Distin and Wareham was the architectural firm of William Distin and Arthur Wareham. Wareham succeeded William Scopes as Distin's partner in 1953. Among their projects were the Saranac Lake municipal garage 1; the new State Armory at Algonquin Avenue and the LaPan Highway 2; the Trudeau Institute. 3Ronald H. DeLair joined the firm on July 1, 1969, 4 and the firm became "Distin, Wareham, DeLair, Architects" on January 1, 1970. 5
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, January 6, 1953
Arthur W. Wareham Architect Partner
William G. Distin, Saranac Lake architect, announced today that he has taken Arthur W. Wareham of this village into partnership in the practice of architecture. The new firm will operate under the name of Distin and Wareham. The office will remain at its present location, 18 Main Street.
Mr. Wareham, a graduate of Pratt Institute, has been a resident of this village since 1946. He was formerly employed in firms in New York City and Washington, D. C. and spent several years in South America as a hospital architect. He received his New York State Registration in 1950 and has been associated with Mr. Distin since that time.
This office was first established by William L. Coulter in the late eighteen nineties, then later, practice was carried on under the firm names of Coulter & Westhoff; Westhoff and Distin and for many years by Mr. Distin under his own name.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 14, 1956
S.L. Architects Accept Big Dannemora Job
The Saranac Lake architectural firms of William H. Scopes and Distin and Wareham have signed contract for the preparation plans for a new building to take care of 160 additional patients the Dannemora State Hospital, was learned today.
The commission for the Iarge structure was first offered to Mr. Scopes last March by Carl W. Larson, acting state architect.
Mr. Scopes then informed John W. Johnson, State Public Work Commissioner, that the amount of drafting on such a commission would be more than he could do by himself, and that William G. Distin and Arthur Wareham were willing to be associated with him in the work.
The Department of Public Work agreed and the final contract was signed yesterday.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, February 19, 1971
The New board of trustees for the Saranac Lake Free Library has decided to go ahead with plans for the construction of a T shaped addition to the library, a wing of which, will be donated by E. A. Guggenheim. It was resolved at the meeting to hire the architectural firm of Distin and Wareham to begin plans for the addition which will cost $80,000 or more. A contract has been signed and work should begin in May.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, September 26, 1980
Architects to new location
SARANAC LAKE - The firm of Wareham-DeLair Architects will move, as of Sept. 29, from its location of 25 years at 64 Main Street to offices on the ground floor of 71 Bloomingdale Avenue.
The relocation was necessitated by the expansion of the Saranac Lake Federal Savings and Loan Association, owners of the Haase Block, 64 Main Street.
Wareham-DeLair is a continuation of the architectural firm established in Saranac Lake by William Coulter in 1895. During its 85 year history the firm has had five principals: Coulter, Max Westhoff, William Distin, Sr., Arthur W. Wareham and Ronald H. DeLair.
Coulter, arriving in the Adirondacks at the height of the establishment of large, private camps by wealthy businessmen, designed many of those built in this area. An outstanding example of his work is the Lewisohn Camp on Upper Saranac Lake which survives today as "Saranac Village" operated by Young Life, Inc.
Coulter was joined in practice by Max Westhoff, who introduced a Swiss motif into such Adirondack camps as the Smith Camp, now Point O'View, Lower Saranac Lake.
Shortly before the First World War William G. Distin entered the firm. Following the war it continued under his name. Distin designed the Petrova School in the 1920's, many of the Lake Placid Club buildings, the 1932 Olympic Arena, and Harold Hochschild's "Eagle's Nest" at Blue Mt. Lake, one of the last camps to be built in the great Adirondack tradition.
In 1950 Distin took Wareham into the firm and during the next 20 years, operating as Distin and Wareham, they were responsible for design of such local buildings as the National Guard Armory, Trudeau Institute Laboratories, the Montague Library at Will Rogers, and the extension to the Saranac Lake Free Library.
Delair, a native of Tupper Lake, became associated with the firm in 1970 on the death of Distin. At that time the current firm name of Wareham-DeLair Architects was established. Recent commissions have included architectural inspection for three local HUD projects, renovations to the Franklin County Courthouse, design of the Harrietstown and Saranac Lake garages, the animal breeding facility at Trudeau Institute, coronary intensive care unit at Saranac Lake General Hospital, Tupper Lake National Bank's downtown branch office and residential work currently emphasizing earth sheltered design.
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Footnotes
1. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 17, 1953
2. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, January 23, 1957
3. Adirondack Daily Enterprise', 'August 3, 1964
4. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, July 1, 1969
5. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, January 5, 1970
