Born: 1869
Died: 1912
Married: Margaret Van Nest Smith
Children: Margeret V N Duryee, William R Duryee
George Van Wagenen Duryee founded Duryee and Company in 1909 with Walter Cluett, and Eddy Whitby, which offered "Adirondack Real Estate for sale or rent" at the Bank Building in Saranac Lake. He offered furnished cottages and camps both here and in Lake Placid. He lived at 143 Park Avenue.
He arrived on the local scene, like so many others, as a health patient and as he gained in his recovery, took an active part in local events. In 1905 he served as president of the Village of Saranac Lake. The Adirondack Library had closed its doors due to lack of interest and a loss of funds and Duryee took it upon himself to reorganize the facility; he formed the Saranac Lake Free Library and raised funds for a new building. By 1910 the red brick library was open for business, and the original structure is still in service as the nucleus of the expanded present Saranac Lake Free Library, where a bronze plaque memorializes his efforts. Mr. Duryee also founded the Meadowbrook Farm, a successful dairy operation at Ray Brook on the former Daniel Ames farm. He died in 1912 and his former dairy became the present Saranac Lake Golf Club.
Adapted from an article by John J. Duquette titled "Historic booklet offers personal portraits of SL residents" in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 10, 1994.
