| 8/2/71 | Nancy R. Keet acquired the property to west of Jane W. Keet's property |
| 8/12/1977 | Jane W. Keet sold land between that of Nancy R. Keet to the west and Theodore Moir to the east, including the house, shorehouse, and garage to Nancy R. Keet |
| 7/12/1979 | Jane W. Keet conveyed 154 feet of shorefront and 1.7 acres of land adjoining the eastern edge of the Greene land to Marjorie Greene |
| 8/1/1983 | All of Jane W. Keet's remaining lands conveyed to Ernest E. Keet III, her son. |
The main house, facing the lake (undated) 
Arthur Moir, Dorcas Hay and Elmer Kelly, at the White Cottage (undated) 
Library, Living room at left (undated) 
Living room of the Main house. Note the grand piano at left, the bear skin rug, and the peacock just right of the fireplace (undated)
Front porch facing the lake (undated)
