KEESEVILLE — As part of the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial celebration, Adirondack Architectural Heritage is presenting a new tour series called "Architecture of the Champlain Valley."

The series features half-day walking tours of eight towns along the lake, led by professional guides.

Tours will be at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays in May and June unless otherwise noted.

May 2 - Willsboro: One of the oldest settlements in Essex County, Willsboro has a rich history connected to agriculture, paper industry, stone quarrying, shipbuilding and tourism.

May 9 - Keeseville: Keeseville is a town with a long history as an industrial community that manufactured products from wood and iron ore using the power of the Ausable River.

May 16 - Essex: Essex prospered during much of the 19th century as a shipping and ship-building port, and today, as a National Historic Register District, contains many examples of various styles of architecture.

May 23 - Elizabethtown: As the county seat, Elizabethtown boasts a large historic government complex and a number of buildings that reflect the town's social, political and economic importance.

May 30 - Port Henry: Port Henry and the surrounding Town of Moriah have the longest industrial history of any community in the Champlain Valley, beginning with iron mining and manufacturing in the late 1700s.

June 6 - Ticonderoga: Historically associated with military events, Ticonderoga developed as an industrial town connected to paper manufacturing, and today offers more than three dozen buildings listed on the National Register.

June 20 - Wadhams (10 a.m.) and Westport (1 p.m.): The hamlet of Wadhams lies just north of Westport on the Boquet River and was once known for its industrial pursuits, which supported the outlying farms. Though industry and agriculture played a role in the development of Westport, it has gained most of its identity as a summer resort town.

June 27 - Ironville: In the Town of Crown Point, the settlement of Ironville is the site of the Penfield Homestead Museum and was once the center of a thriving iron industry.

Attendance is free of charge, but advance registration is required. Reservations may be made by calling 834-9328.