Argyle offers natural beauty and peaceful farmland near Glens Falls
Argyle is a small community just 11 miles from Glens Falls where hilly country roads are lined with farmland and surrounded by mountains. “There are places where you can just turn your head and see the Adirondack Mountains in New York and the Green Mountains in Vermont; it’s quite spectacular,” says Lisa Ostrander, a licensed associate broker with Howard Hanna Real Estate who has sold homes here for 20 years and has lived in the area for most of her life. “It’s just a very peaceful, very community-oriented town.” This sense of peace, though, doesn’t mean true isolation. “You’ve got that real farm feel, but you’re also ... close to places like Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls and Lake George,” Ostrander says. “So people like it because it’s a border farm town where you’re close to amenities.”
Houses with acreage or on Cossayuna Lake
Argyle has a small town center where a handful of houses cluster closer together, but most of the area’s colonials, hi-ranches and ranch-style houses usually have at least a little acreage. The neighborhood even has lakefront homes along the shore of Cossayuna Lake or the smaller Summit Lake. Major fixer-uppers on less than an acre occasionally sell for around $70,000, but most houses here start closer to $150,000. Homes with acreage in the double digits — usually farmland — can sell for up to $770,000. Ostrander says that the occasional large-scale farm can sell for over $1 million.
Recreation on Summit Lake and Cossayuna Lake
Summit Lake, the smaller of Argyle’s two main lakes, doesn’t allow motorboats, but it’s a favorite spot for kayakers, canoers and anglers. Fishing is also popular at Cossayuna Lake, often from the bigger motorized boats allowed on its water. “And there’s a public boat launch on Cossayuna,” Ostrander says. “Cossayuna is big and it’s really lovely.” On particularly hot days, swimming is also popular. Local baseball teams hold games at Argyle Rec Field.
Trails for hiking and birdwatching also wind their way around Argyle and Ostrander says residents don’t have to go far to experience a little history. “In Argyle — or anywhere nearby — you’re just surrounded by early American history,” she says, pointing out that Saratoga National Historical Park is 20 miles away.
Career exploration at Argyle Junior/Senior High
The Argyle Central School District earns a C-plus from Niche. With just two schools, the district has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10-to-1. Students attend Argyle Elementary School from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade before moving on to Argyle Junior/Senior High School. Both schools earn C-plus ratings, and the high school offers electives like forensic science and pre-veterinary courses in addition to its engineering and health careers exploration programs.
Nearby towns like Greenwich and Glens Falls, driving to major hotspots
Main Street, also known as state Route 40, leads south to Greenwich and north to Hartford, Argyle’s direct neighbors. State Route 197 leads west toward Glens Falls, which is home to the nearest hospital, Glens Falls Hospital, just under 12 miles away. Many of Argyle’s roads are narrow country lanes, and some homes are off dirt or gravel roads. Despite these rural surroundings, bigger hotspots aren’t very far; Saratoga Springs is about 22 miles away and Lake George is 28 miles away.
Farm-fresh meat, honey and produce, groceries in Greenwich
Argyle’s tiny town center has a library, post office, convenience store, a couple of churches and a small restaurant offering pizza and subs. “There’s not much there; you go in and out in a blink of an eye. But I love it over there,” Ostrander says, adding that she heads to Argyle for its many farms and farm stands. “One of my farmers that I get my meat from, they’re in Argyle. One of the huge local beekeepers has his farm there.” McWhorter’s Orchard offers apple-picking, apple cider and cider donuts in the fall, and Stu-berry Acres Farm lets customers pick blueberries, raspberries and more. There’s even a dairy farm making fresh cheese, although its shop, Argyle Cheese Farmer, is in nearby Hudson Falls. For other groceries, locals drive about 10 miles to Hannaford in Greenwich. The neighboring town also has a few other restaurants and shops, including Witches Village Café and Argyle Brewing Company.
Thistle Day competitions, funding cancer research with tractor pulls
Every year, Argyle hosts Thistle Day, which features Scottish-focused athletics, mini Highland games for the kids, live music, a bonfire and fireworks — plus plenty of food and beer. Locals also compete in an annual tractor pull to raise money for cancer research. Greenwich’s many events also draw Argyle residents, including the Greenwich County Fair and its Christmastime Tractor Parade. “It’s your holiday parade, but they do it with tractors and lights and people dress up in holiday outfits and their tractors are all dolled up,” Ostrander says. “They said they have about 10,000 people that come and over 70 tractors displayed.”
Written By
Christina Norwood
