The Farmers' Museum's exhibit, "Mysteries of the Lake, Otsego Lake Past and Present" which opens later this month, will feature a rare, restored watercraft that has spent most of its life on the lake.

The boat is a 1902 J.H. Rushton row and sail boat made in Canton N.Y., and will be on loan to the museum from Scottie Baker of Oaksville.

She and her late husband Dave acquired the boat in 1978 from Marion Meadows, the daughter of Samuel Strong Spaulding, of Mohican Manor on the west side of Otsego Lake. Spaulding purchased the boat in New York City from the Folsom Arms Company on Broadway - the forerunner of Abercrombie and Fitch.

Baker said Rushton often sold some of his fancier boats in the city as is the case with this one which has details and a variety of woods not often found in his standard models.

"The boat is extremely rare and probably the only one intact with such unique embellishments and varied woods," Baker said.

There are at least eight different woods used in the construction of the boat - mahogany and walnut, Spanish cedar for the sheerstrake and deck, oak stems and keel, caned seats and coming of cherry, another seat of ash, a maple rudder, ribs of red elm and cedar planking.

"It's a very beautiful boat," she said.

It is also equipped with a 'radix' telescoping brass centerboard.

What makes this one rare and sets it apart from other row and sail boats, she said, is that it is one of Rushton's Double AA Grade boats.

The top grade boats featured the great variety of woods, detailing, extra coats of varnish and nickel-plated brass hardware.

This Rushton also comes with the two pairs of original spoon-bladed oars, the original sails and was equipped with copper floatation tanks to increase the buoyancy.

The nameplate on the boat was hand-signed and dated by one of Rushton's workers.

Since the Bakers purchased the boat in 1978, it has undergone two restorations - the first in 1983 and the second this past winter.

The first was done by Dave Baker and Everett Smith of Parishville, N.Y.

The bottom of the boat had caved in from being stored improperly and needed to be completely re-ribbed. The two took the boat apart replaced the keel; and put in 75 new steam-bent, half-round red elm ribs to match the originals.

The boat still lacked finishing and varnishing, but remained uncompleted until this winter when Scottie Baker heard about the Farmers' Museum's plan for the Otsego Lake exhibit.

Baker said it was the only boat of its kind on the lake and was completely documented, having been purchased from the daughter of the original owner. It seemed like the boat belonged in the exhibit.

She decided to go ahead with the second restoration and finish the boat. She contacted Fuat Latif, of Saranac Lake, who has restored and built reproductions of Rushton boats. Latif refastened the boat and varnished it. He also made a sail rig for the craft with the help of a sailor.

"He did an incredible job," Baker said.

Paul D'Ambrosio, chief curator for NYSHA and the Farmers' Museum said the boat was part of the life of the lake.

"It is one of the great artifacts remaining from this time period on the lake," he said. "It is one of the finest craft of its type."

D'Ambrosio said two other boats will be featured in the show. One is a double-ended livery boat of the type seen in may old photos of the lake. It seems like there must have been dozens of them, he said, but there is only one left. The other is an Otsego Lake ice boat.

"Research has never mentioned a name, so I have named her "Felicity" which expresses my joy in the project, and the pleasure I believe she will give to her viewers," Baker said.

The exhibit opens on Tuesday, May 18, in the main barn at the Farmers' Museum